Rassie Erasmus: 'Four or five surprises' in All Blacks team for Eden Park Test

Rassie Erasmus surprised fans by withholding his matchday 23 to play the All Blacks in round three of the Rugby Championship until Thursday, having previously named his teams on Monday. But now that all cards are on the table with both teams revealed, the big surprises are coming from the New Zealand camp.

Speaking to the media earlier in the week, the Springbok coach explained his change in schedule by saying his coaching staff and he didn’t know what team the All Blacks were going to select, he didn’t know whether Siya Kolisi or Jean-Luc du Preez would be fit, and he didn’t want to give the All Blacks coaches extra time to analyse his side.

What Erasmus’ counterpart Scott Robertson came out with on Thursday seemed to validate his hesitation, as the All Blacks named a tweaked back five in the forwards and dropped Sevu Reece in favour of Emoni Narawa.

“If you’re playing New Zealand in New Zealand, you need every single bit of advantage, not that I think it’s a massive advantage (naming the team late), but for us not to 100 per cent know the team they would pick, and there are four or five surprises that we didn’t think would be in the team, that is why we said we would front up and only name our team on Thursday,” the coach told reporters on Thursday evening.

“Sometimes we feel naming our team on Monday, it’s out of the way, and the speculation is out of the way.

“(Fabian) Holland on the bench, we knew that (Tyrel) Lomax would come into the mix, we were sure Wallace (Sititi) would play, I wasn’t sure about the six flanker (Simon Parker) that is playing, obviously we knew (Ardie) Savea would play.

“There was always doubt about their nines, but the starting nine (Finlay Christie) played against us in the World Cup final. I wasn’t sure whether they were going to swap outside centre and wings, and where Will Jordan would play.

“That’s why I said on Monday we were guessing a bit, and we just thought let’s even the playing field, so both teams only really know the teams on Thursday.”

The coach would later add he wasn’t expecting Narawa to replace Reece on the right edge.

Regarding his own team, Erasmus said this week’s selections were a balancing act. The two-time World Cup-winning coach felt he needed a mobile matchday 23 that could keep up with the pace of the All Blacks without compromising on the trademark Springbok power.

He was also conscious of balancing youth and experience, knowing how much the next generation could benefit from playing in such a big Test, but also leaning on the players who have produced wins against New Zealand in the past.

“The team we picked, we think we can match the pace while bringing the physicality. We thought they were going to go for a five-three split.

“We’re trying to, at some stages, pick the team that can squeeze a win out against the best team in the world currently. And sometimes we try to put in guys under real pressure, for them to understand what it’s like, so when we press their button later this year against Ireland, France, next year, they get used to the environment with senior players around them.”