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'We're trying to avoid that': Erasmus explains surprising selection call
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South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus has said that past experiences with injuries influenced his decision to start Quan Horn at fly-half against the Barbarians on Saturday instead of Manie Libbok.
The one-cap Horn, who primarily plays on the wing or at full-back for the Lions, will start at fly-half at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha on Saturday, with 19-year-old Vusi Moyo his back-up on the bench.
Though Libbok is available to play, Erasmus said that he is avoiding a potential injury to the 28-year-old with their Nations Championship campaign on the horizon, starting with England at Ellis Park on July 4.
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Events at the end of 2025 taught Erasmus this lesson, as he started Ox Nche against Japan ahead of the Quilter Nations Series, only for the loosehead to pick up an injury just days after fellow loosehead Jan-Hendrik Wessells had received a nine-match ban.
With Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu already sidelined for the coming weeks with an ankle injury, and Handre Pollard competing in the United Rugby Championship on Friday, Erasmus has opted not to risk the only experienced fly-half he has at his disposal currently.
“I think Manie has played a lot of rugby in Japan,” Erasmus said after naming his side.
“We must see, does Handre get through the game this weekend without an injury? I think we’ve learned our lessons last year when we played Japan and we got an injury to Ox Nche and we didn’t really have to play Ox in that specific game because he was match fit and everything. Then Jan-Hendrik [Wessells] got suspended and then eventually we had to go with Boan [Venter] and Gerhard [Steenekamp], who did really well. So we’re trying just to avoid that with Manie.
“Then also, we want to see Quan Horn, can he play 10 and 15? Hopefully, in the future that will help with 6-2 splits, because we know he can play wing, we know he can play 15. The assistant coaches, all of us, really see something special in him when it comes to 10.
“Then Vusi on the bench, I must say he’s one of the guys that really caught the eye in this two weeks. We think the two of them can do the job for us.”
