Springboks front row saga: Erasmus delivers honest assessment
Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus has provided an honest assessment of the state of his front rows in preparation for July's test.
Regulars Frans Malherbe and Trevor Nyakene are expected to miss the entire year, while double World Cup winner Steven Kitshoff recently retired after sustaining an acute neck injury.
A fresh front-row look is seemingly on the horizon for the Springboks, and it appears Wilco Louw, Thomas du Toit and Neethling Fouche are poised to take over the reins.
'Frans is unlikely to play this season again, Trevor definitely not,' the Springboks coach confirmed.
'Neethling is not a boy anymore, around 30 [32], which is a lekker age for a tighthead prop. Thomas du Toit is doing well with Bath. He is one of the top players there. Wilco is doing well.'
'We are not going to change our game. We want to retain that forward power. There will be new faces in the front row this year.'
28 June: vs Barbarians, DHL Stadium, Cape Town. Kick off: 17:10.
5 July: vs Italy, Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria. Kick off: 17:10.
12 July: vs Italy, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Gqeberha. Kick off: 17:10.
19 July: vs Georgia, Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit. Kick off: 17:10.
16 August: vs Australia, Ellis Park, Johannesburg. Kick off: 17:10.
23 August: vs Australia, DHL Stadium, Cape Town. Kick off: 17:10.
6 September: vs New Zealand, Auckland. Kick off: 09:05.
13 September: vs New Zealand, Wellington. Kick off: 09:05.
27 September: vs Argentina, Kings Park, Durban. Kick off: 17:10.
4 October: vs Argentina, London. Kick off: 15:00.
8 November: vs France, Paris. Kick off: TBD.
15 November: vs Italy, Turin. Kick off: TBD.
22 November: vs Ireland, Dublin. Kick off: 19:40.
29 November: vs Wales, Cardiff. Kick off: 17:10.
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