Aphelele Fassi Replaces Injured Le Roux. Image- Springboks
(The Post News)- Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus has been forced to revise his game plan for the second Rugby Championship Test against Australia in Cape Town after a late injury disrupted his original selection. The unexpected development occurred when veteran fullback Willie le Roux sustained a training injury earlier this week. Despite efforts to get him match-ready, Le Roux failed to recover in time, ruling him out of Saturday’s crucial clash.
Le Roux, a seasoned campaigner who recently earned his 100th cap and joined an elite group of just eight players in South African rugby history to reach that milestone, experienced a minor but persistent injury during training sessions leading up to the match. The Springbok medical staff monitored his condition closely, but the decision to withdraw him became inevitable as he showed no significant improvement.
In response to Le Roux’s unavailability, Erasmus turned to Aphelele Fassi, who will now step into the starting XV. Fassi, who has shown promise and composure under pressure, will once again don the green and gold jersey after featuring in last week’s opening Test match against the Wallabies in Johannesburg. Despite the Springboks suffering a 38–22 defeat in that encounter, Fassi delivered a solid individual performance and will aim to build on that momentum this weekend.
By adjusting his lineup at the last minute, Erasmus demonstrates the kind of adaptability and squad depth that South African rugby relies on in the face of setbacks. The inclusion of Fassi not only provides the team with fresh legs but also an opportunity to test the depth of talent available as the Springboks seek to bounce back and level the series against a confident Australian side.
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