Lights out: Boks’ fetcher Eskom van Staden wants to trip the Wallabies’ krag in Perth
Springbok flanker Marco “Eskom” van Staden wants to sit die Wallabies’ ligte af in Saturdays Rugby Championship clash in Perth at 11.45am.
And to do that, he reckons South Africa have to starve their opponents of ball possession.
The Springboks kept the Wallabies scoreless for 75 minutes of last weekend’s 33-7 win in Brisbane with Van Staden, known as Eskom to fans for tackling opponents’ ligte uit, coming off the bench in that clash.
Alongside Kwagga Smith, who is on the wood for the second Test with Van Staden starting, the pair of poachers cranked up the breakdown pressure on the Aussies, before an unfortunate yellow card for Van Staden opened the door for the Wallabies to break their duck with a try.
Van Staden says Saturday’s battle at the breakdown: “The breakdowns are a big part of the game. This week we focussed on the things that we can control.
“We know the threat they have and we want to try and right those wrongs. When they come with that threat, we will be ready for it.”
Playing in his 22nd Test tomorrow, this will only be the fourth time the Bulls loosie gets to start a game and he wants to make the most of the rare opportunity.
Of impressing coach Rassie Erasmus, the 28-year-old adds: “I don’t think there will be any motivation needed for the game. Everyone wants to use this opportunity.”
The Springboks team for tomorrow’s clash features 10 changes to the starting XV.
Springboks: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Lukhanyo Am, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Morne van den Berg, 8 Elrigh Louw, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Ruan Vermaak, 4 Salmaan Moerat (capt), 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Jan-Hendrik Wessels. Replacements: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Ox Nché, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Eben Etzebeth, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Grant Williams, 22 Manie Libbok, 23 Handré Pollard.
francois.dewet@inl.co.za