Wembley clash designed to give Japan-based Bok stars game time

SPRINGBOK head coach Rassie Erasmus has revealed that Saturday’s Test match against Japan at Wembley Stadium was arranged to give South Africa’s Japan-based players crucial game time ahead of the big matches on their November tour.

- ROWAN CALLAGHAN

“We actually organised this extra game against Japan especially for the guys who play in the Japanese league because they would not have played a lot of rugby if they didn't play a lot of Test matches for us,” Erasmus said yesterday. “I think there are about 11 or 12 guys - including Manie (Libbok) - who play in the Japanese league.

“The plan was always to get these guys together because we've found in the past that when we went on the end-of-year tour previously, when we played Ireland and France and teams like that, we had a bit of a slow start because some of our players were based in Japan and hadn't really played a lot of rugby. And that’s why this fixture is here.”

Seven members of the starting XV ply their trade in Japan, including the experienced centre pairing of Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel.