Rassie applauds SA Rugby for overseas Boks policy

Cape Town - Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has applauded SA Rugby's policy that allows him to pick overseas-based players.

In 2017, before Allister Coetzee's second year in charge of the national side, SA Rugby passed a rule that only those overseas-based players with 30 Bok caps or more could be selected for the Test side. 

The idea was geared at local players, and ultimately encouraging players to think twice before making the move abroad. 

This year, however, that rule has been scrapped and Erasmus can pick whoever he wants. 

The likes of Duane Vermeulen, Francois Louw, Willie le Roux and Faf de Klerk are all included, though only De Klerk has less than 30 caps. 

Still, Erasmus has the freedom to call on anyone between now and the 2019 World Cup. 

"I think it's an advantage," Erasmus said.

"It's good that 18 months away from a World Cup you can start pulling in players that might use for a World Cup.

"I know they have got centres that they brought in and (Juan) Figallo from Saracens. Those players will be invaluable, and it doesn't help if you pull them in a month before the World Cup.

"We've got the same idea in our heads with guys like Faf and Willie le Roux. For both countries, well done to the administrators, because it doesn't help if you do it only in the year of a World Cup."

The Boks and Argentina meet in the second round of the Rugby Championship in Mendoza on Saturday.

Kick-off is at 21:10 (SA time). 

Teams:

Argentina

15 Emiliano Boffelli, 14 Bautista Delguy, 13 Matias Moroni, 12 Bautista Ezcurra, 11 Ramiro Moyano, 10 Nicolas Sanchez, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou, 8 Javier Ortega Desio, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Pablo Matera, 5 Tomas Lavanini, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Juan Figallo, 2 Agustin Creevy (captain), 1 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro.

Substitutes: 16 Facundo Bosch, 17 Santiago Garcia Botta, 18 Santiago Medrano, 19 Matias Alemanno, 20 Tomas Lezana, 21, Tomas Cubelli, 22 Jeronimo De La Fuente, 23 Juan Cruz Mallia

South Africa

15 Willie le Roux, 14 Makazole Mapimpi, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Aphiwe Dyantyi, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Warren Whiteley, 7 Siya Kolisi (captain), 6 Francois Louw, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Tendai Mtawarira

Substitutes: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Steven Kitshoff, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 21 Embrose Papier, 22 Lionel Mapoe, 23 Damian Willemse