Why Rassie wants Moerat in the Springbok team

The Springbok coach, Rassie Ersamus, has thrown his weight behind Salmaan Moerat’s selection, insisting the much-debated lock brings the unglamorous grunt, physicality and unseen hard labour that make champions tick.

Moerat is back in the Springbok firing line, although this time the ammunition is coming from outside the field.

The former Bok captain’s inclusion in South Africa’s starting XV for Saturday’s Nations Championship encounter against Italy in Turin has reignited the selection debate, with Erasmus delivering a robust defence of a player whose value remains a divisive talking point among supporters.

Moerat, who has endured an injury-disrupted season after neck and toe problems ruled him out of the opening leg of the Nations Championship and the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Series, returns to partner Ruan Nortje in the second row.

It is a selection that has raised eyebrows, sharpened keyboards and given social media another scrum to feed on.

Salmaan Moerat’s Bok Revival: A French Rebirth and a South African Reckoning

With 11 Test caps and no international points, the Stade Rochelais lock is hardly the poster boy for spectacular rugby. His game is built around the dark arts of the forward pack, where the glamour merchants rarely venture and the heavy lifting seldom earns headlines.

Erasmus knows precisely what he wants from him.

The Bok coach acknowledged that public opinion matters and that he follows the conversations surrounding selection, including criticism of established players such as Faf de Klerk and Willie le Roux. However, he made it clear that Moerat’s contribution cannot be measured by highlight reels.

“If we always have to listen to the people, obviously we listen to what South African people are saying, and always we listen. And I’m not going to say we’re like other countries that say we don’t get caught up in social media.

“I listen to social media. I listen to what I like South African people who have opinions about Faf [de Klerk]. And certainly, I’ve seen there when Willie [Le Roux] got slaughtered, and I’ve seen times when was taken out, and then I’ve seen times where a guy against the odds made it.

“But I’ve never really listened to people who talk nonsense about someone because he’s not the kind of guy that you see on the field who does the flashy work. And we don’t expect him to do the flashy work. We are flashy work. We expect him to do what he always does for us. I think he’s been our captain for five times.”

Erasmus then offered an insight into the less visible work that has apparently earned Moerat his place in the Bok machinery.

“I think I’m not 100% sure. I think he’s won every single time when he’s been captain. I can be sort of stat that I don’t study. But We need a grinder, like a Jean Kleyn, like a I don’t know, a little bit flashy as well, but it’s something that we need in the team, and so someone brings it to his.

“Nobody probably will understand how hard he scrums, how hard he moulds, how hard he cleans in the rucks, and how physical he is, and how he stops malls and stuff.

“So that’s probably something that, I don’t know, you can never explain to people. But we’re also not upset that people don’t see that. But as long as someone knows and his teammates know that we see that, and he knows that we value that.

“And he’s the kind of guy that we enjoy in our team. So, when it comes to stuff that people don’t understand and they don’t see, fully I can understand why they have their opinions. But obviously we have our opinion about someone.”

It is a passionate endorsement, although it also places considerable responsibility on Moerat to translate his coach’s confidence into convincing performances.

South Africa have an embarrassment of riches in the second row, with Nortje, Lood de Jager and other heavyweight options providing formidable competition. In a team carrying 835 combined Test caps in its starting line-up, selection comes with expectations, not diplomatic immunity.

Moerat must therefore make his presence felt against an Italian pack that will relish the opportunity to turn the contest into a physical arm wrestle.

The Boks have won 18 of their 19 previous meetings with Italy, their only defeat coming in Florence in 2016, when the hosts stunned them 20-18. Their most recent meeting in Turin produced a 32-14 South African victory.

@RassieRugby has thrown his weight behind Salmaan Moerat! The @Springboks coach says critics overlook the lock's scrummaging, ruck work and physicality. Moerat starts against Italy. Selection debate or justified faith? Saturday will provide the answers. #Springboks… pic.twitter.com/Olbf62M1MC

— Adnaan Mohamed (@Adnaan1111) November 2, 2026

Erasmus has selected a formidable starting XV, with Siya Kolisi captaining a pack featuring Pieter-Steph du Toit, Jasper Wiese and Malcolm Marx. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Morne van den Berg will steer an exciting backline featuring Damian de Allende, Jesse Kriel, Ethan Hooker, Kurt-Lee Arendse and Damian Willemse.

The six-two bench split provides further forward muscle, with Lood de Jager, Cameron Hanekom and Paul de Villiers among the replacements.

The stakes are significant. South Africa sit top of the Southern Hemisphere standings on 15 points, level with New Zealand, and face France and Ireland after Saturday’s encounter. Every performance will count towards securing a place in the Nations Championship Finals Weekend.

Erasmus is under no illusions about the challenge ahead.

“We have three challenging matches ahead if we want to advance to the last game of the Finals Weekend, so our next three matches are going to be vital to lay a strong foundation for the tour,” he said.

“All our energy is focused on the match against Italy for now Fortunately, some of the Japan-based players were able to travel to Italy earlier than the rest of the squad, so they have been working with some of the coaching staff for a few days already and are fully in the swing of things, while we had our first training session on Monday afternoon, so everyone is now on the same page.”

Erasmus added that the combination of established internationals and battle-hardened franchise players should provide the necessary balance.

“With the majority of the squad having played together for most of the season, we are confident that the players who participated in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship and French Top 14 will ease into things seamlessly this week at training.

“The fact that they are battled hardened after a few tough matches, will offer us a good balance with fresh players raring to go and others who come off a few challenging matches for their franchises and clubs.”

Moerat’s selection will remain a talking point until the whistle blows. Erasmus has made his choice, publicly backed his man and effectively thrown down the gauntlet to the critics.

Now comes the examination.

If Moerat delivers the scrummaging strength, ruck work, mauling resistance and physical authority his coach describes, the Bok selection debate may lose some of its steam. If he struggles, the critics will be waiting with fresh ammunition.

Saturday offers the 28-year-old an opportunity to turn a controversial selection into a compelling rugby argument.

The Bok jersey is earned in the trenches. Moerat has been handed another opportunity to prove he belongs there.

Kick-off is at 13:40 (SA time), with the match broadcast live on SuperSport.

SPRINGBOKS – 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Ethan Hooker, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Morné van den Berg, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Ruan Nortjé, 4 Salmaan Moerat, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nché.
Bench: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 Lood de Jager, 20 Cameron Hanekom, 21 Paul de Villiers, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Manie Libbok.