Springboks head coach Jacques Nienaber said the team’s squad system was a major factor in a 32-12 win over Argentina in their opening Rugby Championship match in Gqeberha on Saturday.
The Springboks made 10 changes in their starting team, which Nienaber said was part of a plan to manage a challenging schedule.
“We are playing five big Test matches in a row,” he told an online news conference. “The new guys were nice and fresh.”
He said, though, that the players left out on Saturday after winning a series against the British and Irish Lions over the previous three weekends played an active role in the preparations for the Argentina game.
“I don’t like the word ‘rest’. The guys who didn’t start today didn’t rest. They had a role to fill in preparing the team. It’s not like they train less. They just play a different role,” said Nienaber.
That
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