Although Salmaan Moerat does not always attract attention with flashy moments or headlines, the Springboks' head coach, Rassie Erasmus, highly values his contribution to the World Cup squad. He issued a strong defense of the player, explaining why his work in scrums, mauls, and ball retention makes him an important part of the world-champion team, despite periodic criticism.
Moerat will play for the world-champion team for the first time this season as he was included in the 23-man squad for the Nations Cup match against Italy, which will take place in Turin on Saturday. This former Stormers player quickly adapted at La Rochelle in France, showing several good performances for the new club. He has now returned to the Bok squad, replacing Eben Etzebeth at number 4 after missing Nations Cup and 'The Greatest Rivalry' matches against the All Blacks due to neck and leg injuries.
Erasmus emphasizes Moerat's unsung work
Erasmus stated that they know what kind of physical player they have in the tight five and expect him to do his job, as always, when playing against the Azzurri on Saturday. 'I never listened to people who say nonsense about Salmaan because he is not the player you see on the field doing flashy things, and we don't expect that from him. We expect him to do what he always does for us,' Erasmus said about the star from Paarl.
He continued that they need a 'hard worker' like Jean Klerk or RG Snyman. While RG is more spectacular, that is what the team needs, and Salmaan brings that to the collective. 'Nobody probably understands how hard he fights in scrums, how hard he participates in mauls, how hard he cleans out the ball at the ruck, how physically strong he is, and how well he stops mauls. That is probably something that cannot be explained to people,' the coach noted.
Nevertheless, Erasmus added that they are not upset that people do not see this. As long as Salmaan and his teammates know that the management sees and values their efforts, he remains a player they are happy to have in the squad. 'So, when it comes to things that people don't understand or don't fully see, I understand why they have their opinion. But, obviously, we have our opinion about Salmaan.'
Erasmus acknowledged that the Springboks pay attention to public opinion in South Africa and regularly monitor discussions and criticism on social media. He also mentioned that Moerat has captained South Africa several times and performed well in those matches. This tight five led the team in three Championship matches and won two of them.
'Obviously, we listen to what people in South Africa are saying. I am not going to pretend that we are like other countries and say that social media doesn't affect us. I follow it. I like South Africans who have opinions on things, and I certainly saw it when Willie (Le Roux) was heavily criticized, when Faf (de Klerk) was out of action, and I also saw moments when someone succeeded against all odds.'
The match against Italy gives Moerat another opportunity to demonstrate why he remains highly valued in the Springboks squad, regardless of critics' opinions. With the firm support of the Bok management, he intends to let his game speak for itself in Turin.
