Brannas ‘always’ on Rassie’s list

Deon Fourie was never out of the Springbok picture, the soon-to-be 40-year-old one of two star Stormers forwards bracketed as an “emergency” call-up for the world champs.

Named on the bench to face the All Blacks at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday, the versatile Fourie returns for his first run out in the green and gold since the 2023 World Cup final.

Bok coach Rassie Erasmus recalled Fourie two weeks ago, after his 13-Test career had seemingly been over following a litany of injury setbacks.

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“I’ve got on my laptop the squad and we’ve got the standby guys – the Evan Rooses, the Embrose Papiers – but we’ve always had this column,” Erasmus told journalists on Monday. “We still have Frans Malherbe on there, we have Deon Fourie on there.

“If Frans plays again in January, I’m pretty sure we’ll call his number again.”

Fourie, who turns 40 on 25 September, produced a superb 61-minute stint in the opening match of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series in Cape Town as the Stormers held the world’s No 1-ranked team to 14-14 before going down 38-21.

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The openside flank scored a try from four carries, won a game-high two turnovers and made 14 tackles while missing just one.

On Saturday, the Boks will look to Fourie as back-up at hooker and on the side of the scrum for Siya Kolisi, who has been named in the starting XV subject to fitness.

“Obviously, Deon played well for the Stormers,” Erasmus said. “He’s not match-fit and hasn’t played a lot of matches, but I’ve coached him since he was 18. He’s a wrestler, he’s a gymnast … for age 39.

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“He covers for us at hooker, he can go to openside as well if Siya plays, and he can move there later and then André Esterhuizen can maybe go to the backline again.

“It gives us a little bit more options, more leadership and calmness. 

“He was always on that bracket where, ‘Listen, boys, when we sometimes have to push the emergency button’, he’s one of those players.”

Photo: Cole Cruickshank/Gallo Images

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