Did Rassie Erasmus not pick Franco Mostert to protect him from further scrutiny?
Rassie Erasmus may have excluded Franco Mostert from the Ireland Test to shield him from media scrutiny, pending disciplinary hearings, and mental strain, despite his availability after his red card was rescinded. Picture: Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP
Image: Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP
While the official line from the Springboks was that Franco Mostert was not considered for selection for the Ireland Test due to his pending disciplinary hearing earlier this week, he could just have easily found himself in the number five jersey in Dublin on Saturday.
At the team selection on Thursday, Ruan Nortje was picked to start at lock alongside Eben Etzebeth.
It’s a full-strength side, with just two specialist backs in Grant Williams and Manie Libbok listed among the replacements.
Mostert had his red card (which he received against Italy) rescinded on Wednesday, which meant he was available for selection.
Reasons Behind Mostert’s Exclusion from Ireland Match: Media Scrutiny, Disciplinary Hearing, and Mental Readiness
For planning purposes, that may have been too late for coach Rassie Erasmus to include him - although it’s unclear if Mostert trained with the team from Monday as they began their preparations for Ireland.
However, there’s another theory that could also be quite plausible. With all the extra media attention over contentious decisions over the last couple of weeks, Mostert could have faced even further scrutiny had he stepped onto the field.
Another issue is that Mostert may have been preparing his case for the disciplinary hearing with World Rugby, and could have affected his availability for training in any case.
The mental strain, however, could have been the biggest issue. With the cloud hanging over Mostert’s head, that may have negatively impacted his mental readiness for another high-intensity Test match.
Therefore, it’s quite likely that Erasmus made the decision soon after the Italy match, and he would have explained his thinking to Mostert to help alleviate any anxiety he may have experienced.
Ultimately, it’s difficult to fault the decision to not consider Mostert, and he will still have one last chance to appear on the November tour against Wales on November 29.
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