Recently-retired Springbok prop Steven Kitshoff believes a solution to long injury lists in the URC is for coaches to trust younger players with more game time.
Kitshoff was forced to call it quits in February after suffering a serious neck injury while playing for Western Province in last year’s Currie Cup.
The Vodacom Bulls, Sharks and Stormers have all had long injury lists this season, and the 33-year-old was asked during an Off The Ball podcast what could be done to make the game safer.
“Probably the biggest solution would be utilising the full squad,” he said. “In the URC, you’ve got 45 to 50 players in a squad and I don’t think all the teams actually rotate that well – they’ve got a key group of 23 players that they will always back for any given weekend.
“I think giving younger okes more opportunities and being able to rotate players, there will be more breaks for the older, more senior players. That’s probably the route I would follow.
“If I was in a coaching position, I would make sure that the youngsters and the more inexperienced guys would get more game time so you can rest an international player or you can rest a senior, older guy to make sure he’s fresh for bigger games.
“I sometimes feel that’s not the case. They back 25 players and always pick the same guys.”
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One coach who has constantly rotated his team this season is Jake White, who made 11 changes to the Bulls starting XV for Saturday’s match against Leinster at Loftus.
“As I’ve said before, we’re not going to keep the same group of players [for every match], it’s been a long season and I said in week one that we’re going to keep rotating the team,” said White.
“There’s been a balance between giving guys opportunities and keeping some continuity. You obviously can’t make 15 changes.”
Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
