Rassie bats back suggestion that Springboks' split squad is 'disrespecting' Wallabies

While the question seemed to come as a surprise, Rassie Erasmus politely batted back a suggestion that the Springboks were disrespecting the Wallabies through their split squad selection strategy ahead of Saturday's Rugby Championship opener at Loftus.

National coach Jacques Nienaber on Tuesday announced a combination shorn of a few first-choice options, a group of 13 men who have travelled to New Zealand in advance in a bid to be primed for next week's Test in Auckland.

Yet the presence of players of the calibre of Lukhanyo Am, Frans Malherbe and Pieter-Steph du Toit certainly doesn't suggest the Boks have picked a B-team to face Eddie Jones and his troops.

"I can tell you we don’t disrespect them - that is why we are only letting the guys fly across [on Tuesday] and [on Wednesday] because we want proper preparation. We have been preparing for three weeks for Australia," said Erasmus, the national director of rugby.

"It's more respect for the competition and not a lack of respect for Australia. We wouldn't have a chance against New Zealand if we arrive there on a Tuesday [next week], have one training session, and play them after a side like Australia."I'm pretty sure it will be a very competitive match on Saturday and Eddie will get that."

However, that argument merely seemed to pique the interest of the small Australian media contingent, who then pondered why Jones wouldn't be following the same recipe as the Boks.

15 Willie le Roux, 14 Canan Moodie, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Duane Vermeulen (captain), 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche/Steven Kisthoff

Substitutes: 16 Joseph