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The Koch verdict on his Bomb Squad's five/three bench reshuffle
By Rugby365
Replacement prop Vincent Koch has insisted that the Springboks’ famed ‘Bomb squad’ won’t lose its assertiveness despite a five/three forwards/back bench split. Springboks head coach Jacques Nienaber has discarded the preferred six/two bench split between forwards and backs for this Saturday’s Rugby Championship clash against Australia in Adelaide.
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The ‘Bomb Squad’ tactic came under scrutiny in the last few weeks following the 23-35 round two defeat to the All Blacks as the world champions found themselves in a conundrum when wing Jesse Kriel left the field in the opening minutes at Ellis Park. It meant that the backline had to be reshuffled, resulting in a lot of players having to play out of position.
In the wake of the defeat, the coach admitted having two backline players on the bench was a big risk and he has now opted to select three backline players on the bench as his team looks to bounce back versus the Wallabies.
Nienaber has brought in fly-half Elton Jantjies as an extra backs replacement and also swapped Frans Steyn for Willie le Roux at No23. Scrum-half Jaden Hendrikse is the other backline player on the bench with back-row forward Jasper Wiese not named in the matchday squad to allow the inclusion of the third backs replacement.
A move like this may weaken the impact of the ‘Bomb Squad’, especially regarding the forward battle in the closing stages. However, sub tighthead Koch insisted the reshuffle from a six/two bench split to five/three will not be a big issue.
“I don’t think it will have a massive impact, each one in the bomb squad have a specific role,” said the prop “Whether it is a six/two or five/three bench split, we all know what to do when we get on the field. I don’t think the dynamic will change much. Once we get a chance to get on the pitch we just have to make sure we keep the intensity where the starters left off.”
Koch revealed the Wallabies pack will pose a new challenge for the Springboks, who were under pressure during their last outing against the All Blacks. “Australia has a really good pack. They have a good front row on the bench as well so it is going to be a challenge for us, but our focus is mainly on ourselves and how we can be better. It is going to be a good challenge.”
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