The Mostert verdict on recent criticism of Springboks' bomb squad

Springboks utility forward Franco Mostert has defended the ‘bomb squad’ amid recent public scrutiny. Questions surrounding the effectiveness of South Africa’s bench have surfaced following The Rugby Championship season.

The bomb squad was used to great effect during the Springboks’ 2019 World Cup triumph by Rassie Erasmus, the former Springboks coach and now SA director of rugby. The six-two split (six forwards and two backs on the bench) become entrenched in the nation’s history and was integral in their 32-12 win over England in the final.

Against Australia during this year’s Rugby Championship opener, the tactic again excelled, handing the Springboks a 43-12 victory in Pretoria. However, it was diffused by the All Blacks in a 20-35 defeat in Auckland.

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New Zealand rushed to a 20-3 lead at the break and despite the world champions being a more determined unit in the second half with some big names coming off the bench, the All Blacks still managed to finish strongly to secure the win.

The defeat saw the Boks management under head coach Jacques Nienaber forgo the six-two split against Argentina last weekend, which almost proved to be costly as the pack struggled in the closing stages. They conceded two late tries but managed to hold on for a narrow 22-21 win in Johannesburg.

This Saturday in Buenos Aires, they will again take to the field with a five-three split and while concerns continue to pile up, Mostert, an original member of the 2019 World Cup bomb squad, said there was very little worry inside the camp. “The Springboks management – Rassie Erasmus, Jacques Nienaber and Felix Jones – all have good plans,” Mostert said.

“They are trying to work out combinations ahead of the World Cup, which is a good thing. They are looking at strong points and hopefully, it will work. There is no stress around the bomb squad. Rassie and the team have a plan and we back them 100 per cent.”

Heading into the World Cup warm-up match against a fired-up Argentinian side, Mostert urged his team to be more clinical at the lineout. “At the moment we are not happy with it. We can be more clean and positive with our own ball.

“We are working on it and working to get it right closer towards the World Cup. With contesting we are very happy. We have leaders like Eben Etzebeth and Jean Kleyn who make it very difficult for the opponents.”

He added: “In Buenos Aires, it’s always a very physical outing. With the game they [Argentina] played in Johannesburg they were so close, so this weekend they will be eager to play. Hopefully, we can give a big performance and match them.”

The match against Los Pumas will be the Springboks’ final game before Nienaber names the 33-man squad on Tuesday that will travel to France to defend the World Cup title.