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LONG READ Five key questions the Springboks urgently need to answer

Five key questions the Springboks urgently need to answer
1 week ago

Mission accomplished. It had been 15 years since the Springboks last won a Rugby  Championship that wasn’t truncated as a result of a looming World Cup. This meant that a caveat was always attached to Siya Kolisi’s charges. Sure they’d claimed back-to-back Webb Ellis Cups and a British & Irish Lions series, but without the southern hemisphere’s most glittering prize any claims on a dynasty would always have a rebuttal. Now no one can dispute this group’s greatness.

But even all-conquering empires cannot stay stagnant. Those who become complacent are swiftly surpassed by hungry competitors. Rassie Erasmus knows this better than anyone and he has already implemented minor tweaks and sweeping changes to a squad that has designs on future glories. And if the Springboks are to surpass Richie McCaw’s All Blacks as the undisputed kings of rugby, there are key areas that need attention.

Who will replace the ageing Mbonambi and Marx double-act?

Erasmus’s decision to replace the injured Malcolm Marx with Handre Pollard at last year’s World Cup now looks like a masterstroke. Pollard kicked South Africa to glory across three knock-out games and Deon Fourie, a loose forward by trade, deputised at hooker and more than handled himself in the front row.

But it could so easily have backfired. Had South Africa not won the World Cup, the lack of depth at hooker would have been cited as a primary reason for an unsuccessful campaign.

Erasmus won’t want to risk such an eventuality playing out again. But he faces a similar dilemma. This year, across 10 Tests, Marx has twice started and come off the bench on seven occasions. Bongi Mbonambi has started six games and once been a member of the bomb squad. Only once, in the game against Portugal, did neither feature.

Johan Grobbelaar
Both Bongi Mbonambi and Malcolm Marx are in their thirties so young Bulls hooker Johan Grobbelaar appears to be the next cab off the rank (Photo by Will Russell/Getty Images)

Three rookies have been trialled and should be afforded opportunities in the end of year tour. Johan Grobbelaar, the 26-year-old from the Bulls, seems to be first in line. He started against Portugal and again against Australia in Perth. Fighting for a spot are Andre-Hugo Venter from the Stormers and Jan-Hendrik Wessels from the Bulls. Both are 23 with less than four years’ experience as professionals, but both have impressed and require more game-time against tier-one opponents.

Do the Boks need to evolve at 12 to incorporate Tony Brown’s attacking ethos?

In an admittedly shallow pool, Damian de Allende has emerged as the world’s leading 12 over the last four years. He bursts beyond the gainline with just about every carry and alongside Jesse Kriel has formed one of the game’s most indomitable midfields on defence.

However, under the new attack orchestrated by Tony Brown, his minor shortcomings have been amplified. De Allende is close to the complete rugby player but even his biggest supporters would have to concede that his distribution game is not elite. This is a worry when the ball has to fizz down the line and to wide men as quickly as possible.

This is why Lukhanyo Am has been deployed at inside centre. Possibly the most naturally gifted baller South Africa’s midfield has seen in the professional era, Am’s ability to spark magic from thin air is unrivalled. But he lacks the punch required to bust through narrow tacklers.

Erasmus has a dilemma. In de Allende and Andre Esterhuizen he possesses two destructive battering rams. In Am he has a playmaker from the top drawer. None of them tick every box. Pollard is a potential chimera that stands between two worlds, but does he have enough in either department to occupy the position from the opening whistle? Erasmus is a problem solver par excellence and he has much to ponder.

Is there a simple solution to find a playmaker and dead-eye kicker?

That previous question needs an answer because when it comes to goal-kicking, Pollard is peerless in South Africa. However, when compared to Manie Libbok and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu – not to mention the developing Jordan Hendrikse – Pollard’s more conservative approach looks antiquated by comparison.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s injury, which has ruled him out of the November Tests, provides an ideal opportunity to experiment with this ploy. Libbok could continue to start at 10 with Pollard coming off the bench in the guise of a ‘break-glass-in-case-of-emergency’ player. Whether or not that’s at inside centre or as a fly-half replacement is almost immaterial. He simply has to be included in every match-day 23 that matters.

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu appears to be the coming man in the Springbok No 10 shirt but Manie Libbok and Handre Pollard still have a huge amount to offer (Photo by PHILL MAGAKOE/Getty Images)

Alternatively Erasmus could shine a lens on Hendrikse or the impressive Suya Msuku, who has performed wonders at the Sharks and helped guide them through the final stages of their ultimately successful European Challenge Cup.

All of this depends on whether or not Erasmus believes there is room for three genuine fly-halves in his 23. It is certainly possible thanks to a plethora of versatile players in the group.

Who will replace the iconic Willie le Roux in the back three?

Once Damian Willemse returns to full match sharpness he should return to the 23 and will likely slot back in as the starting full-back. His ability at first receiver, as well as his composure on the ball, means he could do a job at fly-half or in the midfield. Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Hendrikse are similarly versatile.

Aphelele Fassi does not have as many tricks in his bag but of all the contenders he is the only bonafide full-back and is probably the most assured under the high ball. Against Argentina over the weekend he produced by far his best game for the Springboks where he plucked pills from the skies, kicked out of hand with assurance and joined the line with scything support runs that caused havoc throughout the game.

But is he too one-dimensional for a team that is now stacked with Swiss-Army knives? With Willemse and Feinberg-Mngomezulu able to operate at 10, 12 and 15, and with Canan Moodie equally adept across the back three and at 13, Fassi might find himself sidelined through no fault of his own.

This would also be tough on a player who has demonstrably improved on his shortcomings but restricted in the sense that he is a specialist in his position. Then again, if Erasmus picks his next squad on form he has to play Fassi. How the Springboks coach squeezes seven or eight talented backs into just three or four spaces could be his toughest challenge yet.

Is it time to replace Faf de Klerk and Cobus Reinach at 9?

On Saturday against Argentina, after Jaden Hendrikse slotted a tough conversion near the touchline, he seemed to answer several questions at once. Here was a way to get Manie Libbok – the most creative 10 in South Africa’s history – into the starting XV without the added pressure of adding extras off the tee. Here was a way to potentially stack the bench with six forwards without having to shoe-horn an extra back. Here was a relief to the gnawing doubts about the reserve scrum-halves coming through the challenge Faf de Klerk and Cobus Reinach.

But then Hendrikse lost his radar and suddenly those questions lingered once more. The most pertinent one, though, concerns his primary function as the distributor at the base of the ruck.

Grant Williams
With Faf de Klerk and Cobus Reinach ageing, Grant Williams and Jaden Hendrikse need to seize the No 9 shirt (Photo Ashley Vlotman/Getty Images)

Did Hendrikse do enough to establish himself as the next cab off the rank? He wasn’t poor by any means, and was aided by consistent front-boot ball. But he didn’t exactly set the place on fire despite some impressive contributions, including a broad repertoire of box-kicks.

Come the next World Cup de Klerk will be 33 and Reinach will be 36 which means one or both could be past their best for the title defence in Australia. Hendrikse and Grant Williams – fitness permitting – need as many minutes in Europe as they can get.

Comments

82 Comments
f
fl 18 hours ago

lol - Freeman has 8 caps this year. All 8 of them were starts. SFM has 8 caps too, but only 3 of them were starts. By any measure, Freeman is more integral to England than SFM is to South Africa.


Moodie was fit at the world cup, but didn't make the 23 for any of SA's important fixtures. He isn't a key part of the team.


To be clear Moodie has 11 caps, and SFM has 8. George Martin has 16, so he's clearly not "untested".


Feyi-Waboso has 4 consecutive test starts and CCS has 3. SFM managed 3 in a row this summer before being dropped. Moodie managed the same last summer before being dropped.


"It seems you only know two players in SA."

you're the one who brought them up.


this comment thread really has been a bit of a trainwreck for you.

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Bull Shark 2 days ago

Cameron Hanekom deserves a chance and he started this international season injured. Unlucky but I think (hope) we’ll see him in the next squad.


None of the others form were better than the incumbents or justified dropping of incumbents.


Good try though, Finn. Googling a random list of names.

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Bull Shark 2 days ago

Okay. If you say so.


It seems you only know two players in SA.


Freeman is an interesting choice. He’s earned 11 caps in 3 years? Compared to SFM who has earned 8 in one year. Freeman doesn’t strike me as integral to anything just yet.


But I do understand the excitement. Anyone is more exciting than your old crop of players.


And compared to Moodie who’s earned 11 caps in two and has a World Cup medal. He’s been unlucky due to injury and as a result other players being in better form than him. But I’m sure you’ll just say that Moodie is overrated. Or was it SFM who you said was overrated?


Your other choices are still very much untested at test level. So

I can’t see how they can be integral either. Compared to the two South Africans you have mentioned who have more caps and have played against a number of tier one teams already and will certainly play many more in their career.


Anyway. Good talk Finn. We’ll see how your bleeding of 15 new/upcoming players goes in England.


Losing badly over the coming months and finishing less than 3rd in the coming 6 Nations next year means that you’ll also be trying out a new coaching team, because I don’t think England has a problem of talent - I think you have a management problem. A problem SA definitely doesn’t have.

So I’ll be surprised if Borthwick is still around this time next year. I’d give 2/1 odds he’ll be out.


And then you guys can work on getting Andy Farrell in or someone decent.

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Bull Shark 9 days ago

The only question the boks need to urgently answer is when do they start filming for Chasing the Sun 3.

B
Bull Shark 11 days ago

Why are any of these questions urgent? Is there a tournament the boks (haven’t won yet) that they need to get to?


And what more could the boks possibly do in year one, in 8 tests, considering they’ve used close on 50 players. Much like they did in 2016/17 when they established much of the group That would go on to 2023?


And considering that the URC has just kicked off and there are still many players who might emerge over the 1-3 years even.


Silly article.


DG seems to be obsessed with highlighting a depth and selection problem in the boks that simply does not exist. Which is not surprising given that he predicted the springbok “wheels to come off in 2024” earlier this year. Along with Ben Smith’s “regular programming” crap.


Bizarre trains of thought. Look at the ABs. A whole year wasted with very little depth built. With old players in key positions who scraped to second place in the RC. There’s a depth problem!

J
JW 2 days ago

That the hook, the click. bait. You've been Ben Smith'd.


Why wait? Do you think Rassie is a coach to rest?


The AB's are following Rassie's playbook of valueing experience. The players in NZ aren't quite at the same cycle as what Rassie has chosen to do this year, that is still a year or two off imo.

f
fl 11 days ago

this isn't quite the same as 2016/17.


In the 2016 rugby championship, SA's squad included 13 players aged 25 and under, and in 2017 it included 17. In 2024, Rassie only included 5.


At the other end of the spectrum, the 2016 squad included 5 players aged 31 and up, the 2017 squad included 3, and the 2024 squad included 12.


The median age of the squads was 26 in 2016 and in 2017, and 29 in 2024.


It makes sense for Rassie to persist with the same group of players, given how well they did in 2023 and how well they have continued to do this year, but the fact is that he isn't developing young talent.


Overall SA do have very good depth. They are a long way behind France, who capped over 80 players in the 12 month period ending in june, but they probably have more depth than any other team. The problem is that experience matters, and if Rassie doesn't cap more young players he won't have experienced guys to call on in 2027 and 2031.

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Bull Shark 11 days ago

Siya Masuku

S
SM 12 days ago

Well thank you about De Allende he should go and sort out his passing game it's really costing us , Willie get your 100th cap and go away......Faf and Cobus less said the better

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WW 12 days ago

Sucks when you're spoilt for choice, we literally have enough quality players to field two RWC winning teams, not bragging, just saying. And it's gonna get worse, rugby is expanding to the underprivileged areas, oh the hunger and talent that's gonna emerge will give any future coach pleasant nightmares.

J
JW 2 days ago

Yes, it is going to put the game and the national selection policies under stress. That is generally when domestic starts taking over a sports importance, but for that to happen organically it needs to be across the board.


South Africa could be stuck in a domestic competition that doesn't want to evolve with them, where so many players are locked out behind one team for a large part/half of the year.

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BF 12 days ago

Imagine, just for shits and giggles - the following backline - fit and on form, of course: Hendrikse, Libbok, Sasha at 12, Canan at 13, Cheslin and Kurtley on the wings, Fassi at fullback. Willemse, Handre and Grant on bench in a 5/3 split scenario. Sounds like a lot of fun to me.

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JD 11 days ago

With your suggested 12 and 13, I'd be a little worried about defence. As for Willemse, on form he's the best backline player we've got after Cheslin. The man is a genius.

J
Jacque 12 days ago

Why change everything NOW when you just won the World Cup & Rugby Championship in 12 Months?


It makes for good reading yea, but it's stating the OBVIOUS.

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Easy_Duzz-it 12 days ago

The boks have some phenomenal talent in the backs coming through . It’ll be interesting to see who will be carrying them in the front row going forward into the next World Cup .

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Werner 12 days ago

I'm more curious about their future centre pairing. Outside of esterhuizen their centres have remained relatively unchanged since 2019, not sure they have another RWC in them?

C
CountOcto Truthseaker 12 days ago

Tony Brown actually said DeAllende has the best distribution and passing game in the Bok backline so not sure where you came up with that being one of his limitations?

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JD 11 days ago

He's 100% right. De Allende might well be able to pass, but nobody knows because he very rarely does.

J
JC 11 days ago

He’s yet to show it after 30 odd years.

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SF 12 days ago

Good article. No 2. There is enough talent and Marx will still be good to go. No9. Don't write off Faf, he is also an integral part of our defence. Hendrickse looks the most solid of the rest. No10. Libbok is a Ferrari but Pollard is the Rolls Royce. Same dilemma in NZ with Dmac and BB. No12 and 13. No worries there are lots of good players. DDA is a good distributor, just is used to take the ball up.

No15 is the greatest concern. Good players that can play there, but none of them is really solid. Fassi has improved, never been a DW fan, SFM might be the future there.

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Bull Shark 7 days ago

Fassi is solid. Damian Willemse is extremely solid. SFM is a flyhalf. Leave him there. Quan Horn is steadily growing into a good fullback.


There’s nothing wrong with our stocks at fullback. Fassi, in particular, has universally earned praise for his showing for the boks this year.

L
Lou Cifer 10 days ago

How is 15 the greatest concern when we have a 26 yr old double RWC winner returning from injury who is easily in the top 3 best 15s in the world and who also started all the knockout games at the last RWC including the final?


You not being a DW fan is irrelevant when he plays the way he does, wins what he has thus far & has the complete backing of the coaching staff

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Werner 12 days ago

Agree for most part. #2 is a little light considering the consistent injuries across Marx and bongi. And groblaar was a bit underwhelming but perhaps just pressure to deliver and first time as an impact player on the bomb squad.

Fassi's attack has been solid it's just his defence hasn't been stellar however he doesn't seem to be have been as exposed or well versed in the SA rush defence so may take time. doesn't help when AM and kriel are learning new roles at the same time.

Hendriske on the other, I just don't get the hype. His passing is decent but kicks are average and he seems hesitant to challenge the line, at least Reinach probes the defence and keeps them guessing.

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ND 12 days ago

I would consider the 9/10 of the Lions (Sanele Nohamba) to play with Manie. Good of the tee and versatile.

J
JD 11 days ago

Agree re Nohamba.

f
fl 12 days ago

"Erasmus has a dilemma. In de Allende and Andre Esterhuizen he possesses two destructive battering rams. In Am he has a playmaker from the top drawer. None of them tick every box. Pollard is a potential chimera that stands between two worlds, but does he have enough in either department to occupy the position from the opening whistle? Erasmus is a problem solver par excellence and he has much to ponder."


What an odd paragraph! Pollard is a better playmaker than Am, as evidenced by the fact that Am can't play 10 and Pollard can. But Pollard is only considered a "destructive battering ram" in comparison to other fly halves. He's not much stronger in the carry than Am is.

C
CountOcto Truthseaker 12 days ago

Agree

D
DP 12 days ago

Good read this Daniel.


In no particular order:


No.2

Wessels

Gobbler

Venter (as long as he treats Rassies daughter with respect 😬)


No.12

DDA has plenty passing skills, he just needs to remember them from when he first burst onto the scene.

Willemse

Pollard

Am

SFM


No.10

SFM

Manie

Pollard

Hendrikse


No.9

Hendrikse

Williams

Nohamba (watch this guy…)

Faf


No.15

Willemse

SFM

Fassi

Horn


No.13 - midfield bonus round

Henco van wyke

Jurenzo boogieman

B
Bull Shark 7 days ago

Largely agree. I would not want to entertain SFM at 15 too much. He’s best utilized at 10/12. I think Willemse, Fassi and Horn will cover 15 well for us.


Agree that Nohamba is one to watch - but I can’t understand why he hasn’t featured. I’d certainly pick him ahead of Morne VDB.


If Nohamba doesn’t feature in November - will he ever?

P
PB 12 days ago

Jordan Hendrickse was pretty solid at 12 for the Lions, he is worth a shot.

N
ND 12 days ago

Nohamba 9 and 10

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