The Springbok team to take on Ireland in the first test of the Castle Lager Incoming Tours Series at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday is largely the same one that started and won the Rugby World Cup final in Paris last October.
There are just three changes to the side that prevailed 12-11 to secure a second successive hold on the Webb Ellis Trophy, with two of them coming about through injury and one because of retirement. The player who has retired is Duane Vermeulen, a double World Cup winner, and he is replaced at No 8 by the experienced Kwagga Smith.
The Japan-based Smith makes the team ahead of the DHL Stormers’ impressive Evan Roos, who was one of the stand out players in the comfortable win over Wales that started the Boks’ 2024 campaign 10 days ago.
The other two changes from the side that won in Paris are the anticipated return of Willie le Roux at fullback for the injured Damian Willemse, while the experienced Steven Kitshoff is also out with a long term injury and has been replaced in the starting team by Ox Nche. The Hollywoodbets Sharks strongman played a pivotal part later in the game in all the narrow wins the Boks scored in the playoff stage of the RWC.
The continuity in selection from the World Cup triumph was largely expected given this is effectively the first full strength match since the end of the global showpiece event, with the Wales game having been played outside of the international window and the team in that game at Twickenham had an experimental element to it.
Coach Rassie Erasmus has stressed the important of winning the two game series against the team ranked No 2 in the world and a nation that has not lost to the Boks since 2016. While he will be refreshing his selections as the momentum of the build towards the next RWC in Australia in 2027 builds, this series is being seen as an extension of the World Cup with both teams having a point to prove.
🇿🇦 The guys and ladies coming to Loftus, trust me it will be special! You will definitely hear and feel the passionate support of the Irish fans - its amazing from my experience!! But also cant wait for them to hear how passionate 🇿🇦 fans are!! Its going to be a lekka day with… pic.twitter.com/zjcNK2dtqN
— Rassie Erasmus (@RassieRugby) June 30, 2024
SACHA AHEAD OF MANIE ON THE BENCH
That does not mean though that Erasmus is not also looking towards the future, with some interesting selections and newcomers coming into the match day squad on the bench. One of the starting positions that might have been up for debate was flyhalf, where Handre Pollard and Manie Libbok both took turns at starting in important games at the World Cup.
The Boks have gone for the solidity and reliability of Pollard in this game ahead of the X-factor of the mercurial Libbok. That in itself is not surprising, but what does come as a bit of a surprise is Libbok’s young Stormers teammate Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu finding a place on the bench ahead of him.
The 22-year-old old boy of Bishops made an impressive debut in the green and gold when he came on as a flyhalf replacement, a position he has not played in competition rugby for the Stormers, in the last quarter of the Wales game at Twickenham. He showed his temperament by kicking a massive long range penalty just a few minutes after coming onto the field.
No doubt Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who has undeniable talent and promise and is regarded by many astute judges as South Africa’s next big thing at flyhalf, has been backed because of his unerring place-kicking boot. But what probably weighed in his favour even more against his more senior franchise teammate Libbok, who has had his issues kicking from the tee recently, is that he has greater utility value.
Libbok can play fullback as well as flyhalf but Feinberg-Mngomezulu made his debut for the Stormers as a 20-year-old in an outside centre position that was completely new to him, and it was in a Vodacom United Rugby Championship playoff game at that. He’s also a fine fullback and has played most of his franchise rugby so far at inside centre.
Rassie Erasmus explains his 6-2 bench selection and why Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu was picked in the squad to face Ireland with Manie Libbok missing out 🦵 pic.twitter.com/waySt6VB7Z
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 2, 2024
STEENEKAMP GETS REWARDED
The Stormers captain Salmaan Moerat is one of two locks on the bench, the other predictably being RG Snyman, while Vodacom Bulls loosehead prop Gerhard Steenekamp is rewarded for a stellar URC and Investec Champions Cup season by being included on the bench for what will be his second cap when he comes onto the field.
Steenekamp is the only specialist loosehead backup in the wider Bok squad for Nche, but there was always a chance Erasmus might go for the experience of one of Thomas du Toit or Trevor Nyakane, two players who can pack down on both sides of the scrum.
Another Bulls player Marco van Staden is the solitary backup looseforward, ahead of Roos, which is no surprise if you recall how well Van Staden did in combating the dangerous Ireland opensider Josh van der Flier in the battle for the loose ball in the recent semifinal between the Bulls and Leinster.
With No 8 Smith also adept as a ball scavenger, it is clear that Erasmus has targeted the Irish ball scavenging ability as a threat that needs to be stopped.
Unlike in the World Cup final, where the Boks went with seven forwards and just fullback Le Roux covering the backline positions, Erasmus has returned to what for him is a more conventional six/two Bomb Squad split between forwards and backs. Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s versatility is backed up by that of Hollywoodbets Sharks scrumhalf Grant Williams, who can also cover wing.
