If there is one thing that always seems to happen whenever a Bok team is named, it is that someone will be unhappy with a selection.
Whether it was Willie le Roux, Zane Kirchner (remember him?) or whoever else, there will always be a player whose selection the public can’t understand or what the coach sees in him.
With there being little else to talk about surrounding the Springbok side to face Italy, the attention has turned to Salmaan Moerat, whose selection after several injury problems, a move to La Rochelle and a recent return to action has raised questions among the general public.
It is true that Moerat is not the flashiest player around. He isn’t in others’ faces like Eben Etzebeth or doesn't produce loping runs like RG Snyman, but the player some love to hate does so much work off the ball that his coaches praise him highly, and the public doesn’t understand it.
Perhaps another way to look at it is a simple one. The Bok coaches are overly analytical in their look at players. They take stats, look at games in depth and look at a lot more than just the average rugby fan.
They also take into account the player’s impact on the team, leadership abilities and several other factors before they select any player.
They are honest with the players and tell them what they expect from them. Those who buck this trend often fall by the wayside. Those who take it to heart and work hard are often rewarded by this Bok management.
And to be brutally honest, they have earned the right.
Two World Cups, a British and Irish Lions series, Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry and a host of other victories have made the Boks the undisputed No 1 side in the world at the moment.
So perhaps, just perhaps, Rassie Erasmus has earned the right to pick the side he believes will do well.
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It isn’t a secret that Moerat has been highly rated since his schoolboy days and is a born leader, and he never lets his side down.
Rassie put it plainly when he selected him, telling the press conference on Monday that he doesn’t listen to the nonsense about players that is spoken on social media.
“I’ve never really listened to people who talk nonsense about Salmaan because he’s not the kind of player you see on the field doing the flashy stuff, and we don't expect him to do that. We expect him to do what he always does for us,” Erasmus said about Moerat.
“We need a grinder like a Jean Kleyn or an RG Snyman. RG is a little bit flashier as well, but it’s something we need in the team, and Salmaan brings that to the side. Nobody probably understands how hard he scrums, how hard he mauls, how hard he cleans out at the ruck, how physical he is and how well he stops mauls. That’s probably something you can never really explain to people.
“But we’re also not upset that people don’t see that. As long as Salmaan and his teammates know that we see it and that we value it, he’s the kind of guy we enjoy having in our team. So, when it comes to things people don’t understand or fully see, I can understand why they have their opinions. But, obviously, we have our own opinion about Salmaan.”
Moerat has captained the Boks before, and while he may not be the most popular guy on social media, the Boks have seen this movie before.
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“Obviously, we listen to what South African people say. I’m not going to pretend we’re like other countries and say we do not get caught up in social media. I listen to it. I like South African people who have opinions about things, and I’ve certainly seen it when Willie (le Roux) got slaughtered, when Faf (de Klerk) was left out, and then I’ve also seen times when a guy has made it against the odds.”
And the point is Moerat offers something the Boks want, and a player they don’t have in their squad right now. Certainly there can be a debate about why someone like Cobus Wiese or Kleyn weren’t included, but this November tour is the last opportunity for the Boks to take stock before the World Cup year begins.
It may be that Moerat is getting his last chance, or there may be something the Boks want to try before the World Cup that could be useful in Australia.
There have been debates before about players, only for them to impress and there have been players who have failed as well. The Bok management have not always got it right either, but the one thing that is true about Moerat is that, because of his injuries, he hasn’t been able to build momentum. Perhaps this is his chance now.
Those of us who remember the years before all of this success know that the Boks are in a good place. And while we all want our favourite players on the field, the Bok management know what they are doing.
No player ever goes onto the field to play a bad game. So perhaps cut them some slack, and watch what unfolds. It might just be worth it.