A win over Scotland in Edinburgh on Sunday night will see the Springboks back in what many pundits around the globe would probably agree is their rightful place as No 1 in the World Rugby rankings.
Indeed, after the All Blacks’ 23-13 win over Ireland in Dublin on Friday night, a win that inflicted the first loss for Ireland on their home ground at Aviva Stadium in three years and 20 matches, even a draw will be enough to move the World Cup champions back into the pole position they enjoyed on the rankings until their unexpected loss to Argentina in Santiago in September.
The Castle Lager Rugby Championship runners up, New Zealand, will move to No 1 in place of the Irish should the Boks come unstuck against Scotland at Murrayfield, a venue where they have won their last four matches.
South Africa's points difference against Scotland over the last five makes for good reading 😤🇿🇦#AutumnNationsSeries pic.twitter.com/NM4HKBsqb5
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) November 9, 2024
Bok coach Rassie Erasmus raised eyebrows on Friday evening when he named a much changed up team for the game, with 11 changes from the side that ran roughshod over the Pumas to win 48-7 and clinch the Rugby Championship crown in Mbombela six weeks ago.
But the biggest surprise of all was the return to the radical 7/1 split between forwards and back son the bench, a ploy that was last used by Erasmus in last year’s World Cup final against the All Blacks in Paris.
It is not just a physically imposing bench but also a star studded one, with Pieter-Steph du Toit, Siya Kolisi, RG Snyman all set to come onto the field later in the piece while of course we are getting used to Malcolm Marx in a role that he will reprise once more.
Listening to Erasmus speak on an online conference call from Edinburgh after the team announcement, it seems that the selection might have next week’s big game against England, the one that is likely to really decide whether the Boks end the year top of the rankings, in mind more than just what is required on Sunday.
The short turnaround, just six days, between the Scotland game and the one at Twickenham (Allianz Stadium) may have driven the 7/1 split.
“To give a bit of context to it, it gives us a bit of an edge, with a bit of risk,” said Erasmus.
“We know that we are playing England in six days. With this selection mix, we’re hoping that our forwards won’t be flat when they play against England. Each pack can play in each half, so that helps with the six-day turnaround.”
The fact that this will be the landmark game for Kwagga Smith, who is invariably used as an impact sub but is set to start at No 8 this time, played a part in both the bench split and the changed up selections from the last game in Nelspruit.
Your #Springboks team to face Scotland in Edinburgh tomorrow 🇿🇦#ForeverGreenForeverGold pic.twitter.com/dpQko0tz9A
— Springboks (@Springboks) November 9, 2024
“Kwagga is playing his 50th test. Whenever somebody is playing on a special occasion, we try to make it special for them,” the Bok coach explained.
“When we decided to start him, we also decided to give a bunch of other players a start, with an eye on the future. We know what the guys playing off the bench can do. Eben is naturally our captain because Siya is playing from the bench.”
Although convinced it was the right way to go, Erasmus admitted that he knew the radical 7/1 split, which has prompted some to refer to what was the Bomb Squad as a Nuclear Squad, would “never be normalised” in the sense of being universally accepted by the global rugby community.
His reasons for going that route this time though do make a lot of sense with the short turnaround to the next game in mind.
Grant Williams is the only back on the bench and can also be deployed as a wing in addition to his primary position of scrumhalf. Pieter-Steph du Toit is of course usually a flank but is also a back up for lock.
Sunday night plans are locked in:
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) November 9, 2024
🏴 Scotland vs South Africa
⏰ 17:40 build-up | 18:10 kick-off
📺 SS Rugby | SS Grandstand
The perfect way to end off an epic weekend of #AutumnNationsSeries action 🍿 pic.twitter.com/9Robt4VNn4