Boks are spoiled for riches in some areas

The Springboks have one game to go in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship before they go into their three warmup games ahead of the Rugby World Cup kick off in France in September and it will be interesting to see what coach Jacques Nienaber comes up with in selection.

The Boks play Argentina in Johannesburg on 29 July in a game which following the defeat to the All Blacks in Auckland last weekend is no longer for the Championship title but instead all about them fine tuning both their games and their selections as the warmup phase to the World Cup accelerates.

We could see a selection that will give us an indication of what the Bok brains trust of Nienaber and South Africa’s national director of rugby, Rassie Erasmus, are thinking.

Looking back over the first two matches, you could argue that despite the inept opening quarter against the All Blacks, the Boks are both well served and amply covered in most positions. Where there is a possible exception is fullback, where we know Damian Willemse is equipped to play there instead of Willie le Roux but hasn’t as yet, and possibly outside centre.

We use the word “possibly” as while we haven’t seen Jesse Kriel in action as yet, it does appear that the plethora of inside centre options available might tempt the Nienaber and Erasmus to look at Damian de Allende as Lukhanyo Am’s back up at 13. That is where he shifted to when Manie Libbok came onto the field in the 35-20 defeat at Mount Smart Stadium at the weekend and Willemse moved to inside centre.

We mustn’t forget that Kriel isn’t the only player who is expected to be in the World Cup frame who hasn’t played as yet. Injuries have prevented skipper Siya Kolisi from playing any on field role, ditto for scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse, and we don’t know yet whether loosehead prop Ox Nche, injured in the buildup to the opening game against Australia in Pretoria, will be back by the World Cup.

Here is how the Boks are shaping up when it comes to the various team areas:

BACK THREE

Willie le Roux has started both games at fullback and while he was good in Pretoria and came back as an attacking force in the second half in Auckland - he does bring significant X-factor on attack - it is hard to ignore a question that keeps nagging: Rassie Erasmus has always said he wants his players to be “warriors” and Le Roux often looks anything but that on defence.

His upright tackle when the All Blacks built up to the one try was reminiscent of a schoolboy who makes the pretence of looking like he’s going for it but is really shying away from it. It looked like Mike Catt, although at least when England’s Catt was run over by Jonah Lomu in that famous World Cup semifinal in 1995 he did get in Lomu’s way. Le Roux's tendency to bark at the referee as his first impulse is also irritating to many observers and must be to the referees too.

Damian Willemse is the alternative fullback and is certainly more abrasive and physical in his approach, and would possibly even be better under the high ball, but there are question marks over his field kicking game.

When it comes to wing, both players used on the right have excelled, with Cheslin Kolbe responding superbly to the challenge laid down by Kurt-Lee Arendse’s hattrick at Loftus when he played the All Blacks. Some see the solution to the potential problem to be to accommodate them both, and Arendse did play on the left against the Wallabies, but playing two smaller players in the back three would be too risky. There seems to be a bit of angst over Makazole Mapimpi’s form in some quarters but I don’t agree with it. He must play on the left wing.

CENTRES

Lukhanyo Am has played both games at outside centre and we have yet to see Jesse Kriel, who was his backup at the last World Cup before injury forced him to fly home early. Presumably Kriel might get a run against the Pumas in the final Championship match, but Damian de Allende, who started poorly against the All Blacks before recovering quite well, might well be the likely cover at No 13.

Andre Esterhuizen played his best game in the Bok jersey in Pretoria and certainly looks like a good like-for-like replacement for De Allende should that be necessary. Esterhuizen’s chances of going to the World Cup though might depend on how the coaches view two flyhalves who have the potential to also fill the No 12 role - Handre Pollard and Damian Willemse.

FLYHALVES

Manie Libbok excelled in his first start in Pretoria but the fact that it was Pretoria, where the Wallabies tend to turn into nervous blubber, means the jury is still out. Damian Willemse is a good rugby player but is better suited to inside centre or fullback and is not an international flyhalf. Libbok, with his ambidextrousness, meaning his ability to kick with both feet and how adept he is passing both ways, has the advantage on him, but what the All Black game really highlighted was how crucially important it is for the calm steadiness of Handre Pollard to be fit and available for the World Cup. The Boks won’t retain the Webb Ellis trophy if he is not. It’s as simple as that.

SCRUMHALF

?We know what we get from Faf de Klerk and these days, in Pollard’s absence, we get a bit more in the sense that he is one of the members of the communal place-kicking effort. Cobus Reinach probably deserved to be his back-up at the previous World Cup rather than Herschel Jantjies, who has regressed in the last four years and looks likely to be usurped in the impact sub X-factor stakes by the super-quick Grant Williams. We haven’t seen Jaden Hendrikse as yet but he’s likely to be in the World Cup frame so at the moment the Boks have more scrumhalves than they need.

BACK ROW

Duane Vermeulen looks like he’s back at his best, Pieter-Steph du Toit is definitely back at his best, which could mean that Jasper Wiese, who wasn’t good against the All Blacks, is under threat for his starting place and ditto Franco Mostert. Siya Kolisi is expected to be the No 6 at the World Cup but Marco van Staden was brilliant against the Wallabies and surprised with the strength of his carries. Back row is definitely not a problem area for the Boks and if they were forced through injury to call up someone like Evan Roos for a big game, like they did at Twickenham last November, he wouldn’t let them down.

LOCKS

Second row is also an area where there shouldn’t be too much concern for the Bok coaches, even if there are injuries. Eben Etzebeth did okay against the All Blacks considering his recent bereavement and the fact it was his first game since he was injured in early April. Jean Kleyn played in his position against the Wallabies and produced an outstanding debut. Should he be required for a big game at the World Cup, there shouldn’t be too much consternation among Bok supporters. Lood de Jager was disappointing against the All Blacks but we know what he can produce and it was his first game in a while. I have my doubts that Marvin Orie is really an international lock although he did look the part against England last year, but there shouldn’t be a need for Orie when you have RG Snyman available. Snyman when on song, is quite possibly the best forward in world rugby due to the quite sublime skill levels he possesses for such a big man, something he can at least partly thank John Mitchell for. Mitchell coached him at the Bulls a few years back.

PROPS

The potential loss of Ox Nche is a massive concern, but Thomas du Toit did well when he came on for his Bomb Squad role in both test matches. Vincent Koch seems to be the established tighthead back up for Frans Malherbe, but we have yet to see Trevor Nyakane. The man who was injured early in the last World Cup is a potential loosehead too - remember what he did against the British and Irish Lions - and the ability of players like him, Du Toit and indeed Koch to play both sides is a big boon for the Boks. There’s no denying though that Steven Kitshoff and Frans Malherbe are the front line.

HOOKER

We understand the whole Bomb Squad thing and he does look a better impact prospect than Bongi Mbonambi, meaning we understand why he comes on later in the game, but for goodness sake, Malcolm Marx must start every test match and not play off the bench. If you asked the international media who the best hooker in the world is, the chances are they will say Marx. So he should wear the No 2. Joseph Dweba had a good URC season for the DHL Stormers and was impressive when he came on against the Wallabies so the Boks have three good hookers they can rely on (admittedly Dweba’s throwing will always be a concern).