Opinion: Manie Libbok a better player since making step up to Test level with Springboks

David Skippers
Manie Libbok Stormers URC Final 2022 - PA.jpg

Stormers fly-half Manie Libbok showed against the Dragons in Gqeberha at the weekend that his recent call-up to South Africa’s Test side has been great for his game and he should play at international level for many years to come.

Libbok made his Test debut for his country off the bench during the closing stages of the Boks’ 30-26 Autumn Nations Series defeat to France in Marseille last month and although he did not have much time to make an impact in that fixture – he only played for four minutes – he made his presence felt in the Test arena with outstanding second-half performances as a replacement in wins over Italy and England.

Impressive cameos

Those displays showed that the 25-year-old has what it takes to make the step up to the highest level and on Saturday he kept that momentum going with an outstanding all-round performance against the Welsh region at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqerberha.

Under the guidance of the Boks’ director of rugby Rassie Erasmus and head coach Jacques Nienaber, the three-time world champions have become renowned for relying largely on a conservative game plan since their 2019 Rugby World Cup triumph.

However, last year, after sealing a 2-1 series win over the British & Irish Lions, Nienaber admitted that defending their style of play was becoming tiresome.

Since then, there have been signs of the Boks opting for a more attacking approach during the recent Autumn Nations Series, and in the build-up to that recent Test against France, Nienaber revealed that Libbok was encouraged to play in his natural attacking way which helped the Stormers to win the inaugural United Rugby Championship earlier this year.

“The nice thing about Manie is that he’s been with us for three weeks, has been running in the training sessions and he’s comfortable now,” said Nienaber at the time.

“He’s getting used to the language and what we do in certain areas of the field. We’re confident that if he does get an opportunity, he won’t have to think about what is happening here and can play his natural game.

“What the team needs from him is to do what Manie does best with his specific skill set, so we hope things can pan out in a way that we can give him some time on the field.”

Although he did not have much time to show off that skill set against Les Bleus, Libbok certainly illustrated his class during longer cameos off the bench in the Boks’ victories against the Azzurri and England.

Libbok hails from the Eastern Cape town of Humansdorp, which is just 90 kilometres outside of Gqeberha, and from the outset in Saturday’s encounter against the Dragons the 25-year-old looked at home in his surroundings.

The Bok playmaker delivered one of the best individual performances during the 2022/23 United Rugby Championship campaign as everything he was trying seemed to come off.

Libbok was oozing confidence while pulling the strings on attack and, on the balance of play, it wasn’t a surprise that the teams changed sides at half-time with the Stormers holding a comfortable 28-7 lead.

Try of the season contender

The undoubted highlight of that encounter for the men from the Cape was his crossing late in the opening half which is a contender for the URC’s try of the season award.

The Stormers number 10 ran onto a pass from his scrum-half, Herschel Jantjies, close to his 10-metre line, and caught the Welsh region’s onrushing defence by surprise by deftly stepping past two defenders. He was soon midway between the halfway line and his opponents’ 22, where was confronted by another defender, but more nimble footwork took him past that opponent and he raced away to score an outstanding try.

Such attacking brilliance and confidence showed that Libbok is one of the best attackers in the URC. However, he also impressed with his kicking – at goal and out of hand – while his game management was equally of a very high standard during a 62-minute stint on the field.

At the time, the Stormers held a comfortable 34-12 lead but they lost their attacking shape while he was off the pitch and had a nervy finish before eventually holding on for a 34-26 triumph.

After underwhelming stints with the Bulls and Sharks earlier in his career, Libbok has found his niche at the Stormers and there are signs that his time with the Springboks has improved him as a player and assisted with his development.

Despite limited game-time as a Bok replacement in the international arena, Libbok has shone in that environment and if he continues with his current form, it’s only a matter of time before he gets a chance in his country’s run-on side. Don’t be surprised if he plays a vital role as a starter when they defend their title at next year’s Rugby World Cup in France.

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