Springboks: Faf out! Who starts at scrum-half for Rassie Erasmus?
A look at who the Springboks could turn to with Faf de Klerk sidelined against Australia.
Rassie Erasmus’ 33-man squad for the upcoming Rugby Championship matches against Australia had a notable absentee: Faf de Klerk.
The livewire scrum-half has been a mainstay in the Springboks’ starting XV for the last six years, combining a record number of times alongside Handre Pollard.
De Klerk earned his 58th cap for the Boks in the series decider against Ireland where he sustained a concussion and while it is not yet clear what has sidelined the scrum-half, he will miss at least the opening two games of the competition Down Under.
With that in mind, we take a look at the options Erasmus does have at his disposal and predict who will take over as the starter against Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies.
Morne van den Berg – The like-for-like replacement
Surprisingly the Springboks have gone for the exact squad size of a Rugby World Cup team and while they took four number nines with them to France, just three head to Australia.
Included in the trio is Lions star and newly capped Springboks scrum-half Morne van den Berg aka ‘Krappies’. Van den Berg caught the attention of the Bok coaching staff with his performances in the URC, earning a maiden call-up and Test debut against Portugal. Had de Klerk been fit, it is likely that Van den Berg would have been the man to miss the flight to Australia but in his absence, he could well be starting.
Erasmus has three great options at his disposal when selecting his replacement number nine but in the case of Van den Berg, he is nigh on a carbon copy of de Klerk highlighted by the nickname bestowed upon him by Lions fans’ ‘Faf lite’.
The Springboks are clearly looking to blood in new talent and build towards the next World Cup and at the age of 26, Van den Berg is in the perfect age bracket to be in his prime when the tournament rolls around – now he needs the exposure to international rugby.
He is certainly in the running for a starting role and has got rave reviews from the coaching staff in press conferences but will that be enough to move ahead of two World Cup winners in the pecking order?
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Grant Williams – The front-runner
After coming on as De Klerk’s replacement in the Springboks’ first three Tests of the year, Grant Williams was rested for the fourth game against Portugal having already laid down a statement of intent.
Now, he looks primed to finally get a starting role in his preferred position in the Green and Gold jumper after his first appearance in the number nine jersey didn’t even last a minute before he was forced off the field.
Williams did get two starts on the wing for the Springboks during the Rugby World Cup but has been limited to cameos off the bench at scrum-half ever since and the looming opening Test against Australia presents a fresh opportunity.
The 28-year-old enjoyed a stunning run of form at the end of the Sharks’ season playing a pivotal role in their Challenge Cup success and has since taken that form into the Springboks jersey. His impact off the bench was notable against Wales and Ireland and has surely been enough to secure him another shot in the starting XV against the Wallabies.
‘I didn’t think I was going to the World Cup’ – Grant Williams’ unique journey to Springboks’ glory
Cobus Reinach – The experienced head
But standing in Williams’ way is back-to-back World Cup winner Cobus Reinach who impressed on his return to Green and Gold against Portugal in Bloemfontein. The 34-year-old started the Springboks’ quarter and semi-final victories in France but missed out on the squad for the final.
However, he has been praised for his form with Montpellier and has shaken off the rust against Portugal with a tidy and threatening performance that has put him in good stead for the Rugby Championship.
While Erasmus is clearly giving youth a chance in 2024, he is still relying on the old heads to set the standards off the pitch and perform on it and Reinach could be backed for the latter, particularly with his all-court game.
It would not be surprising to see Reinach in the starting XV as he is still a world-class talent but he does have a real fight on his hands for the starting role.
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