Springboks team: Five takeaways as Rassie Erasmus gets ‘consistency’ with ‘formidable partnership’
Springboks pack scrummaging and head coach Rassie Erasmus.
Following the announcement of the Springboks team for their Rugby Championship clash against Argentina, here are our five takeaways from Rassie Erasmus’ selections.
Consistency?
After the apparent madness of the previous All Blacks selection, which actually rather turned out to be a piece of Rassie genius, it is no surprise the head coach has stuck with the majority of the backline that humiliated the All Blacks.
There is an injury-enforced alteration in the form of Damian de Allende, who starts due to the absence of Aphelele Fassi. As a result, Damian Willemse is shifted to full-back to allow De Allende to come in at centre alongside Canan Moodie.
It suggests a side which is beginning to take shape after the Eden Park defeat potentially exposed some of the older players, but according to Erasmus, that is not the case. The Springboks boss understands the need to evolve ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup, but he still places plenty of value in his experienced stars, namechecking someone like Jesse Kriel, who misses out again after being taken out of the 23 for the New Zealand game.
Erasmus insists that the team named is specifically aimed at counteracting their opponents, who will play with pace and be a significant threat in the air. South Africa will no doubt look to move the ball wider, just as they did in Wellington, but they have learned their lessons from the Johannesburg disaster.
Getting a settled front five
While the Springboks boss has played around with the backline, the back-row and lock combination, one area which has been consistent, certainly over the past few games, has been the front-row. They did experiment at tighthead, where Wilco Louw and Neethling Fouche were given opportunities to start in the July series, but Erasmus has settled on Du Toit since the second round of the Rugby Championship.
He has joined a front-row which includes mainstays Ox Nche and Malcolm Marx and that trio has formed a formidable partnership during this competition, dominating every opponent they have faced. Last year, the All Blacks competed well against that Boks scrum, but it was the South Africans who got the upper hand in the set-piece during the recent two Tests in New Zealand.
When you add Eben Etzebeth into the front five, who will surely be a guaranteed selection for the World Cup – providing his body holds up – they have a very reliable group in the engine room. Perhaps the only question is Etzebeth’s partner in the second-row, but Ruan Nortje has stood up superbly in recent weeks, doing an excellent job in the lineout, which has been a surprising weakness recently.
With the likes of Lood de Jager and RG Snyman also in reserve and able to step up when necessary, the Boks have so many exceptional options at their disposal.
Sacha over Manie
It is perhaps harsh on Manie Libbok, who was absolutely superb after coming on for Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, but we feel it is the correct call to give the youngster another go in the 10 channel after he was forced off early in Wellington.
Libbok has done incredibly well to bounce back from his international disappointments, which has seen him criticised for his place-kicking and game control. In fact, when the Wallabies produced a stunning comeback victory in Johannesburg – aided by the fly-half’s poor intercept pass – it felt his Test days were numbered.
Erasmus has kept his faith in the playmaker, though, and was rewarded with a fine display in the dominant victory over the All Blacks, but ultimately, it feels as though Feinberg-Mngomezulu is the future of the fly-half shirt.
The Springboks, as ever, will continue to rotate at 10, with those two, alongside Handre Pollard, continuing to get opportunities in the jersey, but come World Cup time it would not be a surprise to see the 23-year-old cemented as first choice.
Scrum-half options
During the July series, it seemed as though Morne van den Berg had edged himself up the pecking order – he certainly didn’t do his chances any harm – but he has not appeared in the Rugby Championship until now.
Van den Berg was excellent against the Barbarians and Italy, but he was subsequently usurped by Cobus Reinach and Grant Williams, who have been the chosen nines for the games against the Wallabies and All Blacks.
Reinach, after excelling in Wellington, retains his place alongside Feinberg-Mngomezulu in the key decision-making positions, but the 27-year-old Lions star comes into the 23 for Williams in what will be a deserved opportunity.
His box-kicking, which is absolutely crucial in the modern game, was excellent in the July Tests, while there is no doubting his speed around the fringes and support lines. Perhaps the only thing which let him down at Test level last year which his speed of ball from the base, but that was much better in the mid-year series.
With Reinach, Van den Berg and Williams, as well as Faf de Klerk in reserve, Erasmus has so much quality in the scrum-half slot.
The game plan
South Africa were praised, especially by Kiwi pundits, for their adventure and so-called expansive style and, while there is an element of truth in that, it was still very much based on the fundamentals.
Let’s be clear, throughout the 80 minutes – including the first half where they were denied two tries – the Springboks shifted the ball superbly, causing numerous problems for the All Blacks defence. Some of the tries were absolutely glorious and it was a wonderful demonstration of attacking rugby, but they couldn’t have done it without their set-piece dominance or aerial presence.
They only really managed to get reward for their efforts in the second half when Ethan Hooker and co. got above the hosts’ back three and retained possession from the kicking game. That will once again be a key area this weekend, particularly against an Argentina outfit who themselves have been impressive in the air.
Erasmus has made it clear that there will not be a repeat of the Johannesburg farce, which saw them overplay and ultimately implode, leading to Australia scoring 38 unanswered points. The coaches will re-emphasise the importance of the fundamentals to make sure they do not fall into the same trap and there is no ‘after the Lord Mayor’s show’.