Form Springbok XV

With the Six Nations about to kick off it gives the SA teams some time to recuperate and get over the injuries that often plague teams in long campaigns to hit the ground running when European rugby recommences. The international rugby scene never ceases and the dance card of the Springboks looks very full of eye watering contests that will test the squad to the max. It feels like ages since the Bok squad did us all so proud to do the unthinkable and lift the Webb Ellis Cup again but how are they faring in the form book before Ireland visit our shores?

1. Ox Nche/Steven Kitshoff

This deadly duo of loosehead beef shows no sign of wearing thin with impressive performances week in and week out. One would expect these seasoned veterans to take the foot off the gas pedal after obliterating all in sight during the RWC but they appear to be firing on all cylinders. The pretenders of Gerhard Steenkamp and Nthuthuko Mchunu look like raw prospects for the future but no one sees them as realistic current replacements for this well stocked position group. 

2. Andre-Hugo Venter

The son of Springbok legend Andre Venter is in sublime form for the Stormers and possesses the hard edged style that made his father such a stalwart in the Bok team. With Mbonambi still out of action and Malcolm Marx relatively untested in the Japanese leagues this is a position up for the taking. I suspect the management will take the long view on this position and try to get some young blood like Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Joseph Dweba or Fez Mbatha in the fold as hookers don’t grow on trees. This is a position where you can’t always take the risk of a silver fox like Schalk Brits or Marco Van Staden converting for a RWC campaign. This position needs a minimum of 4 able bodied players who can handle the pressure of throwing in a ball in the dead of an Irish winter or tackle a prop dead in his tracks on the goal line. This is a rarity in an area country so getting as many players up the task will be key for the Boks when Bongi and Malcolm aren’t around.

3. Thomas du Toit

Frans Malherbe is the ultimate road grading prop who never takes a step backwards but he has been sidelined with injury since lifting the mighty RWC cup and alternatives need to be found and fast. Similarly Vincent Koch has been crocked and has neither increased or decreased his stock. The player that looks to finally be stepping out of the shadow of the incumbents is Thomas du Toit who has become a try scoring machine for Bath. His transition from loosehead to tighthead looks complete with a weekly test in Northern hemispheric conditions the ultimate test for a prop. Wilco Louw is another player who needs to be given a chance to prove himself at the next level with a physique that any prop would die for. Rumours of Trevor Nyakane returning to the Bulls will be music to the ears of any SA supporter as he has the potential when given a long enough runway without injury to be a talismanic prop. 

4. Eben Etzebeth

Eben looks like he can do wrong even in a Sharks team that looks clueless at times He looks like a man amongst boys in the tight exchanges with his athleticism really standing out. No matter what the game plan is or how often the team kicks or runs or kicks to a runner or runs to the kicker the number 4 position will never change. Winning the set piece and dominating the collisions is the order of the day and no change in style will ever move an in form Etzebeth anywhere other than the starting XV. The discussion needs to be more about who best suits Eben as a duo like Bakkies/Victor which can take the Boks further. Anyone who deputises for Eben needs to be a sponge as to how to fill his large boots one day. Jean Kleyn has been a revelation and at 30 years old he has some rubber left in his tyres but after that the picture gets muddy. Salman Moerat has the pedigree to be the next cog in the machine but injury has been his bugbear. Ruan Nortjie is a workhorse but looks like he struggles to keep the weight on so becomes more of a Franco Mostert type player. There is a void behind Eben and it might be whoever can stay healthy at the right time will get the first crack at the cherry.

5. Corne Rahl

This one will ruffle some feathers but the players who have jostled for the coveted number 5 spend more time in a hospital bed than a Ukrainian soldier. RG Snyman and Lood de Jager have been so unlucky with injuries that it is hard to believe that they are still slogging it out. I really do believe that Corne Rahl has the ingredients to be a world class lock with aggression, skill and speed that any player would die to possess. This is a hard man’s position and it is not something that you just rock up one day and handle but he could benefit enormously from some time in the saddle. We know what we have in the cupboard but we need to be able to see the future and what better time than to partner up with arguably the best player in the world right now.

6. Siya Kolisi

One simply can’t imagine a Bok team with Siya in it with the presence he has on the field and also the calm he imparts on his teammates. This is a form team so it does no Bok team any good having a 6 that loafs around but he is playing with real vigour for Racing Metro. He thrives when he is given space on the fringes to use his surprising strength through the tackle or silky handling skills which the management at Racing have clearly given him licence to do. Marcell Coetzee would be my next choice not because he has the legs to make the next RWC but rather because he deserves it so much with how hard he tries. That man has been raw dealed more times than an honest Eastern Cape tenderpreneur and would happily run through a wall for another chance to don the green and gold. He offers so much at 6 because he has played for so long in some many different teams asking him to fulfil so many different roles that he would slot in like a dream.

7. Elrigh Louw

This was a tough one for me as no one is really jumping off the page to ‘replace’ Pieter Steph du Toit who by all accounts is doing well in Japan but looks obscenely oversized for the league. My future pick for this position is Ruan Venter from the Lions but I don’t think he is quite ready yet and Vincent Tshituka is suffering more because of a dismal Sharks team than his abilities. I feel like this pick has more to do with what the style looks like with a Tony Brown attack structure rather than a traditional barn storming traditional 7. My feeling is that he will want faster flanks to keep up with a higher tempo style which means more Kwagga Smith (like the All Blacks use Ardie Savia) than winning the contact area and doubling as a lineout option. I think they will take extra options to see who fits in the structure better and I wouldn’t be surprised if we see some left field choices like Trokkie Augustus, Celimpilo Gumede or Ben Jason-Dixon.

8. Jasper Wiese

The man is an absolute wrecking ball who shows no sign of slowing down, I think Miley Cyrus missed a beat not having him crash through the wall as he does it so easily. Gone are the days where he was a loose cannon giving away penalties at every turn. He epitomises the model of controlled aggression which makes him the ultimate number 8 with metres after contact the key stat. Teams are getting better and better on defence that the old school battering ram has its place to make teams have to move backwards to reset which slows down the line speed. Line Speed is a killer when you are trying to attack with any version of the modern pod system so a player like Wiese is key to give your decision makers time to make the wheels turn. Evan Roos would have been my next pick had he not broken his jaw against La Rochelle so I will go with Phepsi Buthelezi as my backup who I think needs a fresh start away from Durban to get the best out of him.

9. Grant Williams

Speed kills. In Grant Williams case he is the ultimate assassin around the fringes with lightning acceleration that will give any pillar defender nightmares. His kicking game has improved not to where it needs to be but close enough that he needs to be given the chance to shine. Tony Brown will be licking his lips to have Grant in his team as he has the X factor that allows attacking teams to punish opponents in broken field situations. To overcome the rugby league like defensive structures you need line breaks to create a scramble situation where the fast, elusive players thrive and Grant Willams gives you that in spades. He plays at a higher tempo than Faf and Jaden Hendrickse which forces your hand as to the flyhalf you play to match the style. I have said this before and will say it again the world of rugby is facing a backlash against defence beating attack hence Rassie plucking Tony Brown from NZR. The player selection will need to follow this trend and Grant fits the mould perfectly.

10. Manie Libbok

I have nothing against Handre Pollard but he is like a party dress that you bring out for special occasions like kicking your way to RWC glory then putting it back in the closet until next time. Manie matches my pick of Grant Williams up tempo style as well an ever improving temperament under pressure. He has silky skills which makes him very hard to defend because he does everything possible on attack which means you have to be able to defend all of them at the same time. He is thriving in the John Dobson setup and I do think he will become the starting flyhalf for the Boks for years to come. I think the Bok management will look to the future with his back ups like Sascha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Sanele Nohamba or Jordan Hendrickse gaining valuable time in the squad to learn the Bok ways.

11. Kurt-Lee Arendse

This pocket rocket has jumped out the shadows of being a Cheslin Kolbe look alike with some incredible moments on attack and defence to back up his prowess. Sevens rugby has produced so many quality all round players in recent history that it should be mandatory for the back three players coming through the ranks. He has such a solid foundation of skills that he does it all on the field despite giving up size and weight to almost every other player on the field. He currently has no equal at the moment which means the position is really his to lose rather anyone taking it from him. Teams have learnt their lesson trying to expose him on defence and I expect he has the jersey all but locked up with Makazole Mapimpi looking frustrated at the sinking Sharks ship. 

12. Andre Esterhuizen

Andre The Giant as he is known affectionately has become such an all round player at Harlequins that he is making Marcus Smith look like a savante because teams have to assign 2 players on Andre just to stop line breaks. Even when he has double defenders on him he still manages to break open teams with his raw power. Ireland run an attacking system where Tadgh Furlong is the first receiver who then either trucks it up or flips it out the back for the play makers to attack. The beauty of this play is that no defence is going to ignore Furlong on a crash ball so they slow down to account for him so the ball out the back gives the backline so much extra time and space to make the magic happen. Andre Esterhuizen is a tighthead prop with 12 on his back and the hands of a centre which makes him incredibly useful on attack. He makes Harlequins look so good without even doing anything half the time as has defences static when he flips it out the back because he is a monster on the crash ball. This again should excite any fan with the thought of Tony Brown at the attacking helm and this option at his disposal. No other team has anyone ready to play as an international 12 so I expect some wacky backup options.

13. Robert du Preez

WTF!?!? Yes I am sure I will get this response but anyone who follows Sale Sharks knows that he is a vital member of the team and has found a niche at 13 which no one saw coming. He is a big physical player similar to a Jacques Fourie who as we all know owned his channel like a Great White Shark circling seal island. How do you not pick Lukhanyo Am would be the standard response which is fair. The problem being that he is playing really average rugby right now and looks bored to be honest. I would expect Du Preez to struggle initially learning the defensive patterns but the options he gives as a play making 13 is a vital one due to how teams defend. Most teams keep the open side winger back to cover the kick but when the ball gets to outside channels with the outside centre or winger he has to shoot up to form part of the defensive line. This opens up space either behind or next to the winger/centre channel which can be exploited by a clever player who can kick or pass to get the winger into the open space. This is why I think Du Preez would be a good choice as he can pop in the grubber or time the pass to set his winger away whilst owning his channel on defence. 

14. Cheslin Kolbe

The man on his day is better than anyone who currently plays the game which means that you cannot drop him if he is healthy. The real battle is for the silver medal which opens up some real interesting possibilities like Raymond Rhule, Edwin van der Merwe or Werner Kok. All of these options come with some real risk as they are raw instinctive players but they can be coached up to play the style the Boks need to win. We are really lucky to have an endless conveyor belt of talent on the wing and I expect the Bok management to mine talent from all of the available resources.

15. Willie le Roux

I would really love to pick someone else because choosing Willie feels like a lazy option but he is playing so well you cannot ignore him. The backlash that he has received in his career for mainly dropping up and unders seems to always outweigh all the good he does. He is the communicator in the back three which is vital in the fast paced modern game where the yo yo effect of winger to full back and back again is hugely important. On attack he offers to the dual play maker which means that you can mirror your attack on both sides of the ruck so defences have to choose where to stack up the best tacklers/jacklers rather than just follow the flyhalf to line up. This becomes vital especially later in the game because forwards get tired and a miss match between forward and back equals line breaks. If the best tacklers/jacklers are marking the wrong playmaker it becomes feast for someone with Willie’s attacking flair

I would love to hear your thoughts where you agree or disagree.

Until next time.