This weekend Rassie Erasmus will announce his first Springbok squad and the rugby loving public is wondering, who he will select?
Social media is filled with armchair critics’ opinions on who should be selected. The problem with many of these ‘selections’ is that they generally subjective and biased towards a favourite team.
Rassie Erasmus to select his first Springbok squad
An ensemble of players will not make sense for two reasons. How will those players gel together and will there be enough balance in that team to meet all the requirements of international rugby?
There is an even greater concern at play. Critics selecting their ‘best’ team generally do not take into account a very important consideration. What style of play has the coach decided on to take on the rest of the rugby world and how will he best apply the resources he has at his disposal to implement that style of play?
The confusion coming out of the Coetze era has not helped the South African rugby public to understand how their team will play and who is best equipped to play the pattern the coach settles on.
2018 Squad selection
This becomes an interesting discussion as the Springboks face Wales on Saturday 2 June in Washington DC. A week later, they host England in the first Test of three at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg. All indications are that Erasmus’s first squad is going to be an extended one of 40 players to accommodate this.
With the smorgasbord of players that will be selected, many players are in with a shout. Below, we take a look at a few players in each position that could be considered for the England portion of the June International window. It is worthy to repeat that without knowing what Erasmus is thinking in terms of a style of play it is difficult to settle on an exact squad.
Forward thinking
Erasmus is on record as saying that when he considers selecting a player, it is with the following thought in mind;
“Will this player be in the Springbok Rugby World Cup squad in 2019 with a further 18 Tests worth of experience?”
Looking at 2018, Ryan Jordan comments on the candidates that make-up each position.
Loosehead Prop
It is difficult to look past the the credentials of the two incumbents. Tendai Mtawarira and Steven Kitshoff. Both are in decent form and are experienced scrummagers.
Hooker
The injury to Malcolm Marx is a big blow to the Springboks. There are a number of injuries in the South African hooker stocks to factor in.
Erasmus has coached both Adriaan Strauss and Bismark du Plessis and it is not inconceivable that he will ask Strauss to step out of retirement or recall Du Plessis from France. The Stormers duo of Scarra Ntabeni and Bongi Nbanambi have probably not had enough game time between them to come into contention. Can Akker van der Merwe’s recent form for the Sharks be ignored?
#StatChat?
For the second week running @Akker_vd_Merwe picked up the man of the match award!? Here is a look at his performance in numbers:? Ball carries- 9
? Metres made- 61m
? Offloads- 2#SHAvCHI #OurSharksForever pic.twitter.com/NCDZUA6RP7— The Sharks (@TheSharksZA) May 20, 2018
Tighthead Prop
Wilco Louw is the incumbent after the Test against Wales. We won’t be surprised to see Trevor Nyakane in the mix now that he has improved his fitness levels. He is also able to cover loosehead prop. There is also a lot of support to include UK based Vincent Koch in the squad.
Lock #4
The injury to Eben Etzebeth is another serious setback. The second world class player to be unavailable for selection for this Test series and it is tricky to select an obvious successor other than Bulls enforcer RG Snyman. England will arrive with a powerful scrum and selecting a traditional number 5 lock in the more robust number 4 lock position would be the Springboks scrum under pressure.
Other then the injured Etzebeth and Snyman, there are few Test quality number 4’s on the horizon. Expect a bolter or two in this position.
Lock #5
The traditional lineout caller position is well stocked. Lood de Jager is another top class player out due to injury, but there are decent replacements available. Both Pieter-Steph du Toit and Franco Mostert are lineout callers playing out of position at blindside flank. As an outside contender, Sharks captain Ruan Botha would not be a bad addition to the squad.
Openside Flank
There will be a lot of dispute regarding the selections in this position. It really depends on how Erasmus views the use of his openside flank. Will he go for a ball scavenging openside or a linking type of flank? If he he goes for a ball scavenger, we are likely to see a surprise selection. Many believe it is more likely that Erasmus will go for a ball handling opensider and we are likely to see Siya Kolisi fill the role, possibly backed up by Kwagga Smith. You will also get decent odds on Kolisi being appointed as Springbok captain.
Blindside Flank
This is where searching for balance in the loose trio becomes even more difficult. As highlighted in the number 5 lock, there are a few locks who seem to be on the radar, namely Du Toit and Mostert. They provide wonderful lineout options, but they do not offer the same option in terms of ball carrying and bashing defensive lines back. Jean-Luc du Preez does offer the most in terms of ball carrying even though needing work on not rushing the pass in contact.
Number 8
This will be another hugely contentious selection conundrum. Will Warren Whiteley return from injury in time? He has not had any game time and that would be a concern. Will Duane Vermeulen be fit enough for international duty on his return from France? Both players are also in the running for the Springbok captaincy.
We would not surprised to see Thembelani Bholi in the mix as cover for both number 8 and blindside flank.
Scrumhalf
This is probably the position in which Erasmus will not trust the local stocks in the starting position. Most of the Super Rugby franchises have not really settled on a consistent starting scrumhalf. The most consistent local scrumhalf has probably been Dewald Duvenhage of the Stormers and he may get a call up, but in a supporting role to UK based Faf de Klerk. Given his Test experience, Ross Cronje might be the third in line. Erasmus has further confused the issue by speaking highly of Bulls scrumhalf Ivan van Zyl, who he states has improved his game after not being selected for the Springbok alignment camps.
Flyhalf
After years of a relatively bare cupboard in the 10 shirt, there is a surprisingly pleasant array of options available. Some are experienced contenders. Others are very exciting alternatives. Selection will depend on how Erasmus wants to play the game. Handre Pollard offers a decent boot to control territory and the game. Elton Jantjies offers more in terms of the running game, but less in consistency. Pat Lambie probably offers more of a balance between the two, but does he offer enough in both departments?
In terms of exciting young talent, Damian Willemse of the Stormers is very young but has shown in Super Rugby that he has the ability to compete at the top level. Robert du Preez of the Sharks might be a touch less flashy than Willemse, but offers more consistency. When last have the Springboks had these options at flyhalf a year before a Rugby World Cup?
Inside Center
This selection will also be a tasty one worthy of grabbing a box of popcorn to watch. Damian de Allende has upped his game recently and is back in contention. Bulls flyhalf Handre Pollard made a sudden move to inside center for the Bulls game against the Jaguares, we suspect at the request of Erasmus. The Bulls were poor and we did not see enough to justify Pollard’s inclusion as an inside center.
There are justified calls for the inclusion of Andre Esterhuizen from the Sharks. Lions supporters will clamour for the inclusion of Ruan Janse van Rensburg. Van Rensburg’s claims have taken a knock by not being a regular starter for the Lions. What price a return to the Springbok squad by Frans Steyn?
Outside Center
There are also a few options at 13. The incumbent is Jessie Kriel and he appears to be coming into form at the right time. We cannot ignore the claims of Sharks center Lukhanyo Am though. He has been in fantastic form throughout the Sharks Super Rugby campaign. We might be surprised by a return by Juan de Jongh, but there is not enough evidence to expect a selection from the Northern Hemisphere here.
Left Wing
With the injury to Courtnall Skosan, we are likely to see new faces running down the tramlines this year and there is a possible shootout between the Sharks duo of S’bu Nkosi and Makazole Mapimpi.
Nkosi offers a lot of pace and a high work rate. Mapimpi is savvy on defense and is a proven finisher.
Right Wing
The options out on the right wing are a little vague. Ruan Combrinck has returned to the field of play but has not been in in standout form. It is possible that Stormers wing Dillyn Leyds gets a look in on the right wing, with a possible recall for Sharks utility outside back Lwazi Mvovo not out of the question.
Fullback
The 15 jersey also presents an interesting array of options. Does Erasmus stick with the tried and tested Andries Coetzee or opt for a change? If he is looking for a play maker, he can use Warrick Gelant the way John Mitchell has done at the Bulls. There is the option of choosing young Sharks fullback Curwin Bosch. He is prone to the occasional error, but does provide a place kicking option and the ability to produce a line break out of nothing.
If Erasmus has his eye on a European based player, there is the possibility of two players already mentioned being roped in. Both Pat Lambie and Frans Steyn can cover fullback. Steyn’s long kicking game from the back might prove to be an interesting option. Or… we may see the return of mercurial fullback Willie le Roux to international duty.
The Last Word on Rassie Erasmus: the make-up of his first Springbok squad
This is going to be a really difficult selection for Rassie Erasmus. Effectively, he needs to select two squads. One for the game in the USA against Wales and a second for the three Test series against England. Whatever does, he will be subjected to a great deal of criticism from a South African rugby public desperate for a turnaround in fortunes.
What he does need is space to select the squad that works for him and to develop that squad. He should be judged on his his results and not who he selects in his squad.
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