THE BIGGEST CHANGE for the Springboks since the last World Cup has happened in the past three months.
Manie Libbok enjoyed his maiden campaign with South Africa last November, making three appearances off the bench.
But with Handré Pollard sidelined with injury, Libbok became the man at number 10 for the start of the Rugby Championship in July of this year. He has started six Tests since then and looks set to be at out-half this weekend for the World Cup clash with Ireland.
Pollard is now back with the Boks, having missed out on the initial World Cup squad. It always felt like a matter of when, not if. Pollard has been fully recovered from his calf injury for weeks now and made his return for Leicester last weekend, playing the closing half-hour of a win over Sale. Now he’s straight over to the World Cup.
Rassie Erasmus says Pollard won’t feature this weekend, but his goal-kicking and experience could yet be very important in this tournament. There’s no doubt Pollard will slot seamlessly back into the mix since he knows this set-up so well and trained with them until close to the World Cup.
For now, Libbok is the main new face in the Springboks’ team since the last World Cup and even since they last played Ireland in November of last year. Libbok wasn’t picked in the 23 that day in Dublin but watched on from the stands as the Boks lost.
The 26-year-old Stormers playmaker has excellent vision, passing, and attacking kicking skills. He is a more instinctive attacking playmaker than Pollard, but his inconsistency off the tee is obviously a big concern for Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber.
Libbok kicked at 63% in the Rugby Championship and 70% in the World Cup warm-ups. Against Scotland in their first Pool B game, Libbok had a 40% success rate. Faf de Klerk took over the place-kicking from Libbok against the Scots, while Cheslin Kolbe and Damian Willemse are decent kickers, but it’s far from ideal.
As they do with every number 10, there’s no doubt Ireland will be looking to pile pressure and physicality onto Libbok, who had a poor URC final for the Stormers against Munster at the end of May. Still, his attacking skills are a genuine threat to Ireland.
Around Libbok this weekend will be an army of familiar faces, many of them World Cup winners in 2019.
16 of the matchday 23 from that final victory over England in Tokyo are in the current Springboks squad and most of them remain important figures.
Bongi Mbonambi, Frans Malherbe, Eben Etzebeth, Siya Kolisi, Faf de Klerk, Damian de Allende, and Cheslin Kolbe all started the 2019 final and look likely to be in the XV to face Ireland in Paris. Etzebeth has been a doubt due to a shoulder injury but he is hopeful of being fit to face the Irish.
Meanwhile, 2019 final starters Wille le Roux and Duane Vermeulen should be involved on Saturday, although wing Makazole Mapimpi is no longer an automatic choice in the front-line matchday 23.
Mapimpi’s spot as a starter out wide has been upset by the emergence of new talent, with Bulls wing Kurt-Lee Arendse having been impressive since his Test debut last year. The 27-year-old is similar to Kolbe in being small in height but possessing lightning-quick feet, great leaping power, and strength in defence. 12 tries in 11 Tests so far show how lethal Arendse is.
He and Kolbe were the starting wings for the Springboks’ World Cup opener against Scotland, with the combative, elusive Damian Willemse getting the nod at fullback ahead of le Roux for that game before Willemse moved to out-half for the hammering of Romania last weekend. Le Roux’s attacking decision-making and vast experience mean he’s still in with a shout of being at number 15 this weekend, especially given how well he connects with Libbok.
In midfield, former Munster man Damian de Allende man rested up for that Romania clash and looks set to return at number 12 this weekend, pairing up in midfield with Jesse Kriel, who has taken over at number 13 in the absence of the injured Lukanyo Am, who was a real star of the 2019 World Cup.
Kriel is a superb defender who is playing some of the best rugby of his career on the other side of the ball, so he and de Allende will relish a midfield battle with Bundee Aki and Garry Ringrose.
De Klerk looks set to partner Libbok in the halfbacks, while captain Kolisi and du Toit seem likely to be joined by Leicester Tigers powerhouse Jasper Wiese in the back row unless the Boks opt for ex-Ulster man Vermeulen’s sheer experience there.
If Etzebeth is fit, he would be expected to partner lineout leader Franco Mostert in the second row, especially given that 2019 World Cup winner Lood de Jager, a lineout guru, is not part of this squad due to injury.
Mbonambi and Malherbe should be joined in the front row by Ulster-bound Steven Kitshoff, while the Boks will be calling on the ‘Bomb Squad’ once again as they surely continue with their preference for a 6/2 split of forwards and backs. Indeed, Erasmus has mischievously suggested they could even go 7/1.
The loss of hooker Malcolm Marx, a World Cup winner in 2019, is a huge one in this regard. Whether starting or coming off the bench, he has been a talismanic figure for the Boks and will be missed. Deon Fourie, who has played predominantly in the back row in recent years, is now the back-up hooker and he got a 40-minute run-out there against Romania. Fourie was 5/5 at lineout time and he is a potent presence in the carry and breakdown, but Marx is world-class.
Whichever way the rest of the Springboks bench forwards selection goes, it will be strong. Choose from Ox Nché, Vincent Koch, Trevor Nyakane, RG Snyman, Jean Kleyn, Marvin Orie, Marco van Staden, Kwagga Smith, and Vermeulen. You’re laughing.
If there are two backs on the bench, it seems likely that Willemse or le Roux will be joined by one of the other three scrum-halves in the squad – Jaden Hendrikse, Grant Williams, and Cobus Reinach. That said, 20-year-old sensation Canan Moodie is now fit again and it will surely be tempting to include him.
So even with a new out-half in Libbok, this is a familiar Springboks side.
They would probably point out that there’s a difference between knowing what’s coming and stopping it.