The unveiling of the Springbok squad for the Rugby World Cup, though enthusiastically cheered along by those in the employ of sponsors and stake holders at the pay channel’s headquarters on Tuesday, left many bewildered, if not concerned.
Sure, the production delivered many talking points but it is the squad that has been robbed of three RWC winners from 2019 that got tongues wagging.
It is not just the loss of an aggregate 165 caps that hits hard, but the removal of pillars from an edifice almost six years in the making.
Pollard is the team’s regular flyhalf, goal kicker and occasional vice-captain, De Jager calls their line-out, while Am brings organisation to the Bok defence and carefully considered chaos to their attack.
The Bok midfield without Pollard and Am is almost unthinkable in the Rassie Erasmus/Jacques Nienaber era. They were in the starting team in the Boks’ most memorable matches since 2018. They were there when the Boks beat the All Blacks in Wellington in 2018, they were back for the drawn Test at the same venue a year later, they were in the run on team in the 2019 RWC final, the winning Tests in the series against the British and Irish Lions, the series clincher against Wales last year and the Boks’ thorough beating of the All Blacks in Mbombela.
That is a considerable body of work. De Jager too has towered for the Boks when most needed.
A hint of how Nienaber and Co will set out their stall may emerge next weekend when the Boks play Wales in Cardiff.
As was the case in the last RWC final when he had to leave the field in the first half with a dislocated shoulder, injury or illness has again played its cruel hand.
In Marvin Orie the Boks have a more than capable replacement in calling the shots in the line-out. He, however, does not have De Jager’s bulk when it gets tight, or athleticism when it gets loose.
In Manie Libbok the Boks have a dependable goal kicker. Libbok’s form in the United Rugby Championship has made him a player that is hard to ignore. He kicked the Bok door down as the competition’s highest points scorer, and his ability to deliver a killer pass.
He showed remarkable character in Buenos Aires last week when he put a difficult first half firmly behind him.
Whether he is as unflappable as Pollard when it matters most at the RWC remains to be seen. He certainly deserves to be afforded that opportunity.
The loss of Am is immense. His knee injury is said to take two to four weeks to heal. Like Pollard he will be among the players on standby should the Boks need to replenish their stock.
Am, a World Rugby player of the year nominee last year, has won admirers the world over. The Boks will miss his intuition and ability to conjure the ridiculous.
In Jesse Kriel the Boks have an able body who has almost built a career around not being the first choice outside centre. He started six of his 60 Tests on the wing with the overwhelming majority at outside centre. Kriel may not possess Am’s craft in attack, but he is a stout defender. His performance against Ireland last year in Dublin was from of the top drawer.
The Boks will not lack for muscle with Damian de Allende, André Esterhuizen and Kriel as midfield options, but Am’s guile is almost impossible to replace.
All three injured players would have been regarded starters for the Springboks’ opening match of the RWC against Scotland had they been fit. A hint of how Nienaber and Co will set out their stall may emerge next weekend when the Boks play Wales in Cardiff. Things should become even clearer six days later when they play the All Blacks at Twickenham in the last match before the RWC kicks off.
The next two matches will be about filling significant holes. Should that set and the Boks go on to successfully defend their title, their achievement can be regarded even more remarkable than their win in Japan four years ago.
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