LIAM DEL CARME | Boks’ high risk, high reward bench split not everyone’s cup of tea

Saturday’s crunch clash between the Springboks and Ireland may well be defined not so much by the men who run onto the field, but those who leave it.

Sure, yellow and red cards can yank the game violently in a particular direction but in this case I’m referring to the players who are on the park at final whistle.

The Springboks have entered virgin territory by naming a bench that comprises seven forwards and just one back in Cobus Reinach. They played with a similar seven/one configuration against the All Blacks in their last warm-up match before the Rugby World Cup but they were at pains to explain that was only due to a last-minute alteration that saw utility back Willie le Roux withdraw from the bench at the 11th hour.

This week, for their clash at the Stade de France it was the first time an international coach actually announced a team with as many forwards set for duty.

The Springboks’ leaning towards big men has shaken the rugby world. It has caused a stir. While they explained the seven forwards scenario was a curveball which they had to react to in London, many observers are now saying it was part of the bigger plan anyway.

That decision of course brought handsome dividends as the Boks recorded their biggest ever victory over their old foe. The seven/one split many thought would be something in the Bok arsenal that might be used again if they needed to make a point, perhaps when quarterfinal qualification had been secured in the RWC.

Certainly not with Pool B supremacy still up for grabs against pacesetters and top-ranked Ireland.

And yet, when Nienaber announced his team, one was not overwhelmed with shock.

Some have even suggested having 15 different forwards spread across the 80 minutes makes the Springboks a danger to their opponents. Bok coach Jacques Nienaber on Thursday said he cannot understand that logic.

There has, however, been condemnation, indignation, some delivered with a helping of incandescence.

Much of the argument revolves around the spirit of the game. Rugby, it is now more fervently argued than ever, is a sport that should cater for all. The game should take all in its warm embrace and its participants should not feel they are part of an activity in which they have to exist on the margins.

Even Ireland’s much revered former captain Keith Wood beat that drum this week arguing, while he understands why the Boks have gone down their chosen selection path, it does not necessarily sit well with him. He conceded it is currently within the laws of the game but predicted it will be changed after the RWC.

Some have even suggested having 15 different forwards spread across the 80 minutes makes the Springboks a danger to their opponents. Bok coach Jacques Nienaber on Thursday said he cannot understand that logic.

Because the Boks are breaking new ground here there is no scientific evidence to suggest opposing players are in greater peril as a result of having to play against more forwards across the length of the game.

While the sentiment that the game should be for all body types carries moral virtue, the reality is the game at professional level has long departed that juncture. Professional teams are in no way obligated to assemble their workforce based on measuring tape and scale.

In fact, if anything, size has pretty much been the currency in which the game has traded since the game turned pro in the mid 1990s.

All the Boks are doing is picking up the same ball and maul for all they are worth. It’s not as if their decision is without risk. In fact, it is laden with peril if they are caught short in the back department. They have accepted that challenge, and so should the teams they come up against.

As Nienaber pointed out, nothing precludes opposing team from assembling their bench in the same way. He, however, does not need reminding, in that regard the Boks are well ahead of the pack.