The delay in the naming of the Springboks match 23 for Sunday’s Test against Scotland has allowed for a week of speculation and brought to life the voice of South African rugby supporters.
Everyone in rugby loves to be a selector. It is the single most favourite aspect of following the Springboks, picking one’s own starting XV and match 23, explaining the logic behind the roles of those starting and finishing, and bringing subjectivity to a topic that can never passionately be discussed objectively.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has made it his custom to confirm his match 23 to the players on the Monday, given his team code that if a player can’t train on a Monday he can’t be selected for that weekend’s Test match.
Erasmus, in making public his match 23 on Tuesday, also put an emphatic stop to speculation about who should and should not play, both from the traditional rugby media and the most influential voices, that of the rugby citizen journalist on social media.
The word from Edinburgh is that Du Toit could be given the first crack at replacing Malherbe.
The subject of team selection can get hot and crazy. It can get personal on social media and this has been that kind of week when Bok supporters and the rugby media have had a week to debate who will make up the Bok 23 on Sunday.
The Bok squad, due to have been named publicly on Thursday afternoon, was delayed until 4pm (SA time) on Friday, and the debates have been plenty.
Tighthead prop and flyhalf top the positions under discussion. Veteran back-to-back World Cup winner Frans Malherbe is injured and Erasmus has two specialist tight heads in Vincent Koch and the recalled Wilco Louw, while Bath-based former Sharks frontrower Thomas du Toit has been used as a loose head and tight head for the Boks.
Louw, a beast in the front row for the Bulls in the past two seasons, played the last of his 14 Test matches in 2017. He finally won favour with Erasmus a fortnight ago when Malherbe was forced to withdraw from the tour because of injury.
The popular social media vote, from polls and from forum discussions, is for Louw to start in the No 3 jersey. The word from Edinburgh is that Du Toit could be given the first crack at replacing Malherbe.
Surprisingly, there is a love affair with Manie Libbok as the starting option at No 10 and the 2019 and 2023 goal-kicking World Cup master Handré Pollard to be the insurance policy on the bench.
The general supporters' view is that Libbok’s attacking game is more explosive, gives an influential edge to the Boks outside backs and adds a dimension to the Boks’ all-round attack.
Pollard, with an 80 percent-plus goal-kicking strike rate, is deemed the perfect choice to turn to if Libbok is fluffing his lines or if there is a goal-kicking issue.
The tight head apart, here is agreement on the Bok starting pack with Ox Nche at loose head, Bongi Mbonambi at hooker, Eben Etzebeth at No 4 lock and Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Jasper Wiese as the loose trio.
Bulls lock Ruan Nortje has become a supporters’ favourite but he was ruled out of the tour on Thursday afternoon, and Franco Mostert, back after suffering a broken leg against Ireland in June, should slot in at No 5 lock.
It is the backs that has caused the most discussion, in whether Erasmus should start with his preferred ‘A’ team back three of Fassie, Kolbe and Arendse, with Jesse Kriel at No 13 and Damian de Allende at No 12, or if there should be opportunities given to Le Roux, at fullback, Moodie on the right wing and Mapimpi on the left wing.
Added to this, the feedback from the Scottish capital is Am will play at No 13 and 30 year-old heavyweight André Esterhuizen will get a 19th Test cap at inside centre.
Scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse, who was given the goal-kicking duties in the final Rugby Championship title-winning outing, is a unanimous supporters’ choice at scrumhalf.
All will be revealed late Friday afternoon, but as you can tell it has been one fun week for millions of South African rugby selectors.
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