Boks’ depth at scrumhalf keeps Faf on his toes

Depth at his position and the style of play produced by the Springboks last week, has left Faf de Klerk both encouraged and wary ahead of Saturday’s highly anticipated clash with the All Blacks.

That the Boks were so comfortably able to overcome Australia last week, despite having sent 13 players, including De Klerk, to New Zealand beforehand spoke to the enviable resources available to the SA selectors.

That both Cobus Reinach, who started in the No 9 jersey and then Grant Williams, who came off the bench, performed with such verve, means there can be no resting on laurels for 31-year-old De Klerk at Mount Smart Stadium.

“Last week we saw how unbelievably the guys performed and we’ll need to pull up our socks if we want to stay in the team,” he said. “It’s good to have that depth. They spotted an opportunity and took it, their skill level allowed them to do that. We need to read the situation from this game ... they have set a standard, we need to uphold that and even outperform it.”

Jaden Hendrikse and Herschel Jantjies provide further options in an area that is a genuine strength for the Boks.

Indeed, it’s best to leave it to the selectors to make the decision about who to omit for France (the World Cup) and rather, as De Klerk explained, control one’s own performance, which against the All Blacks needs to be short on errors and big on attention to detail.

“The biggest challenge is how they [the All Blacks] create something from nothing. You think you are in control, and then they score a try from their 5m line. It’s in that moment where you just switch off and they take that opportunity and suddenly you find yourself 20 points behind,” said De Klerk.

Ahead of his 10th Test against the old foe, De Klerk had noted a change in approach. “It seems like they like keeping the ball in hand, and they are not kicking as much off nine [scrumhalf] but off 10 [flyhalf].”

How De Klerk and flyhalf Damian Willemse confront that strategy could be pivotal in determining the winning team on Saturday. It’s just the fourth time the duo have started together as the halfback combination, though the previous three came on last year’s European tour, so they shouldn’t take too long to get up to speed.

With De Klerk’s usual sidekick Handré Pollard still recovering from injury, the onus is on Willemse — with good service from his scrumhalf — to provide direction for the Boks.

It’s been four years since SA played in New Zealand adding to the excitement in that country about this weekend’s encounter. De Klerk said he could sense from his interaction with the locals in the past week that they too were looking forward to the occasion.

“Speaking to the fans over here and other players, I think there is respect,” he said.

“Look, a few years ago we weren’t up to the standard in the way we played at all. Getting a lot of points put up against you isn’t going to warrant respect. But the way the boys played last week shows there is something about us.”