High praise for Libbok in spite of missed kicks

Toulon — He may have failed to raise the flags with the regularity demanded of a first choice Test goal kicker but Manie Libbok has indubitably taken the Bok game up a level.

You would expect that high praise to emanate from the Bok camp, only this time it was Scotland’s head coach Gregor Townsend who was lavish in his praise of Libbok.

The flyhalf’s two successful kicks from five has naturally drawn some derision but what Libbok brings to the Boks cannot exclusively be measured by kicks going through sticks.

Townsend, having watched his team go down 18-3 in their Rugby World Cup opener in Marseille, was generous in his praise of the flyhalf.

“Very good,” said the former flyhalf when asked what he thought of Libbok’s performance. “I have to say I wasn’t watching that closely,” said Townsend.

Libbok’s distributions skills have been a keen feature in the Boks’ performances of late. His range of passing whether to a player in close support or one drifting out wide has been from the top drawer.

On Sunday he used his boot to put teammates in possession, no more decisively than the one with which he found Kurt-Lee Arendse racing to the try line. Some of his kicks were executed with his eye far from the ball.

“No-look kicks, he has added variety to his game, accuracy as well with his kicking,” Townsend continued. “He’s a threat. He’s able to run, pass and kick and variety to his kicking game.

“He is a great addition to an already talented SA backline and team. He is helping them play a more attacking game than maybe at the previous World Cup.

“That will put a lot of pressure on opposition defences, like it did today against ours,” said Townsend.

While the topic of a free spirited flyhalf hits home for Townsend, you get the sense Springbok head coach Jacques Nienaber is tired of answering questions about Libbok, and whatever chinks there may be in his armour.

Nienaber had a terse response to whether Libbok’s kicking was a concern.

“Not if he wins man of the match,” he said with a knowing look. He was asked again and he repeated his succinct answer.

Bok captain Siya Kolisi felt the need to interject. “This question about missing kicks gets asked a lot, but we play as a team,” said Kolisi. “Sometimes you are not good at one thing on the day, but the way he attacked today and how he took control and how he was a general among us. There are other guys who can kick.

“He is not going to be good at everything every single day. We are working as a group.”

The players operating outside Libbok have richly benefited. Libbok, in turn pointed to the value of those on his inside.

“I am just thankful for my forwards for giving me the platform to do what I did. Obviously I saw the space out wide and knew what I wanted to do, and managed to get it there. I practise that stuff a lot so it was good that it came off,” he said about the cross kick that led to Arendse scoring his 12th Test try.

“I am just honoured and grateful to wear the jersey. To have the opportunity at a World Cup is a dream come true for me. I am just stoked the first game went like it did. I can take confidence out of this and move forward now.”

There is little doubt the Bok attack as a collective has benefited from Libbok’s presence.

They will, however, need to hit an 80% success rate when kicking for goal at the business end of the tournament. They can do a lot collectively but kicking for goal remains a department where the very notion of spreading the load means something is amiss.

If he’s going to be Manie Le Bok by the end of the tournament kicking lies square at his own feet.