Boks have need for speed

The need for speed helped steer the Springboks to a match-day selection for Saturday’s Test against the All Blacks in which their vaunted Bomb Squad is regarded surplus to requirements.

Perhaps in full anticipation of an improved All Blacks performance Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has gone for a more pragmatic five:three split on the Bok bench as the home team seeks to plug all the gaps the All Blacks will be desperate to burst through on Saturday.

Drifting away from their traditional heavy fire power is perhaps a tacit admission the Boks have accepted they will be without the ball for much of Saturday’s game against the fleet-footed All Blacks who need to win to sustain their challenge in the Rugby Championship.

In their past six meetings against the All Blacks the Boks have gone with their Bomb Squad, twice opting for the more explosive seven:one split.

The most recent time the Springboks used a conventional five:three bench ratio against the All Backs was in 2021 when Frans Steyn, Herschel Jantjies and namesake Elton did duty in the 31-29 win over the All Blacks in Gold Coast.

This time they are not using all their heavy artillery and have opted for manoeuvrability.

Mobility and greater flexibility were their main considerations with utility forward Pieter-Steph du Toit covering their bases in that selection strategy.

“This is a game in which we will have to match their speed with which they played last week. Having three backs on the bench will help in that regard,” Erasmus said.

The selection of Grant Williams for only his second start at scrumhalf in the Bok jersey is another indication of an accent on speed. “Every time he’s on he brings speed to the game, but so does Cobus [Reinach],” the coach added. 

Apart from their ground cover the Boks will also have more aerial prowess in the tramlines with the strapping Canan Moodie in the starting team as right-wing in the place of the concussed Kurt-Lee Arendse. Makazole Mapimpi, who is attending the birth of his child, was not considered.

Moodie, who last played against Tonga at the Rugby World Cup, is arguably the poster child of what Erasmus is trying to achieve by evolving his squad while retaining winning momentum. Moodie’s career is 10 Tests deep and he is yet to taste defeat.

While there is speed in the spread of the resources across the match-day 23, flyhalf Handré Pollard and fullback Willie le Roux bring experience and big-match temperament to proceedings.

Le Roux will win his 97th cap this weekend and he should reach three figures before the year is out.

The biggest talking point before the team announcement was the fitness of captain Siya Kolisi who suffered a broken nose at Ellis Park last weekend. He has been cleared to play after coming through all the training sessions unscathed.

Erasmus explained if Kolisi was unable to go full throttle he would not have been considered for selection.

Not that Kolisi’s nose is where it should be. “Siya had two options,” Erasmus said.

“The nose fracture has to be reset. He can have that done now and he’ll be out for three weeks, or he can wait two weeks to have it done. He will have it reset in two weeks,” said Erasmus who explained the magnitude of the fixture meant Kolisi’s immediate availability was paramount.

By opting to have the reset procedure done in two weeks Kolisi has effectively ruled himself out of the two Tests against Argentina, but victory on Saturday will just about rubber stamp their first Rugby Championship title since 2019, which might put some Kiwi noses out of joint.

Springboks to play the All Blacks

Willie le Roux; Canan Moodie, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Cheslin Kolbe; Handré Pollard, Grant Williams; Jasper Wiese, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Siya Kolisi (capt); Ruan Nortje, Eben Etzebeth; Frans Malherbe, Bongi Mbonambi, Ox Nche.

Replacements: Malcolm Marx, Gerhard Steenekamp, Vincent Koch, Kwagga Smith, Elrigh Louw; Jaden Hendrikse, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Lukhanyo Am.