Who will play flyhalf with Pollard moving to centre?

Handre Pollard appears to be moving to inside centre which will leave a pair of Stormers players looking to compete for the flyhalf role.

Rapport suggest that Pollard could be featuring at 12 this season with a move to include Damian Willemse or Manie Libbok at flyhalf.

Pollard to centre for Springboks?

Libbok was nowhere near the Springboks setup two seasons ago but is now the only fit flyhalf in the squad only months out of the World Cup.

“We definitely see Handre as an option at 12,” director of rugby Rassie Erasmus told Rapport.

Libbok on the rise

“In the past, we talked about the possibility of Handre as an inside centre, and moved him there in the middle of some Tests. But now the possibility should not be ruled out that he can start in the No 12 jersey in a few Tests.”

Elton Jantjies has been a surprise recall given the injuries to both Pollard and Willemse at present.

It appears likely that five Springbok players who were part of winning World Cup team in 2019 won’t be on the plane to France later in the year.

Warrick Gelant, Elton Jantjies , Herschel Jantjies, Sbu Nkosi and Frans Steyn are all massive doubts to make the 33-man Springbok squad for the 2023 World Cup.

And all for mixed reasons.

ALSO READ: Springboks: THREE forwards who won’t be back to defend title

THE UNLUCKY FIVE

Gelant and Jantjies find themselves seemingly out of favour when you consider the rise (and rise) of Kurt-Lee Arendse and Canan Moodie. Jantjies has, at times this season, been displaced as the No 1 choice at the Stormers while Sbu Nkosi is struggling for game time due to off the field issues.

ALSO READ: Kolisi: Springboks want South Africa to smile

Frans Steyn is the most versatile of the lot but has suffered a serious injury which appears to have ruled him out.

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POLLARD KEY TO SOUTH AFRICA’S 2023 TEST FIXTURES

Rugby Championship

8 July: Springboks vs Australia (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)

✈ 15 July: South Africa vs New Zealand (Mount Smart, Auckland)

29 July: South Africa vs Argentina (Ellis Park, Johannesburg)

World Cup warm-ups

✈ 5 August: South Africa vs Argentina (Vélez Stadium, Buenos Aires)

✈ 19 August: South Africa vs Wales (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff)

✈ 25 August: Springboks vs New Zealand (Twickenham Stadium, London)

Rugby World Cup

✈ 10 September: South Africa vs Scotland (Stade Vélodrome, Marseille) 

✈ 17 September: Springboks vs Romania (Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux) 

✈ 23 September: South Africa vs Ireland (Stade de France, Saint-Denis, Paris) 

✈ 1 October: Springboks vs Tonga (Stade Vélodrome, Marseille)