Springboks Boks

Springboks scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse scores against Argentina. Photo: AFP

Springboks scrumhalves: SIX to play for three spots

The Springboks have almost too many scrumhalves to choose from with six players all in the running for a place at the Rugby World Cup squad.

Springboks Boks

Springboks scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse scores against Argentina. Photo: AFP

The Springboks have almost too many scrumhalves to choose from with six players all in the running for a place at the 2023 Rugby World Cup squad.

Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus has opened the door for a number of new faces in his 33-man squad for the Springboks World Cup title defence. It appears the Springboks won’t be sticking to the script just for the sake of it.

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SIX halfbacks in Rugby World Cup race

Erasmus has listed six players that could board the plane to France later in the year.

You would think that Faf de Klerk and Jaden Hendrikse are top of the pile but the Springboks have not ruled out any of a half a dozen players.

Grant Williams, Herschel Jantjies, Sanele Nohamba and Cobus Reinach are all amongst the halfbacks ready for a season-long audition at the highest level.

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Erasmus outlines Springboks options

“But I think how a World Cup year should be if you get someone who totally hasn’t been in the mix. Form definitely, and big-match temperament. Like Jaden did,” said Erasmus.

“People sometimes think when we picked Jaden ahead of Faf, it was always because he was better than Faf. But a lot of that was about starting a Test match.

“Herschel was in and out, and he will be the first to agree that his form took a little bit of a dip somewhere. But he upped it, and is playing brilliantly now currently.

“Grant is a guy who played wing before. Is he a good guy to take to the World Cup? Maybe, because he can play nine and wing.

“Then we have Cobus (Reinach), Sanele (Nohamba) is playing really well. It’s tough decisions, and we will again, while trying to win, sift a little bit through the Rugby Championships and those three other games.

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Springboks
Faf de Klerk kicks at goal for the Springboks. Photo: Gerhard Duraan/BackpagePix

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)

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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)