Rugby Championship Boks

Damian Willemse in action for the Boks Photo: Sarah Reed/Getty Images

Mallett: You don’t have to be a brain surgeon to play flyhalf for Boks

Former coach Nick Mallett has taken a look at the Boks’ depth at flyhalf and the key role that has fallen to Damian Willemse.

Rugby Championship Boks

Damian Willemse in action for the Boks Photo: Sarah Reed/Getty Images

On Friday, an extended squad was named for the Boks’ Tests against Ireland in Dublin (5 November), France in Marseille (12 November), Italy in Genoa (19 November) and England in London (26 November) during the Outgoing Tour.

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Handre Pollard will miss the tour due to injury, while veteran Frans Steyn – who slotted in at 10 during the final Rugby Championship Test – has also been sidelined with a knee injury. Even if Steyn was fit, it’s believed he would have been rested for this tour.

Specifically when it comes to specialist flyhalf cover, it may have been easy for the Springboks to consider recalling Elton Jantjies considering that he is a player with vast experience of the team’s systems and game plan. However, in a wide-ranging press conference last week, director of rugby Rassie Erasmus made it clear that Jantjies will not be considered for selection due to fact that he simply hasn’t played enough rugby of late.

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Jantjies is now 32-years-old, and his position as the ‘back-up flyhalf’ to Pollard has effectively already been conceded to Damian Willemse, while Johan Goosen is also firmly back in selection contention. Goosen will tour with the SA A side.

Meanwhile, Manie Libbok has notably been called up as a second flyhalf in the Bok squad, but it’s clear that Willemse will retain the No 10 jersey for the ‘big’ games on tour.

The Stormers star has already proved he his more than capable of stepping up to offer reliable back-up, but there will be a massive responsibility on his shoulders during this end-of-year tour.

The good news for the Boks, though, is that they will have a couple of specialist flyhalves forming part of the SA A squad, and if there were to be an injury to Willemse for example, it would be easy to call-up a replacement such as Libbok.

Interestingly, when looking at the Boks’ options, former coach Nick Mallett said there was a very clear role for the flyhalf in the national set up.

“The Springbok gameplan is really a very simple one, and certainly not complex for a flyhalf. The forwards take it up, there might be a ball to an inside centre and then, when the time is right, the flyhalf kicks,” Mallett wrote in his Sport24 column.

“You don’t have to be a brain surgeon to play flyhalf for the Boks, but you do have to be physical enough to be a very good defender. You can’t have a guy who isn’t sure if he’s up for it yet, and I fear that is the case with Goosen presently. He is perfectly capable of playing the kicking game, but he is not there physically. 

“The other two options in the squad are exciting newcomers to the international fray, Manie Libbok and Sacha Mngomezulu.  Libbok has been in superb form for the Stormers for some time now. He is a solid goal kicker, even if he doesn’t reach the conversion rates of 90-95% you would like from a Test flyhalf, and he is defensively strong too. Libbok’s ability to kick with both feet out of hand is also a major weapon, and he could provide Nienaber with an option. 

“Mngomezulu, meanwhile, might still be young and largely untested, but he is a very good goal-kicker. I wouldn’t look too far away from giving him an opportunity against Italy. If one of Libbok or Mngomezulu is backed in the No 10 jersey, then it opens up the possibility of Willemse going back to fullback.”

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Johan Goosen Boks
Johan Goosen in action for the Boks back in 2016. Photo: AAP Image/Dave Hunt

SA ‘A’ squad:

Forwards: Simphiwe Matanzima (Vodacom Bulls), Ntuthuko Mchunu (Cell C Sharks), Sazi Sandi (DHL Stormers), Mornay Smith (Vodacom Bulls), Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Vodacom Bulls), Joseph Dweba (DHL Stormers), Andre-Hugo Venter (DHL Stormers), Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls), Phepsi Buthelezi (Cell C Sharks), Sikhumbuzo Notshe (Cell C Sharks).

Backs: Herschel Jantjies (DHL Stormers), Sanele Nohamba (Emirates Lions), Grant Williams (Cell C Sharks), Johan Goosen (Vodacom Bulls), Gianni Lombard (Emirates Lions), Aphelele Fassi (Cell C Sharks), Cornal Hendricks (Vodacom Bulls), Suleiman Hartzenberg (DHL Stormers), Henco van Wyk (Emirates Lions).

ALSO READ | HOW WILL THE BOKS COPE WITHOUT POLLARD, JANTJIES AND STEYN?

BOKS SQUAD:

Props: Thomas du Toit (Cell C Sharks), Steven Kitshoff (DHL Stormers), Vincent Koch (unattached), Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers), Ox Nche (Cell C Sharks), Trevor Nyakane (Racing 92)

Hookers: Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears), Bongi Mbonambi (Cell C Sharks)

Locks: Lood de Jager (Wild Knights), Eben Etzebeth (Cell C Sharks), Jason Jenkins (Leinster), Salmaan Moerat, Marvin Orie (both DHL Stormers)

Loose forwards: Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz), Siya Kolisi (Cell C Sharks), Evan Roos (DHL Stormers), Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs), Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls), Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers)

Utility forwards: Deon Fourie (DHL Stormers), Franco Mostert (Honda Heat)

Scrumhalves: Faf de Klerk (Canon Eagles), Jaden Hendrikse (Cell C Sharks), Cobus Reinach (Montpellier)

Flyhalves: Manie Libbok, Damian Willemse (both DHL Stormers)

Centres: Damian de Allende (Wild Knights), Andre Esterhuizen (Harlequins), Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles)

Outside backs: Willie le Roux (Toyota Verblitz), Makazole Mapimpi (Cell C Sharks), Sbu Nkosi (Vodacom Bulls)

Utility backs: Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls), Cheslin Kolbe (Toulon), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers)