Springboks: THREE bolters who could come into RWC contention

At a media briefing on Wednesday, coach Jacques Nienaber said although the Springboks are currently tracking a group of about 60 players, the door is open to anyone who proves they deserve to be in the squad.

The Springboks will kick off a bumper 2023 season against Australia in Pretoria on Saturday, 8 July, in the opening round of the shortened Rugby Championship, which will be followed by clashes against New Zealand in Auckland a week later, and Argentina in Johannesburg on Saturday, 29 July.

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They will then travel to Buenos Aires in August to take on the Pumas before facing Wales and the All Blacks in Rugby World Cup warm-up matches in Cardiff and London in the final build-up to the extravaganza in France.

During the month of August it’s also expected that the Springboks will formally announce the 33-man World Cup squad. There are unlikely to be too many surprises, but here we pick three Bok bolters who could perhaps force their way into consideration.

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Robert du Preez

The former Sharks flyhalf is one of the forgotten Springboks, having featured in his solitary Test back in 2018. Since, then he’s fallen out of sight and out of mind to some degree.

Yet, the fact remains that the 29-year-old has now made more than 100 appearances for the Sale Sharks, and in recent times has begun to discover the best form of his career. Preferred to England international George Ford at this club, just this past weekend Du Preez scored 14 points in another classy display to keep Sale in the contest against the Northampton Saints.

Of course the Springboks have plenty of options at flyhalf, with Handre Pollard, Damian Willemse, Manie Libbok and Elton Jantjies ahead in the pecking order, but that’s what would make Du Preez a true bolter.

In fairness, though, only consistently sensational form and perhaps an injury or two to the other Bok flyhalves would really see him fast-tracked back into the Bok team.

RG Snyman

It’s crazy to think that the 28-year-old would be considered a ‘bolter’, but the powerful lock has played just four games for Munster over two years, while he has yet to play for the Springboks since helping them win the 2019 Rugby World Cup

Yet, a nightmare period of injuries and personal challenges finally seem to be a thing of the past, and it’s projected that Snyman will finally make his long-awaited return to action in March.

Between 2018 and 2019, Snyman featured in 23 Tests for South Africa, and if he can rediscover consistent form and fitness, there is every chance he could still knock down the Springboks’ World Cup door.

Rohan Janse van Rensburg

When we talk of ‘bolters’ as well as forgotten Boks, Janse van Rensburg also falls into this category, having not featured for South Africa since making one Test appearance in 2016.

However, he has now returned to the Sharks, where there have been glimpses of his ball-carrying abilities and raw power, while he has shown versatility in featuring at both inside and outside centre.

The 28-year-old would need to blow the lights out for the remainder of the Sharks’ season to have any realistic chance of coming into Springbok consideration, but an in-form and versatile midfielder could hold value for the Springboks.

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SPRINGBOKS FIXTURES IN 2023

Rugby Championship:

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

✈ 15 July: Springboks vs New Zealand (Venue and time TBC)

✈ 29 July: Springboks vs Argentina (Ellis Park, Johannesburg)

World Cup warm-ups:

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

✈ 19 August: Springboks 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)

Quarter-finals sequence of play is as follows:QF 1 — Winner Pool C vs Runner up Pool D
QF 2 — Winner Pool B vs Runner up Pool A
QF 3 — Winner Pool D vs Runner up Pool C
QF 4 — Winner Pool A vs Runner up Pool B

Semi-finals sequence of play is as follows:
SF 1 — Winner QF1 v Winner QF2
SF 2 — Winner QF3 v Winner QF4

Third place playoff:
Loser SF 1 vs Loser SF 2

World Cup final:
Winner SF 1 vs Winner SF 2