Although the Springboks’ selection looks pretty chaotic at times when backs replace forwards because of injuries, assistant coach Deon Davids revealed that there is always a well-considered plan behind it.
During the last year’s triumphant Rugby World Cup run in France, flyhalf Handre Pollard replaced injured hooker Malcolm Marx in the squad, which at the time raised a few eyebrows. Bongi Mbonambi was the only recognised hooker in the team, with flanks Deon Fourie and Marco van Staden deputising as back-up.
Pollard, however, kicked two late penalties in the quarter-final and semi-final to get the Boks into the final, while he was also flawless off the tee in the final in the one-point win over the All Blacks. Fourie also showed showed his character in the final by playing 77 minutes with a busted shoulder after Mbonambi got injured.
Ahead of their November tour, where the Springboks will play matches against Scotland, England and Wales, coach Rassie Erasmus again called up a flyhalf for a front-row forward, with Jordan Hendrikse replacing the injured tighthead prop Frans Malherbe.
Earlier, before Malherbe was withdrawn, the Boks replaced utility back Damian Willemse with Bulls loose forward Cameron Hannekom, instead of calling up a players such as Hendrikse.
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No wonder fans are sometimes left confused. However, Davids assured everybody that they know what they are doing. And, obviously, the Pollard World Cup story is a great example of this.
“There is obviously good clarity between the head coach and selectors in terms of planning and where we want to go. I think a part of our strategic plans is to build depth and experience going into the World Cup,” Davids said on Friday after a full week of training at their camp in Jersey, United Kingdom.
“Obviously we look at the broader squad in terms of what is needed and where we stand with caps and how are we going to reach that specific goal. Although we may not invite a prop for prop, there's a bigger plan towards that, looking at the squad and what we want to achieve.
“So, yeah, I think everyone is aligned and everyone is clear in terms of what we want to do.”
From a player’s point of view, England-based prop Thomas du Toit, says they trust the coaches to make the right selection calls when new players are brought into the mix.
Du Toit now has a strong shot to feature for the Boks at tighthead along with Vincent Koch following Malherbe’s ankle injury. The other prop in the mix for the No 3 jersey is Wilco Louw, who himself was thrown into the Bok mix after loosehead/hooker Jan-Hendrik Wessels was sidelined because of injury.
“I think we just trust the system, we trust the coaches and the decision-making process,” Du Toit added.
“We try and welcome the next guy in as much as we can and get everyone up to speed as quickly as possible, because obviously by us trusting the coaches, they trust us to do that with the players that's coming in.”
The Springboks face Scotland next Sunday in their tour opener, before taking on England the following week and finishing off their international schedule with a trip to Wales.
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