Cape Town – There may be only 14 players at the Springbok camp in Cape Town at the moment, but that doesn’t mean they are guaranteed spots in the Rugby World Cup squad.
Even captain Siya Kolisi is not a sure bet for France 2023, according to assistant coach Mzwandile Stick, who feels that some of the SA A players that he coached on the tour of Europe last year can still push for a place in the 33-man group.
A few weeks ago, Bok coach Jacques Nienaber said that the final squad is likely to be named only sometime in August, after the completion of the Rugby Championship at the end of July.
But the race is on for a number of contenders as the closing stages of the United Rugby Championship and Champions Cup will arrive soon. Even without the 14 players on camp, the battle will be fierce on Saturday already, with the Stormers facing the Sharks at Cape Town Stadium (2.30pm kickoff) and the Bulls hosting the Lions at Loftus Versfeld (4.45pm).
One of the most hotly-contested positions is scrumhalf. Jaden Hendrikse may have the inside lane as he is part of the 14-man camp group, but Faf de Klerk has been the first-choice No 9 regularly during the Rassie Erasmus-Nienaber regime.
Then there is Cobus Reinach on top form for Montpellier in France, and locally, Grant Williams of the Sharks has also been part of the Bok mix.
Herschel Jantjies came from nowhere to be part of the 2019 squad, and seems to be finding his best form again for the Stormers recently.
“For the past few years, we’ve always worked on the bigger group. You saw some of the selections in the series against Wales. Having those SA A games was also part of the plan to go deeper into those 60 players,” Stick said this week.
“It’s not a secret that a guy like Thomas du Toit, who was my captain of the SA A team, is part of our system. He has been part of the Boks before, and the way he is playing at the Sharks, he keeps getting better as a rugby player.
“A guy like Grant Williams … Even though the results didn’t go our way, I felt like him as an individual took his opportunity there (for SA A).
“It would be difficult for us as a coaching staff to ignore him – even the try that he scored over the weekend against Ulster (showed what he can do).
“So, a couple of players are knocking on the door of the main side, and the door is not closed. That’s one thing that Siya next to me, he knows also himself: Every time the squad is announced, he crosses his fingers as he doesn’t know if he is in the squad or not.
“They all work hard to be in the squad, and no one is in a comfort zone. Even though some of them have been around, they are still putting in the work. The fact that they are sitting here and going through the conditioning camp, it shows the amount of respect they’ve got for the Springbok emblem.
“The door is not closed for anyone. We haven’t selected the team. Yes, we’ve got a bigger squad that we’re working on and monitoring, and there are a few players from that SA A team who stand a chance of making it into the World Cup squad.”
Another thrilling development is the return to action of RG Snyman on Friday night for Munster, who will host the Scarlets in Cork (9.35pm SA time kickoff).
Snyman has been named on the bench, and while he has hardly played since Japan 2019 due to a series of knee injuries, he can make a significant difference to the Bok team if he can stay fit and rediscover his best form for Munster.
“I’ve heard something on the news about RG Snyman, and I saw him when I was in Ireland. He is also desperate to get back onto the field, and I know he’s been going through tough times over the past two seasons,” Stick said.
“But unfortunately, it’s (injuries) part of the game. He is a strong character and strong human being, so I hope things will go well for him this season, and maybe he gets back into shape for him to be considered for the World Cup squad.
“I don’t think there is a coach who will complain when he has RG Snyman as part of his team. If you look at his stature, he is massive, over two metres and with the skills that he has...
“The only thing for him will be getting back into good shape. I know he is a very special player. That’s one thing we were fortunate with in 2019.
“Having him on the bench with a guy like Franco Mostert is what made it a Bomb Squad. It doesn’t help to have six forwards on the bench, but they don’t bring the same impact.
“That’s one thing we know from RG Snyman – imagine now as a lock, you play against Lood (de Jager) and Eben (Etzebeth), and then all of a sudden when you think it’s time to have a break, then RG Snyman comes onto the field!
“If we can get him back onto the field at his best and he is in good shape, it will be good for our team and squad depth. The guys who are there have done very well – Marvin Orie, Salmaan Moerat.
“Against Italy, Salmaan got stuck in at the tight phases, and we know Marvin Orie is a genius when it comes to his lineouts and general play, where he moves around.”
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