19 August 2019, by: Quintin van Jaarsveld

SPRINGBOK WORLD CUP SQUAD – FORWARDS

In the wake of Saturday’s ‘Farewell’ Test at Loftus Versfeld, Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has some difficult decisions to make in terms of finalising the 31-man squad for next month’s Rugby World Cup in Japan, writes Quintin van Jaarsveld.

After months of calculated selection shuffling and meticulous planning, Erasmus is set to reveal his hand on Monday, 26 August. Selecting a squad to carry the hopes of a nation at the quadrennial global showpiece is arguably the most challenging – and certainly the most unenviable – task of a head coach.

So many factors play into settling on a 31-man World Cup group – leadership, a strong spine, combinations, striking the perfect balance between experience and youth and weighing up reputations versus form to name a few. In South Africa’s unique case, Erasmus also has to hit transformation targets. In this regard, he has been given the thumbs up by SA Rugby president, Mark Alexander.

Erasmus in March said 80% of the squad had been selected, a statement he repeated in the build-up to Saturday’s Test against Argentina. This was highlighted during the triumphant Rugby Championship campaign, in which the Bok mentor fielded ‘A’ and ‘B’ teams against the All Blacks and Wallabies and a combination of the two against Los Pumas.

It’s the final piece of the puzzle, which could prove crucial – especially if ill-fated injuries occur – and it’s where selection posers remain. The Test at Loftus subsequently served as a final opportunity for fringe players to stake their claim for a seat on the plane to the Land of the Rising Sun.

Following the 24-18 win, Erasmus revealed that a 37-man squad (not announced at the time of writing) would head to Bloemfontein for a training camp, and that the final 31 would be selected from that group. He went on to suggest that “timing will make it tough” for injured duo Aphiwe Dyantyi and Warren Whiteley, as well as Damian Willemse – who made his return from injury as a super-sub for Western Province in Friday’s Currie Cup clash against Griquas – to make the cut.

Based on Erasmus’ selections over the past year, along with the continued concern over injured aces and the emergence of exciting rising stars, we reveal the 31-man squad – which has a traditional 17/14 forwards/backs split – that we believe will jet off to Japan in pursuit of a third World Cup crown.

In part one (Read part two here) of our Bok World Cup squad focus, we look at the forwards.

After conquering all comers in the Rugby Championship, the big boys up front largely select themselves. Not just individually, but as equally dominant entities, the combination of Steven Kitshoff, Malcolm Marx and Frans Malherbe and the trio of Tendai Mtawarira, Bongi Mbonambi and Trevor Nyakane gained superiority at scrum time.

Eben Etzebeth and Franco Mostert, meanwhile, locked down their starting berths in the second row. Following his impressive comeback at the weekend, after missing the Rugby Championship through injury, Siya Kolisi will captain the team in the No.6 jersey, where he’ll reunite with Pieter-Steph du Toit and Duane Vermeulen in the back row.

The likes of Lizo Gqoboka, Thomas du Toit, Vincent Koch, Wilco Louw, Lood de Jager, Francois Louw, Kwagga Smith, Marcell Coetzee and Rynhardt Elstadt all harbour hopes of providing cover for the established guard on the biggest stage of them all. See which of these heavyweight hopefuls we backed below.

A true modern-day front-rower, the red-haired Stormers star is a strong scrummager but his true value lies in his mobility and workrate across the park, as he showed in his last start in the 16-all draw with the All Blacks in Wellington, where he made eight carries, eight tackles and won two turnovers.

Seemingly reinvigorated for his last ride, the bona fide Bok legend lived up to his moniker with beastly performances against Australia and Argentina. One of the most respected members of the squad, the “Beast” brings roaring intensity and invaluable experience to the table as a Test centurion.

In the prime of his career, the Bulls brute made a strong case for the No.3 jersey as one of the stars of the triumphant Rugby Championship campaign. His performance against the Pumas, in which he obliterated his opposite number at scrum time and made a whopping 15 tackles, was the best of his career and one of the finest you’re likely to see by a tighthead in a Test match.

Didn’t have the best Rugby Championship, but he’s a tried and tested international tighthead who won’t let his country down on the World Cup stage. A silent assassin, he does the donkey work in rucks and mauls and is a powerful defender on top of being a good, technical scrummager.

He’s developed into a truly world-class tighthead since joining Saracens from the Stormers back in 2016. While he didn’t get to showcase it at Loftus, largely due to the referee Luke Pearce’s substandard handling of the set-piece, he’s a power scrummager. He has an impressive gas tank and resembles a pillaging Viking in open play. This was on full display at the weekend, with the man-mountain making 10 dominant tackles and plenty of carries.

Regarded by many as the world’s best hooker, he’s cemented himself as a global superstar since bursting onto the international stage in 2016 through physical dominance, exemplary set-piece play and loose forward-like ball-poaching skills.

After a blinder of a Rugby Championship campaign, he’s put some pressure on Marx for the No.2 jersey, healthy competition that’ll only benefit the Boks. The Stormers stalwart’s cut out the errors in his game and is now a dependable, consistent world-class performer.

Vastly experienced and a uniquely-skilled hooker, he has the acceleration, speed and footwork of a backline player. That, along with his zest, allows him to make good metres in the trenches despite his smaller stature and sees him suck in defenders. An excellent lineout thrower and a great team man, the honour of captaining the Boks this past weekend will further fuel the veteran’s fire.

One of the most feared enforcers in the game today, the Stormers gargantuan relishes contact and brings unmatched physicality to the Bok pack. He’s a monstrous ball carrier and rib-rattling defender. His lineout skills match his brutality and as occasion skipper, he’s a valued member of the leadership group.

Made the No.5 jersey his own with a stellar Rugby Championship campaign. A bulldozer with ball-in-hand and a rock on defence who delivers double-digit hits more often than not. A warhorse who relentlessly clatters into rucks and stays in the face of the opposition with unwavering intensity.

One the country’s standout players in this year’s Super Rugby tournament, the Bulls skyscraper is a lineout general. His other great strength is his Harlem Globetrotter-like offloading skills, which adds a much-needed degree of unpredictability to the Boks upfront. He’s perfected this momentum-boosting craft and ranked third in Super Rugby 2019 with 23 passes in contact.

One of the key men plagued by injury in recent times, De Jager needed a big game at Loftus in what was only his fourth Test – and just his second start – in 18 months, and he delivered. The hulking lock commanded the lineout, where he also poached a ball on the Pumas’ throw, had a big hand in Sbu Nkosi’s first try and has the Test track record to warrant a place on the plane.

After a promising cameo for Western Province in the Currie Cup after his lengthy injury-enforced absence, he returned to the Bok fold with a bang at the weekend. Long touted to lead the Boks at the World Cup, a role he’s fulfilled with aplomb since his appointment last May, the tough-as-nails loose forward will lead by example.

The tears of joy he cried after the superhuman effort that helped the Boks claim a famous victory over the All Blacks in Wellington was the highlight of the 2018 season which saw him being acknowledged as the SA Player of the Year for the second time. Arguably the best blindside flank in the world, his astonishing workrate is second to none (he topped the Rugby Championship tackle stats), and he’s equally adept at lock.

A talismanic figure. Big, strong, physical and highly influential in all departments, including the lineouts. An experienced world-travelled warrior who inspires those around him, he played an integral role in the Bulls’ return to prominence in this year’s Super Rugby tournament. Another core member of the leadership group, he captained the team with distinction in the decisive Rugby Championship clashes against the All Blacks and Pumas.

The Bath stalwart has dropped down the pecking order in this, the twilight of his career, but he reminded of what a big impact he can make when he started against the Wallabies and made some telling turnovers, and he did the same off the bench in Wellington and Salta.

Kwagga Smith has the inside lane. The only out-and-fetcher in the Bok set-up was solid during the Rugby Championship and when he came on to replace Coetzee in the 15th minute on Saturday. Coetzee has been extremely unlucky with injuries in recent years, and the head shot he took robbed him of his big opportunity to make a statement. He looked great during his brief appearance, however, and Erasmus has stated the door remains open for the Ulsterman. He’s equally excellent in all three back-row positions, which is why he’s worth the risk.

Steven Kitshoff, Tendai Mtawarira, Trevor Nyakane, Frans Malherbe, Vincent Koch, Malcolm Marx, Bongi Mbonambi, Schalk Brits, Eben Etzebeth, Franco Mostert, RG Snyman, Lood de Jager, Siya Kolisi (captain), Pieter-Steph du Toit, Duane Vermeulen, Francois Louw, Marcell Coetzee.

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