Body horror, Springbok style: Rassie Erasmus' hybrid revolution

The first time I came into contact with some form of body horror was most probably somewhere in the late 1990s while watching Akira as a teenager.

That seminal anime has a larger footprint than you might imagine — especially if you’re not familiar with the classic 1980s Japanese animated film directed by Katsuhiro Otomo. It’s probably impossible to list or record all the homages, mentions and influences that the 1988 flick has had on a generation of filmmakers, many of whom have inserted some sort of nod to the beloved work in their own creations.

It can get quite gruesome by its climax, but as far as film literature goes, few works have left such an indelible mark on the generations that have followed.

Much like how David Cronenberg defined body horror through works such as The Fly, and John Carpenter set the standard with The Thing, Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus is currently cooking up Frankensteinian hybrids amongst his think tank at the national set-up.

That may sound a bit harsh…

To be clear, I don’t believe Erasmus is doing anything untoward or against the spirit of rugby, nor is he some evil genius scientist trying to ruin the game for anyone. Instead, the need to experiment — to push the boundaries of what’s expected and challenge the norm — is inspired, out-of-the-box thinking.

If anything, his tinkering is more akin to the meshing of a Xenomorph and a Yautja — a Predalien. And if you were born in the '80s or '90s, that might just be the coolest blerrie thing that could have happened to those franchises.

Of course, as with the actual attempt to create a shared universe between Alien and Predator, we were all a bit underwhelmed in the end. And that might be true, too, of the current endeavour to create what has been termed a “hybrid player” by Erasmus and Co.

It was somewhat surprising, but not wholly unexpected, when centre Andre Esterhuizen packed down at flank for the Boks against the Barbarians. After all, Erasmus has innovated in such a manner before.

Take Kwagga Smith — covering both as a loose-forward and a wing. It may have raised eyebrows initially, but the logic was sound, and the execution even better.

Then there’s Deon Fourie and Marco van Staden. Both were used at hooker despite being natural flankers — an unusual call, but one that paid off thanks to their breakdown skill and versatility.

And who could forget Cheslin Kolbe? Deployed as a wing, a makeshift scrumhalf, and even stepping into line-out duties usually reserved for hookers. That kind of multi-role execution requires serious foresight and trust in a player’s skill set.

These aren’t just quirky selections. They’re part of a larger, calculated approach — taking advantage of the laws of rugby and the full capabilities of the athletes available. It’s clever, disruptive, and very Bok.

Will it work?

I’m not wholly convinced, but then we can all agree many teams don’t have a big, versatile unit such as Esterhuizen to experiment with. It might be just a step too far at Test level and it feels a bit rugby league to me, which isn’t really my ball game.

What I will enthusiastically agree with is the need for such innovation and being the rugby nation of such innovations. It speaks to a Bok group that is confident in their set-up, understands what they want to achieve, and has the ability to approach the evolving rugby landscape with dynamic ideas.

Moreover, it is a testament to the continued buy-in of the players in the Rassie era — the willingness to learn and expand on new skill sets. It is also an advertisement for the depth and strength of SA rugby.

It is something we can all be proud of. And if it does work, well, what a boon to our team.

Erasmus might have opened Pandora’s box on this one, and regardless of whether it pays off, it certainly makes us the trend-setters of world rugby. Whether Jekyll or Hyde, Erasmus is forcing rugby to evolve — and the rest of the world may soon be playing catch-up.