Cape Town — The Bomb squad will certainly play an important role later this year in the Rugby World Cup, but in last year's Rugby Championship the All Blacks found a counter to this Springboks weapon, and that could cause a rethink of exactly how the unit will be used in this season's Southern Hemisphere tournament.
Despite forwards like captain Siya Kolisi and Eben Etzebeth on the injury list, there are still plenty of forwards who can slot into positions to easily allow Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber to go ahead with fielding a replacements bench of six forwards and two backs.
But the exploits of New Zealand, and Ireland on the November tests, against the Bomb squad, can force Nienaber and his brains trust to use the much-talked-about replacements strategy sparingly ahead of France.
Take the two Kiwi tests in the Rugby Championship last year when Faf de Klerk and Jesse Kriel were injured early in the matches, leaving the field within the first 10 minutes.
That left the Boks with one back to cover a host of positions and Nienaber and his assistants had to reshuffle the backline. It left the Boks exposed.
Centre Lukhanyo Am, who makes things happen on the attack from the midfield, found himself out on the wing. And one playmaker was missing. Loose forward Kwagga Smith, as part of the Bomb squad, has found himself playing on the wing a couple of times already when called upon by the World Champions.
This is the risk that comes with picking a Bomb squad, if a backline player goes down early in a game, only one remains and it could be left to the loose forwards to provide cover at the back when needed.
But the reward far outweighs the risk in terms of selecting a 6-2 bench split, and the Springboks know that. It's become part of the national side's DNA and not just a quick fix for certain games.
It brings success mostly, and the Boks' opponents know it as well. And that's why teams have spent (and copied them in some instances) plenty of time trying to work out how to nullify the strategy. Some have found ways to diffuse the Bomb squad, others have not.
Looking at the players at his disposal, Nienaber will definitely utilize the Bomb squad element within his squad in the next six tests before the World Cup kicks off in September.
Captain Siya Kolisi and Eben Etzebeth are out for the Rugby Championship at least with their injuries, but luckily for Nienaber and Co., they are not that integral to forming a Bomb squad.
Both will be missed, yes, but the availability of utility forwards in Franco Mostert, Kwagga Smith, Pieter-Steph du Toit, RG Snyman, Jean Kleyn, Deon Fourie, and Jasper Wiese make a six-two split still a very inviting one.
Nienaber them just has to figure out who the combinations on a certain match day will be, and that's probably one of the things they have been refining over the last three weeks of the Rugby Championship preparation camp.
Does Du Toit start in a loose trio with Wiese and Kwagga Smith with Mostert and Fourie providing loose forward cover in the Bomb squad? Or do Mostert, Fourie, and Wiese start, with Du Toit and Smith ready to light the Bomb squad's fuse?
There's still plenty of space for the Bomb squad in the Boks' blueprint and it's a weapon that most teams in the world will never be able to completely nullify. But the day it's defused, the Springboks' adaptability is severely tested.
IOL Sport