Pretoria — The Springboks will be experimenting with some new players and combinations in the first Rugby Championship match against Australia on Saturday at Loftus Versfeld.
For several players this is a rare start in the absence of key players, and they will have the opportunity to impress Bok coach Jacques Nienaber as the team’s preparation for the Rugby World Cup starts.
IOL Sport’s Leighton Koopman looks at five players who should grab the opportunity presented to them in the test against the Wallabies.
Manie Libbok
The mercurial Stormers flyhalf will get his first start in the 10-jersey in the absence of Handé Pollard and will be eager to put his best foot forward come kickoff. He has without a doubt been the in-form flyhalf for the last two seasons when it comes to the local rugby teams, and has been rewarded by the Bok coaches. But, he will have to step up and show he is the guy in control in Pollard’s absence.
Libbok will have to keep his nerves in check, and sidestep the pressure that Australia wants to put on him if he is to thrive in the game. With the exciting players around him, Libbok will be key to exploiting the space presented to him.
And then most important, his kicking at goal will be key if the Boks are to topple the Aussies.
Jean Kleyn
The former Irish lock will want to show that getting him into the Springbok mix was not a mistake by SA Rugby’s director of rugby Rassie Erasmus and Nienaber. He spoke this week about the pride of finally getting the call-up, even if it meant going the Irish route first, and how grateful he is for the opportunity.
But the time has come for him to put those words into action. His abrasive style of play will be crucial in stopping the big ball-carriers of the Wallabies, and he presents that extra lineout option for the Springboks. It will be a momentous occasion for Kleyn, and if he steps up for his new international side, he could keep his chances alive of making another World Cup.
Marvin Orie
The lineout ace is another fringe player that will be looking to grab this rare opportunity to start in the number five Bok-jumper. He’s been in and out of the squad but will be presented with an opportunity to show the Bok coaches that he has the mettle to be the backup five lock for the national side.
Orie has grown his game over the last two seasons featuring prominently for the Stormers. His workload on the field is exceptional and that is exactly what Nienaber, and his coaches want from their players. Not to just focus on their primary role but honing other skills. Orie certainly put a bit more “dog” into his game, and his defence around the ruck is another underrated skill.
Marco van Staden
Eskom, as the flanker is affectionately known at Loftus, will want to knock the lights out (of the Wallabies) on Saturday when he gets another Bok shot. He’s been in and out of the national side, and since making his debut in 2019, he has only amassed 10 tests. He is a menace at the breakdown, and in the absence of hooker Malcolm Marx, Van Staden is the perfect guy to terrorise the Aussies at the rucks.
But he is also a tough character when carrying the ball up in contact, and his robustness will be crucial in stopping Australia’s Mammoth-like tight forwards. He can stake a claim for a role like Francois Louw at the 2019 World Cup – someone who plays to the ball but who is not afraid to get down and dirty.
Grant Williams
South Africa possess an abundance of quality scrumhalves who have all shown their mettle on the international stage. And for Grant Williams, the least experienced of the five scrummies currently in the Bok group, it will be an opportunity to stake that wildcard claim looking ahead to the World Cup in September.
Williams and 2019 World Cup winner Herschel Jantjies are in the same mould when it comes to their style of play, and the Bok coaches will have a difficult time choosing between the two. Williams knows how to turn a game on his head behind a good pack of forwards, and he will be keen to show that come Saturday.
IOL Sport