The Springboks are en route to Argentina for their penultimate Rugby Championship match after a tumultuous fortnight in Australia.
It was the best and worst of times for the Boks after a poor defeat and a great win, and Mike Greenaway looks at five positions where player reputations were enhanced and tarnished.
Flyhalf
Handre Pollard started the Rugby Championship as the Boks’ automatic first-choice flyhalf, but he has not been in good form and in the defeat in Adelaide he was downright poor. He could not play in Sydney because of a knee injury, but there is a fair chance he would have been dropped anyway. In came Damian Willemse and he was the man of the match in the Boks’ 24-8 win. On the evidence so far this season, it is difficult to see Pollard regaining his starting slot.
Scrumhalf
Like Pollard, Faf de Klerk has been the first choice since 2019 but this can no longer be the case. Jaden Hendrikse has been given opportunities over the course of the Wales series and the Rugby Championship, and each time he has been impressive. The same cannot be said for the erratic De Klerk and there is no way Hendrikse can be dropped after his composed showings in Australia. He has leapfrogged Herschel Jantjies and De Klerk, not to mention his Sharks teammate Grant Williams.
Hooker
Bok coach Jacques Nienaber told the media that there were private reasons why he has kept Malcolm Marx on the bench for most of this season. Marx was brilliant when he started in Nelspruit, winning the man-of-the-match award, only to be benched a week later at Ellis Park. Joseph Dweba has been given gift-wrapped opportunities but has not taken them, with his lineout throwing a big issue. In Sydney, Marx was given a start and played the entire game, and was superb. Whatever Nienaber’s reason was for not starting Marx, it just doesn’t stand up.
Right wing
The position has been something of a poisoned chalice for the Boks for some time, with injuries to Cheslin Kolbe, Kurt-Lee Arendse and even Jesse Kriel when they have played there. Sbu Nkosi is another who has been indisposed ... Canan Moodie is the latest to have been given an opportunity in the position and after a fine debut in Sydney, it is difficult to see him being dislodged in a hurry.
Loose forward
A number of regulars have struggled over the course of the season. Pieter-Steph du Toit is battling back to his best form, Duane Vermeulen was off the pace at Ellis Park and in Adelaide. Siya Kolisi was not at his best until Sydney when he put in a monster shift. Franco Mostert was also excellent in the win over the Wallabies, but the consistently best loose forward has been Kwagga Smith. He has been excellent off the bench all season and has consolidated his membership of the “Bomb Squad.”
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