The Springboks are pretty much stacked in most positions, with coach Rassie Erasmus spoiled for choice on most positions two years out from the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
The pivotal flyhalf position is one of those positions where Springboks have an arsenal of talent, which includes the iceman Handre Pollard, the magician Mannie Libbok and the supremely talented Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
All three featured in 2024 at different times and in various big matches for the Boks, as Erasmus continued with his rotation policy. At some points last year it became anyone’s guess who will be starting on the weekend.
All three players bring their own skillset to the party.
Pollard is the dependable match-winner and a player who rarely makes mistakes. He has been the Springboks general for more than a decade and the man for the big occasion, having missed two kicks at poles in the two semi-final and final appearances in the 2019 and 2023 Rugby World Cups. That’s 20 out of 22 kicks when the heat was on.
Libbok is a maverick, a player who backs his skill, passing ability and an incredible turn of pace for a flyhalf. He has had some trouble off the kicking tee in the past, but he is a proven match winner with the ball in his hands. He also possesses an incredible kick pass, which creates doubts in even the stingiest of defences.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu, however, would be the result if Pollard and Libbok had a baby. The best of both worlds. This kid has all the attributes to become rugby’s next superstar, with pundits likening him to a young Dan Carter. The Stormers man has the skill, the vision and a feel for the game that can’t be taught. But he also has the physical and mental attributes that make him a special talent.
Springboks attack coach and former All Blacks flyhalf Tony Brown certainly knows he had got three of the best rugby talents to work with, especially as the Springboks have been trying to expand their repertoire on attack since their last World Cup win.
“They are all great players and they fit the style that we want to play. They all have an attacking mindset, which is great for me as a coach,” Brown said.
“They don’t lack any ability, so if we get our plans right and our coaching right, and give them the freedom to play the game they want to play, then we know they are going to be great players for the future.”
But, while all three players can deliver the goods, when do Erasmus and Brown actually settle on a main No 10? Is it this year? Next year? Or in the World Cup year?
The Springboks kick off their season this coming Saturday with a clash against the Barbarians in Cape Town and it’s anyone’s guess who will be in the No 10 shirt for that clash. But past experiences tell us that the man playing this weekend is not guaranteed to start the first Test against Italy at Loftus Versfeld the following weekend.
Having won almost everything there is to win as Springboks boss, it’s hard to question Erasmus’ methods. He knows what he’s doing and he knows there is a method to his constant rotation. But at some point he and Brown will have to give one player a chance to be the ultimate boss in their new way of playing, to get some sort of cohesion going in the back division.
For all their sparkling play in 2024, it seems like the Boks never got out of third gear because of all the chopping and changing, especially in the No 10 jersey. The only game where they produced a complete performance during the Rugby Championship match was against Argentina at home.
Consistency in selection will lead to consistent performances, especially where the playmakers are concerned.
It’s probably not going to happen this year, but something that needs to happen if the Boks are to do the “threepeat” Down Under in just over two years’ time.
@JohnGoliath82
