Spottings from Springbok Matches: Focused Players Against Ireland
Straight Talk on the Springboks' Second Test
Quintin van Jaarsveld reckons five Springbok players will be in the spotlight, with their talents on display at Kings Park for the second Test against Six Nations champs Ireland this Saturday.
Frans Malherbe
A perennial powerhouse, Malherbe's sheer dependability is expected to yield dominance in the front row once more. Yet his present form takes the cake, unique as it's pushed the Boks to fall short of their expected scrum domination last weekend. That scrum superiority only started showing in the second half, when the Bomb Squad was unleashed. No cause for alarm; it's more like Malherbe just needs a bit more time to get the engine running. What's curious is that Rassie Erasmus has refrained from rotating him, despite the in-form Vincent Koch at the ready.
Pieter-Steph du Toit
It was a bizarre sight to see Du Toit storming up the field in the tramlines last weekend, far removed from the usual, hard-hitting carries up the guts. This, Tony Brown's vision of how the double world champions can evolve, involved Du Toit and Siya Kolisi abandoning their natural instincts to take up their new wide attacking roles. The results were mixed, with Du Toit boasting the highest tackle count and maintaining his work rate. Yet, pundits will be intrigued to observe how he adapts to this new position in Durban.
Kwagga Smith
Smith failed to make an impact at the breakdown in the first Test, dropping two restarts, and looked out of form. Despite this disappointing performance, he manages to hold on to his place in the team, thanks to Rassie Erasmus' loyalty. Some see Smith as a square peg in the No. 8 role and believe he might be more effective as a super-sub, while others believe he lacks the consistency to shine in the starting lineup. Either way, Smith's looking to set the record straight in Durban.
Faf de Klerk
While the flankers adapted swiftly to the new game plan, De Klerk seemed out of sorts. Adapting to fewer box kicks and more lateral steps has been a challenge for the popular scrumhalf. Criticisms include his slow clearance from the base, getting caught by Irish forwards, and missing crucial kicks, like a sitter at goal. De Klerk must bring more zip to the Shark Tank if the Boks are to dominate.
Handre Pollard
Going back in time, Pollard faced a barrage of passing responsibilities last weekend. He struggled with the pressure, appearing unsure of himself, and making uncharacteristic errors. Despite the odd performance, Rassie Erasmus has kept faith in Pollard, which is good news for the Bok's playmaker, who must feel more at ease in the second Test.
Special mention goes out to Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel, who'll break a Springbok record on Saturday (read more here).
(For the record, the team lineups stand as follows:)
South Africa: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Kwagga Smith, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche.
Reserves: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Salmaan Moerat, 20 RG Snyman, 21 Marco van Staden, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
(Enrichment data: Pieter-Steph du Toit's recent focus has been on regaining fitness following an injury[1][3] and he was included in a Springbok alignment camp[4], suggesting he remains crucial to the team's strategy.)
- Pieter-Steph du Toit's new attacking role will be under scrutiny, as he adapts to his new position in the second Test, moving away from his typical hard-hitting carries.
- Frans Malherbe's recent underwhelming form in scrums, though improving in the second half of the first Test, raises questions about his consistency, especially considering Vincent Koch's readiness.
- Kwagga Smith, despite a disappointing performance in the breakdown during the first Test, retains his place in the team due to Rassie Erasmus' loyalty, with some suggesting he might be better suited as a super-sub or lacking consistency to shine in the starting lineup.
[1] Source for Pieter-Steph du Toit's recent focus on regaining fitness: Link[3] Source for Pieter-Steph du Toit's inclusion in a Springbok alignment camp: Link[4] Source for Pieter-Steph du Toit's inclusion in a Springbok alignment camp: Link
