Could Libbok become Springboks' No.1 playmaker?
OPINION: Manie Libbok’s masterclass display in the 43-10 demolition job of the All Blacks possibly answered any remaining questions surrounding his overall game.
Libbok has been under scrutiny throughout his career, primarily due to his goal-kicking record for both club and country.
To some extent, that criticism can be justified. However, he is a player who proved more often than not that he is made for the big moments, and he’s done it once again in Wellington against the All Blacks.
The Pollard v Libbok debate has been one that has elicited varied opinions from fans and pundits, and rightly so.
Both players are invaluable for the Boks’ cause heading into RWC 2027, where they will be out to make history and claim a hat-trick of World Cup titles.
There is no denying the gem South Africa has in Handré Pollard.
He has been earmarked for greatness by former Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer since he was a teenager and won South Africa’s first Junior World Championship as an 18-year-old against the Baby Blacks on home soil.
At a senior level, he has done it all.
A British and Irish Lions series win, two World Cups, two Rugby Championships, and two Freedom Cups say it all.
His call-up to replace Malcolm Marx during the 2023 World Cup was a masterstroke by coach Rassie Erasmus, as he proved instrumental in their quest to secure a fourth World Cup.
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But let’s not forget Libbok’s contribution in that campaign.
He went into the tournament as the only recognised flyhalf with single-digit Test caps and started in the big pool matches, including the quarterfinal and semifinal.
Libbok continues to grow in the Test arena alongside a mentor such as Pollard, who is an invaluable source to teach the tricks of the trade to him and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who also has a bright future ahead.
He is a player who has proven that when backed by his coaches and teammates after a below-par performance, he will repay the faith shown in him.
Think of last year’s Rugby Championship campaign, where he missed a kick to win the match in Argentina, before he put on a masterclass the week after in Mbombela to thrash Los Pumas and win the trophy for the first time since 2019.
But the question is, could Libbok dethrone Pollard as the No.1 flyhalf in the future?
Based on this season’s results thus far, there is an argument that he, in all likelihood, has done so in certain aspects of his game.
For starters, Libbok’s erratic goal-kicking seems to be a thing of the past.
He slotted all conversions (5) in difficult conditions against the Barbarians in Cape Town.
Libbok nailed two conversions from three attempts in the loss to Australia and slotted a penalty as well.
He also kicked five conversions from six attempts, including a penalty to give the Boks a seven-point buffer against New Zealand in Wellington early in the second half.
Yes, there was the game against Australia where it could be argued that his intercepted pass to Joseph Sua’ali’i swung the game’s momentum, which led to the Wallabies scoring a historic win at Ellis Park, but the Boks still let tries in before that, so one man can’t be blamed for that defeat.
Libbok’s playmaking skills are exactly what the Boks need for their new playing style under Tony Brown, and as mentioned, there will be times it can backfire, such as the Ellis Park fiasco.
It’s worth noting that his combination with Damian Willemse, as we have seen at a franchise level, has been slick as they know each other so well and feed off each other’s energy.
Libbok also holds the record of being the flyhalf who handed the All Blacks their two biggest defeats in history.
There’s a place for Libbok, Pollard and Feinberg-Mngomezulu in the green and gold jersey.
Erasmus should be bold and select Libbok as the starting No.10 in both Tests against Argentina with the Rugby Championship on the line.
Should he pass that test, let him be the front runner on the end-of-year tour too and give him a consistent run of matches as the Boks’ starting flyhalf.
It’s a matter of horses for courses, but purely based on momentum, the horse leading the race is Libbok, and it’s up to the other two to catch up to him in this trifecta of playmakers.
