Sacha and Dixon dazzle, but Rassie faces big call at lock

Several young players delivered timely performances ahead of the all-important series against New Zealand, but it remains to be seen how the Springboks will address their second row crisis.

Rassie Erasmus could not have asked for a better outcome on the two-match tour to Australia.

The Boks buried an 11-year bogey in Brisbane, ended a 15-year drought in Perth and became the first South African side to win back-to-back Tests in Australia in the professional era.

The absence of 12 World Cup winners – who are either injured, suspended, or playing in the Currie Cup – did little to dilute South Africa’s potency in Brisbane, as they romped to a 33-7 win.

Erasmus made 11 changes to the side, giving a host of youngsters and fringe players the chance to shine.

While the performance was less convincing in Perth, the 30-12 result was emphatic.

Every squad member bar RG Snyman received an opportunity across the two games in Australia, and Erasmus will feel satisfied that he has some answers for the short-term, and for the long build-up to the 2027 World Cup.

It was an important tour in isolation, and the group will be thrilled to come away with a maximum of 10 log points.

At the same time, the two games served as a trial for the matches against the All Blacks in South Africa – a series that has been listed as one of the team’s priorities for the 2024 season.

Erasmus and company are gunning for the Freedom Cup title, which the All Blacks have held for the past 15 years.

If they win in Johannesburg and Cape Town, they will reclaim that trophy and improve their Rugby Championship title prospects.

They haven’t won the extended version of the Southern Hemisphere tournament since 2009.

Plans for the series against the All Blacks should be at an advanced stage.

Recent events and performances, however, would have given Erasmus food for thought.

It’s a healthy situation, and yet the selectors will have their work cut out for them, as they run the rule over some 50 players to select a squad – and ultimately a matchday 23 – that can secure back-to-back wins against the All Blacks.

To be clear, this is no time for experimentation.

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The experience of the personnel as well as the balance of the side should reflect the assignment.

These matches will be as important, and as high stakes, as two World Cup playoffs.

As was the case when the 33-man World Cup squad was announced last August, several excellent players may miss the cut.

It will be interesting to see how Erasmus approaches the selection to the forwards and – eventually – whether he pursues the seven-one bench split that helped the Boks beat the All Blacks twice last year.

The tight five laid the platform for victory at Twickenham and in the World Cup Final in Paris.

Getting that balance right ahead of the coming matches will be a priority.

Ox Nché, Bongi Mbonambi, Frans Malherbe, Malcolm Marx and Vincent Koch should all continue to feature in the upcoming series after a strong tour of Australia.

Steven Kitshoff is expected to bolster the squad after returning from injury, and Erasmus may have to decide between one of Gerhard Steenekamp and Jan-Hendrik Wessels.

The former has been outstanding for the Boks off the bench this season.

The latter held his own at loosehead prop on the recent tour to Australia, but the coaches may be reluctant to expose the youngster to a fierce All Blacks scrum at this stage of his career.

Wessels’ ability to cover hooker as well as loosehead may be an asset to the squad, but in what should be an attritional series, Erasmus may opt for a third specialist hooker in Johan Grobbelaar.

While the Boks are spoiled for options in the front row, they are missing their first and second-choice No.5 locks.

Lood de Jager (shoulder) will only be back in 2025, while it remains to be seen if Franco Mostert (broken leg) will return for the end-of-year tour.

The Boks didn’t have the opportunity to trial RG Snyman as their premier line-out manager on the recent tour, as the giant lock sustained a minor foot injury.

While they adapted admirably, with Pieter-Steph du Toit wearing the No.5 jersey in Brisbane and Ruan Nortje taking on the responsibility in Perth – there are some questions that need to be answered ahead of an almighty forward showdown with the All Blacks.

Should Snyman (if fit) start at No.5 or continue to provide impact from the bench?

A Bomb Squad featuring Snyman appears to be more potent, particularly when the Boks opt for two locks in a six-two split, or even a seven-one.

Then it becomes a decision of whether to play Du Toit out of position at No.5, or trust the less experienced Nortje to do the job as the team’s line-out caller.

It’s not an easy decision, given how well Du Toit did in Brisbane, and how Nortje warmed to the task in Perth.

Ideally you’d want Du Toit at No.7, but then another utility forward in Ben-Jason Dixon has proved a like-for-like option in matches against Wales and Portugal, and in the big win over the Wallabies in Brisbane.

Whatever the case, all three should be in the squad.

Jasper Wiese will return from a six-game suspension to bolster the group, but one wonders whether the lack of game time may hurt his prospects of starting.

Elrigh Louw may well continue at No.8, unless Erasmus revisits the Kwagga Smith option – which yielded mixed results in the drawn series with Ireland.

The news of Faf de Klerk’s injury is a blow.

The Boks’ first-choice scrumhalf is unlikely to feature again this season due to a thigh problem.

Jaden Hendrikse has starred for the Sharks since returning from injury, and should be back in the Bok set-up for the coming series.

While he has been identified as a long-term solution at No.9 – possibly even the first-choice for the 2027 World Cup – he may not start ahead of Cobus Reinach and Grant Williams against the All Blacks.

Morné van den Berg may be surplus to requirements – but then again, the Boks have a record of including four scrumhalves in their squad, possibly at the expense of a specialist wing.

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu made the most of his opportunity in Australia, and should at the very least feature in the matchday 23.

Handré Pollard may be preferred at No.10, given his experience and track record against the All Blacks – and it will be interesting to see whether this selection impacts on the Boks’ game plan as a whole.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu provides cover at flyhalf, centre and fullback, while Pollard has shown that he can play No 12. Manie Libbok may miss out, if Erasmus opts for a smaller squad for the All Blacks Tests.

Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel should resume their midfield partnership, with Lukhanyo Am providing cover.

Knowing that Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Pollard and Am can slot at No.12, Erasmus may omit André Esterhuizen, who is available after serving a suspension.

Again, it depends on how big a squad is selected, but it all of the current squad members are fit, Esterhuizen – a specialist No.12 – may not crack the matchday 23.

Indeed, there is another utility player that deserves consideration, for this series and the long build-up to the 2027 World Cup.

Canan Moodie made an immediate impact for the Boks on the wing in 2022, and delivered some impressive performances at No.13 last year.

Moodie will complement a back-three contingent that includes Willie le Roux, Cheslin Kolbe, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Makazole Mapimpi and possibly Aphelele Fassi, but his ability to cover No.13 could well see him included in the matchday 23 sooner rather than later.

Apart from De Jager, Mostert and De Klerk, the Boks’ long-term injury list includes Damian Willemse, Evan Roos, Deon Fourie and Jean Kleyn.

Erasmus has already given the likes of Quan Horn, Edwill van der Merwe, Jordan Hendrikse, Ruan Venter, Phepsi Buthelezi, Trevor Nyakane, Andre-Hugo Venter and Ntuthuko Mchunu opportunities this season, but these players may only return to group after the series against the All Blacks, when the focus shifts back to development for the 2027 World Cup

Suleiman Hartzenberg, Ethan Hooker, Siya Masuku, Mpilo Gumede, Jean-Luc du Preez, Wilco Louw, Neethling Fouché and Joseph Dweba have also trained with the Boks in recent months, while Erasmus has intimated that the uncapped loose forward Cameron Hanekom and one-Test lock Jason Jenkins – who both missed the start to the international season due to injuries – are also in his plans.

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* Picture credit: @Springboks

Thanks for all the hard work on and off the field to all !! Heads turned to NZ now!! Also thanks for all the 🇿🇦 support 🇿🇦 pic.twitter.com/NMKr00UdIP

— Rassie Erasmus (@RassieRugby) August 19, 2024