VIDEO: Boks dabbling with forwards who can play in the backline
South Africa’s anomalous decision to name seven forwards on an eight-man replacement bench has caused more than just a stir around the globe.
The extraordinary decision helped the Springboks record a record 35-7 win over the All Blacks in their final World Cup warm-up match at Twickenham this past weekend.
It was in the 47th minute when all seven forwards came off the bench to give the South African team virtually an entire new set of forwards and allowed them to hold their vice-like grip on the Kiwis.
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While most pundits – inducing New Zealand coach Ian Foster – were full of praise for the Boks, some of the cynics felt the need to round on the Boks for their outlandish tactics.
Former Scotland coach and Irish pundit Matt Williams went as far as calling for a ‘change of the laws’ to prevent both the six-two and seven-one options.
“They had seven forwards [against New Zealand],” he said on the TB Monday Night Rugby podcast.
“Seven forwards. Really? Seriously? And World Rugby has just got to act on this.”
Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber confirmed the seven-one split was not pre-planned and unlikely to be repeated regularly.
The coach’s hand was forced when back-up utility back Willie le Roux pulled up with an injury in the build-up to the Test.
Having given his non-playing squad a big ‘fitness flogging’ in the week, Nienaber didn’t want to risk any of them in the game.
So he added another forward to the bench – going from the traditional six-two split to seven forwards among the replacements.
“It was an unfortunate incident and we didn’t want to risk Willie [le Roux],” the Springbok coach said.
“We wanted to end of the Friday with everybody having as much exposure – from a conditioning point of view – so we go into the next two weeks [in the run-in to the World Cup] on par,” the coach said about the decision to add an extra forward to the Twickenham bench.
Nienaber said, going forward, they will carefully consider their options.
(WATCH as Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber unpacks the reasons behind the decision to play with seven forwards and just one back, as well as their future plans for the bench...)
“The safest option is a 5-3 split,” he said, adding: “You cover the most positions with that option.
“There is more of a risk to a 6-2 split on the bench, as we have seen.
“Obviously seven-one [on the bench] is a big risk.
“We were fortunate that we didn’t get any injuries in the backline.”
He said the seven forwards and one backline player is not something they had discussed.
“If we go with a six-two [split], there are certain forwards that have fulfilled certain roles in backline play.
“When we played against France in Marseille [last November] Sekou Macalou [a replacement loose forward] played on the wing.
“We have trained those scenarios, especially with all the yellow cards.
“It is something we have dabbled into – not the seven-one split, but [forward] players being able to fulfil multiple positions.”
Nienaber said it is unlikely will take the seven-one risk going forward.
The Springboks started their pre-World Cup training in Corsica on Monday and next week will move to Toulon in France – where they will prepare for the opening match against Scotland, in Marseille on September 10.
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