Ex Supersport
The future success of the Springbok rugby team at the 2015 Rugby World Cup could depend very much on how well Bok coach Heyneke Meyer gels his new lock combination on the upcoming tour of Wales, Scotland and France.
Meyer has been at pains to stress his concern over the lack of a five lock in South Africa at the moment and, while Franco van der Merwe and Juandre Kruger have done duty there in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship, both have been dropped from the squad in favour of four locks who all are natural jumpers in the number four jersey.
With no real alternatives and Andries Bekker still unavailable in Japan, Meyer has opted for a different route, trying to gel youthful exuberance with good old fashioned brawn on this tour to ensure he hopefully strikes gold with two young turks that could take South Africa to the next Rugby World Cup.
While Flip van der Merwe is still the current front-runner for the number five jersey – having filled in more than once this season in the position – the performance under pressure by Pieter-Steph du Toit has won him admiration in the five jersey and has underlined the fact he may well become the long-term candidate for Meyer in that position.
However, it isn’t as simple as that. Du Toit never took ownership of the lineout calls in the Absa Currie Cup final, despite his impressive showing.
Eben Etzebeth was probably the most consistent forward in the entire Rugby Championship and his place is definitely not in danger.
Bakkies Botha’s experience and guile at this level will be an added bonus and there will be a lot that the younger players in the squad can learn from him. For the experienced campaigner to break into the starting line-up will be tough.
Just how Meyer will balance the talent at his disposal with the need to secure good first phase ball at the set-piece will be the most interesting poser from this tour. If it works then the Boks have a young lock duo that can grow in stature, and have the added backup of Botha, Van der Merwe and Kruger as well.(Hardly the latter two)
Du Toit has yet to make his Test debut and, if one considers the fact that Etzebeth’s place is secure, it is likely that Van der Merwe will be partnered with Etzebeth for the Welsh test, especially as that may well be the toughest date on tour.
That would leave Du Toit and Botha as the candidates from the bench, where the weather may well make the decision for Meyer on who to pick.
The biggest question is, if Meyer does try to go with the two young locks, just who will make the lineout calls and who will take the five jersey. The Boks may employ a similar tactic to the Sharks and have Etzebeth make the calls from four, or they may move him to five with Du Toit taking the four jersey. Etzebeth has played at five for the Stormers and some see him as a future five.
Either way, the days of having a lanky lineout option at five and a bruiser at four seem to be over (HOORAH HOW DEALY DID WEE MATFIELD COST US AS WE PLAYED WITH A TIGHT 4 FOR A DECADE!!!!!). The Boks are plotting their way forward with physicality in both positions and trying to carve out a solution that secures them enough lineout ball and adds their options in the loose. (WAY TO GO!)
It is an exciting proposition and Meyer has been contemplating what to do for a while now. What he decides going forward could turn a potential weakness back into a brute strength for the Boks.
After all, he isn’t likely to tinker with a pack that worked so well in the setpieces otherwise. Gurthro Steenkamp may see some action in an attempt to give Tendai Mtawarira a rest and Jannie du Plessis’ injury is still a concern but other than that, the status quo will remain for the rest of the pack.
The lock conundrum requires a bit of a gamble; one that could pay off big time. Injuries and weather aside, this may well be the perfect time to make that gamble count.
