As I've mentioned in previous posts and spoken about prior to this game, filling Jasper's boots is a mammoth task.
Think about how easily he filled the Duane sized hole in the pack when Duane retired.
Have any of you noticed how, despite us all agreeing that Duane was great, we've never bemoaned his absence? I actually can't recall a single poster that has ever said, "If only Duane was still playing."
And that's because Jasper took over, barely missed a beat and, in my opinion, improved on what Duane was doing.
Last year, during Jasper's ban, the Bok pack were all at sea. Tonight, they were rattled by Scotland. The common denominator, Jasper's absence.
I don't think that guys like Hanekom are "worse" rugby players than Jasper but for how the Boks want to play, nobody touches Jasper in terms of making that possible. Is that too bold a statement?
I wasn't convinced by Roos tonight. Was anybody? Elrigh was a huge improvement when he came on.
Dunno, it just seems to me like the Boks simply aren't set up to run a lighter less powerful 8. Assume for a moment that is the case. Who else is there that can do what Jasper does and how he does it?
It could also be that I'm too harsh because this team was sort of an experimental one and perhaps even with Jasper they may still have struggled.
Still, until I see evidence to the contrary, I'm forced to belive that Jasper is pretty irreplaceable at this point.
Side note - Porthen is coming on damn nicely. Super excited to see him continue to rise.