Springbok coach Rassie to trial Hooker at centre, recall Pollard for Italy clash

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus is set to recall Handre Pollard to the starting line-up for this week’s clash with Italy in Turin.

Further, Erasmus is considering an exciting midfield combination, giving Ethan Hooker a shot at inside centre alongside Canan Moodie.

Pollard, the hero of the 2023 World Cup, has slipped down the flyhalf pecking order this season as the Boks have experimented with the mercurial Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and creative Manie Libbok. Feinberg-Mngomezulu has started the last five Tests, with Libbok closing out matches.

“It is not that Pollard has been discarded, but more that Feinberg-Mngomezulu has been given a run at the highest level,” Erasmus explained, before kick-off at the Stade de France.

“Handre is likely to play against Italy with Manie on the bench — or maybe the other way around. It is good to have the consistency of Handre, a player who knows and understands what he’s doing and is only 31 years old. If you compare him to Johnny Sexton, he could still play two more World Cups.”

Hooker has primarily been playing on the wing for both the Boks and the Sharks, but his preferred position is centre, where he was a schoolboy sensation for Westville Boys’ High in Durban. At the Sharks, his path to No 12 is blocked by the formidable Andre Esterhuizen, while at the Springboks, it is Damian de Allende.

“Maybe we will give Ethan some playing time at 12 with Canan at 13,” Erasmus said.

The coach is also likely to rest some senior players this week, keeping one eye on the tour’s climax against Ireland in Dublin next week. The Boks are keen to reverse recent results against a team that has beaten them in three of the last four encounters.

Yet Erasmus knows better than to tinker too much against a dangerous Italian side, fresh from a win over Australia at the weekend.

Let’s hope we see the Hooker / Moodie combo

What about Willemse? Is he going to get another run at 12?

I’d be starting him at 12

Playing Hooker at 12 is a waste of his talent - he is not physical enough to play at 12 - playing him at 13 or on the wing reprsents usage of his ability to maximum extent. He h as not played at 12 for at least two years and he incmbants are the reason or the patheic backline performances that caused 4 losses out of 5 matches his year,

Rassie did something that saved EsterhuIzen's rugby career by mocing him to a loosie,

Hooker will do fine at 12.

Does anybody doubt that he'll have more;

Clean breaks

Gain line advantage

Run meters

Steals

Assists

Tries

...than DDA?

Also, get on the Roos hybrid bandwagon, hype train, long shot with me. You know you wanna see it and you know that if AE can do then Roos can too. He's already a top loosie in the country and perhaps the world...and if Rassie wants a 12 that can clean out rucks for him and also wishes to continue along the hybid path...who else but Roos?

WHO ELSE!?

Mike what the fuck are you on about? Hooker is a big boy - stats say he is 100kg but I reckon they are outdated - he is 105kg +

Plum

He is a far better wing than he is at 12 and I personally think his best position taking into account his Spprngbok experience is 13 - whic he would be a star performer and on the wing . He is the pace and step ideal in more open space than at 12 which is more concentrated of operating in traddic and not more space than h e would be at 13 and on the wings. I rate him as a wing and not a 12 as he has not played in thta position for near to 2 years. A good 12 is in the position to create space for the 13 wings and full backs thrice on.

I blieve Hooker is a top class player at wing in the presen scenario and a unknown performer on an experimental basis. I was rather disappointed he did not play on the wing ag ainst the French. He would ahve been ebtter han Arendse who was below par last Saturday..

Ou Maaik, Ethan Hooker has played more games at #12 this season for the Sharks than any other position.

If you think he last played #12 two years ago then you either don't watch much rugby or else you're in one of your deluded time warps again.

While I would love to see Hooker in the #13 jersey, there's nothing experimental about playing Hooker at #12, it's his most regular position and the position he was playing when he arrived on the scene a year or two ago.

Hooker played 12 all through school and for the Baby Boks