Flyhalf crisis is subsiding

The brilliant performances of Manie Libbok and Kurt-Lee Arendse against Italy on Saturday has suddenly boosted the Springboks.

Arendse started the match, while Libbok came off the bench early in the second half, and both players put in actionpacked performances to show their growing worth in the Springbok set-up.

Before the match Arendse was already highly regarded, having unseated Makazole Mapimpi for the number 11 jersey for the France and Italy games.

He then proceeded to basically cement himself as the preferred left-wing for the coming World Cup year, running in two fantastic tries and setting one up, with a fantastic performance of running rugby.

With right-wing Cheslin Kolbe unavailable for the game against England this coming weekend, which falls outside the Test window, Arendse will be expected to shift back to the position he featured most in earlier in the season, while Mapimpi should return to his left-wing berth.

Wing is now an absolutely stacked department for the Boks, as young Canan Moodie, who was ruled out of the tour through injury, will definitely be in the mix next year, as will Bulls speedster Sbu Nkosi.

Libbok was the biggest boost to the Boks however, and could be the exact answer that the coaching staff are looking for in their flyhalf crisis.

This season has seen regular first and second-choice flyhalves Handre Pollard and Elton Jantjies largely unavailable due to injury and off the field problems respectively, which has led to Damian Willemse, and even Frans Steyn, filling in the position.

Willemse is a brilliant utility back and has ably stepped into the flyhalf role, but Libbok’s performance against Italy was immaculate.

Libbok showed exactly what an out-and-out flyhalf can produce with a sublime attacking performance, as he pulled the strings in the second half.

It would be well worth giving Libbok a start against England, to see how he handles the pressure in the Twickenham cauldron.