BOK COACH HAS CHANCE TO PICK WILD CARDS
Chance for SA coach to unleash unknown quantity of stars
AT a Springbok camp in Johannesburg early last month, coach Heyneke Meyer said his research had told him that for success he must not fiddle with his preferred selections ahead of the World Cup. But, as his New Zealand counterpart Steve Hansen showed in picking five uncapped players in his 41-man squad, there is always room for a few wild card picks in any successful team.
In the coming days, Meyer will assemble another training camp in Johannesburg, from which he will select a squad of 40 for the Rugby Championship on July 4.
Take All Black flyhalf Stephen Donald, to cite another example from the defending world champions.
Donald, New Zealand rugby’s Cinderella Man, was the fourth-choice flyhalf at the World Cup in 2011 after an injury pandemic hit All Black flyhalfs Dan Carter, Aaron Cruden and Colin Slade. Donald went from sipping beer on a boat to kicking the winning penalty against France in the final.
Meyer has a chance to unsheathe an unknown quantity at the 2015 Rugby World Cup in Britain from September 18 to October 31 and has the chance to give all newcomers a taste of international rugby in the five tests preceding the big showpiece. 1) Steven Kitshoff With more than 50 Super Rugby caps at just 23, but none for the green and gold, the Stormers loosehead has gone from boy to man this season.
A combination of combative scrummaging and fearless ball-carrying have earned him plenty plaudits from critics. He was also the fulcrum of a Stormers scrum that made mincemeat of opposition tight forwards.
Kitshoff has his eye on Beast Mtawarira’s position, who was not electrifying for the Sharks this season. It would be worth it for Meyer to experiment with a Kitshoff-led front row in friendlies – either against the World XV in Cape Town on July 11 or Argentina in Buenos Aires on August 15. 2) Vincent Koch For reasons similar to those motivating for Kitshoff’s inclusion on the plane to the UK, Koch should at least get a mention.
But Frans Malherbe’s performances at the back end of the Stormers campaign and that he has four test caps to Koch’s none, tilt the scales against Koch a tad. But for solid scrumming and dependable work in open play, few front-rowers have put in as many laudable shifts as Koch in Super Rugby this season. 3) Ruan Combrinck Of South Africa’s chief clearance kickers – Handre Pollard, Patrick Lambie and Willie le Roux – none can hoof the ball over as many metres as Ruan Combrinck.
Sure, it is not the Lions winger’s primary task, but considering that he can also contribute with goal-kicks from a 60m range, he is worth a look in. And it is not as if he has not proven himself as a quality finisher this year.
World Cup-winner Chester Williams said it would be a massive gamble to take Com- brinck, considering the array of outside backs with test experience. “He’s done well at Super Rugby but it will be a challenge to leave out the likes of Bryan Habana, JP Pietersen and Francois Hougaard,” Williams said. “But kicking will play a major role at the World Cup and with Combrinck there, the Boks will look at penalties near halfway as three pointers.” 4) Jesse Kriel The Bulls fullback is Williams’ favourite potential draft pick because of his build and counter-attacking skills. He is good under the high ball, handy when the opposition bomb the back three with a shower of grenades. 5) Scarra Ntubeni South African hookers missed a big chance to add to their profiles in Super Rugby this season while Boks Bismarck du Plessis and Adriaan Strauss had an ordinary time of it.
That said, Ntubeni’s nigh telepathic rapport with Eben Etzebeth might work in his favour to become the third-choice hooker, a specialist position that requires three travellers in the 31-man squad to the UK.