The Mercury

RASSIE COULDN’T HAVE PICKED A BETTER SQUAD

- WYNONA LOUW wynona.louw@inl.co.za

THE Springbok World Cup squad announceme­nt was a lot like opening a present while having a pretty good idea of what’s inside that box – it comes as little surprise, but there is still a fair bit of emotion, be it reinforced excitement or disappoint­ment, that comes with officially knowing.

While August 26 was D-Day for the 31-man group to be announced, there was very little room for speculatio­n as to what the Bok squad would look like.

In fact, the only reasonable debate to be had was which one of three players would miss the cut. Player 32 turned out to be loose forward Rynhardt Elstadt.

Given the injury situation with some players – like Damian Willemse, Aphiwe Dyantyi, Warren Whiteley and Marcell Coetzee – and others having been released for Currie Cup duty at certain stages of their Bok involvemen­t, there were a lot of hints. So, again, no shock moments were realistica­lly expected at 3pm in Johannesbu­rg yesterday.

But seeing that present, the official team, without the wrapping shouldn’t have come with a lack of excitement. Not at all.

Looking at the Bok teams coach Rassie Erasmus has fielded in 2019, one thing that’s undeniable is the depth in the squad.

You can say what you want about the quality of that Wallabies side a Bok “B” team beat during the Rugby Championsh­ip, but what really mattered was the quality of a South African side featuring mostly fringe and overseasba­sed players.

And looking at the World Cup inclusions, all things considered, there couldn’t have been a better group.

Sure, the injured guys – especially the backs – would have had almost guaranteed spots had they been 100% ready, and if there was one risk I’d have liked to see Erasmus take, it would have been going for the versatile, and in-form, Dillyn Leyds or Willemse – who can cover No 10, 15 and 12 if he had to – over someone like Warrick Gelant.

Gelant is a fine player, no doubt about that, but he hasn’t exactly marked himself as a Bok-must this season, although I need no convincing that two Currie Cup games after injury (Willemse) doesn’t automatica­lly make you Test ready.

Then there is that strike force … With guys like S’bu Nkosi, Cheslin Kolbe, Herschel Jantjies, Willie le Roux, Makazole Mampmpi and Lukhanyo Am among the backline options, this group has no shortage of firepower – an aspect that is one of the key standouts for me.

Up front, the loose-forward options come with go-forward, physicalit­y and work rate, while Siya Kolisi and Kwagga Smith also bring a “looser” vibe to the back-row candidates. Although there are a number of poachers outside the No 6 position, Francois Louw and Smith, whoever comes off the bench in the big games, will add to that as well. In the front row, Steven Kitshoff, Tendai Mtawarira, Vincent Koch, Trevor Nyakane and Frans Malherbe should also present some promising permutatio­ns.

All in all, if this Bok brand hasn’t already flagged itself as a World

Cup contender after some of their results over the last year – truncated Championsh­ip included – the make-up of this squad certainly should.

After all, although history has shown that Rugby Championsh­ip results don’t mean much in a World Cup year, for this Bok team, a team that has emerged from some dark days in recent years, it certainly does.

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