Elrigh Louw and Kwagga Smith will be the only contenders for the No 8 jersey for the Springboks’ opening Rugby Championship Test against Australia in Brisbane, Saturday next week.
The No 8 position has been a topic of much debate this season with no clear heir apparent emerging after Duane Vermeulen’s retirement at the end of 2023’s Rugby World Cup.
Without entirely stamping his authority on proceedings Kwagga Smith assumed the role in the more pressing Tests against Ireland, while Evan Roos did duty against Wales in London and Portugal in Bloemfontein.
Roos was left out of the 33-man Bok squad that will be departing for Australia on Wednesday further fuelling speculation about the position and the candidates that may be pressed into action.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus was clear about who he sees as the contenders.
“We’ve got two full loose trios,” said Erasmus who reminded he has captain Siya Kolisi and Marco van Staden as No 6 options, and Pieter-Steph du Toit and Ben-Jason Dixon as his No 7s.
“We’ve got Elrigh and Kwagga eight and Elrigh can play seven as well. I don’t think Pieter-Steph will be used at eight,” said Erasmus.
Of course, Smith has routinely performed miracles for the Boks across the back row.
“Evan is not out of the mix,” Erasmus stressed. “We told the guys before the Portugal Test ‘go and express yourself. Go put up your hand. There are a few new dogs in the neighbourhood, start lifting your leg and make a mark here’ A few guys did.
“With Elrigh, we want to experience him with big nations. He was always part of our plans. He took a dip in form. He admitted that himself. We know what Evan can do and he is not thrown away.”
Erasmus said the Boks have nine remaining matches this year. “Evan is comfortable in the set-up, but we must see what Elrigh can do.”
The coach dispelled the notion that Roos’s playing style is not a fit for the Boks. He explained the role of the No 8 is almost the same at the Boks as it is at the Stormers. “SA teams more or less have the same defensive mindset.”
As far as attack is concerned Erasmus said the Boks now have a different coach in Tony Brown.
Moreover, there is the imperative to build squad depth. “He [Roos] has six, seven caps and Elrigh has a few less. We want to get some caps under the belt. It is a chance to also give Elrigh a chance against top tier nations. The Bulls went deepest [in the United Rugby Championship] and he was one of the most physical players. If anything we would want Evan to play the way he wants to play,” Erasmus said.
With Louw and Smith destined for action against the Wallabies, the Boks will likely change tack when they play the All Blacks in two Tests in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
Jasper Wiese had been groomed for the role since the 2021 season, but his stock took a dip during the 2023 RWC. Having started the tournament in pole position, Wiese saw Vermeulen reclaim the jersey for the knock out rounds. Wiese’s last start in the No 8 jersey was against Tonga in Marseille and he came off the bench in the final against the All Blacks in Paris.
The stocky No 8 was unable to advance his cause at the start of the international season as he is serving a six-match ban.
He appears destined to be the Boks No 8 against the All Blacks, allowing them greater flexibility on their bench with Smith likely to occupy one of the spots.
In their last two Tests against the All Blacks the Boks have deployed a seven/one split on their bench in favour of their forwards. They won both those games.
In their last Rugby Championship match against the All Blacks in Auckland in 2023 they used a slightly less fraught six/two split and came up short.
Walking the bench tightrope may have yielded dividends against the All Blacks of late but the series against Ireland served to highlight the obvious pitfalls.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.