The hottest topic ahead of the announcement of the first springbok squad announcement under Rassie Erasmus is who will run out in the number 10 jersey.
Last year, Elton Jantjies and Handre Pollard battled it out for the honour, but solid Super Rugby campaigns has now seen Robert du Preez and Damien Willemse being thrown into the mix.
The announcement that Erasmus will be allowed to pick overseas players had further complicated this until former Spirngbok flyhalf Patrick Lambie sustained an injury in the Champion’s Cup final that will see him side-lined for up to nine months.
We look at some of the options available for Erasmus and weigh up their merits.
Handre Pollard
Embed from Getty Images
The 24-year-old seems to have finally overcome his long list of injuries he has sustained, largely as a result of poor player management which saw him introduced to international rugby at 20-years-old.
Since then, he has been riddled with injury which almost saw him losing his arm after a shoulder operation he underwent while recovering from a knee injury in 2016. He then missed most of the 2017 Super Rugby campaign as his knee injury saga continued.
This year however, Pollard is back to full fitness and showing lots of signs of just why he was tipped as being the next big thing for South African rugby.
A strong ball carrier, solid on defence and good place kicker, Pollard has always had the necessary tools to become a world class flyhalf.
His tactical kicking has improved immensely and his distribution is quick and gets the line moving quickly although he lacks creativity at times.
If Pollard can stay fit, he will undoubtedly be the number one flyhalf for Erasmus. Whilst not always the flashiest of players, he ticks every box with room to spare and has shown that he also has the big match temperament that is vital at international level.
Elton Jantjies
Embed from Getty Images
Allister Coetzee’s first choice in 2017 and the most talked about flyhalf in the country, Jantjies is a player that splits opinions down the middle.
His time in the green and gold has been inconsistent and his performances in 2017 were definitely below par, but at the same time, very few players were good during Allister Coetzee’s tenure.
The biggest problem with Jantjies is that he is a player of confidence and so his performances are often linked with the game plan and a coach that works a game plan around him.
On his day, Jantjies can change a game on its head. His creativity on attack is unmatched and when playing well gets the backline moving like few others can. His tactical kicking is underrated and when he has his kicking boots on he doesn’t miss a lot.
Being just 1,76m tall and weighing less than 90Kgs, it is not a surprise that his defence is his weakness, a fact that many teams look to exploit and something he needs to focus on.
He endured a torrid time under Coetzee, but could respond significantly better under Erasmus according to former New Zealand Tony Brown who believes Erasmus will get Jantjies going at test level.
When Jantjies plays badly he can play very badly, but on his day, the 27-year-old can be the deadliest flyhalf in the country and would be a positive addition in the Bok camp.
Damian Willemse
Embed from Getty Images
The exciting youngster has burst onto the Super Rugby scene this year and there already calls for Erasmus to hand him the 10-jersey in June.
Harbouring a lethal step and raw pace, Willemse is a different breed compared to previous Springbok flyhalves. He has a solid enough boot on him and his goal kicking is improving steadily.
The biggest problem facing the decision around Willemse’s selection is simply his age. At just 20, Willemse is very inexperienced having played just one full Currie Cup campaign at senior level and now in his debut Super Rugby campaign.
While some people believe that if you are good enough, you are old enough, I believe that that mentality is what has lead to the injury plagued careers of Johan Goosen, Patrick Lambie and Handre Pollard.
While Willemse is immensely talented and will no doubt don the green and gold one day, this year he should be left to the U20 World Rugby Championships where he can continue his development and not thrown into the deep waters of test rugby.
Robert du Preez
Embed from Getty Images
The dark horse candidate, du Preez has enjoyed a solid season since moving to the Sharks from the Stormers at the end of 2017.
At 1.92m and 96 Kgs, du Preez is a big and strong player with a great goal kicking ability and solid enough on defence.
He has very good handling skills and has formed a great partnership with André Esterhuizen who has been in great form this year and is also pushing for a Bok call up.
Du Preez is not always the flashiest of players. He does not posses the stepping ability of Willemse or the out the box thinking of Jantjies, but he has shown he has the temperament for big match situations.
The selection of du Preez would not be at the Springboks detriment.
He might not always be the most exciting flyhalf, but he is a very safe option who does the basics very well and that might just be what the Springboks need now.
Curwin Bosch
Embed from Getty Images
Another exciting talent, Bosch has been forced to play most of his Super Rugby campaign at full back with du Preez holding the starting birth for flyhalf.
Bosch will probably still identify more as a flyhalf and is another exciting running option within South Africa’s ranks.
With a Springbok cap to his name already, Bosch is no stranger to the set-up, but his size and defence continues to ask questions about how his attacking prowess makes up for the potential of having someone around 80 Kgs in the flyhalf channel.
Final choice
Erasmus has a very big call to make regarding the flyhalf decision for the June series.
With all things considered, I believe his best bets are to put his faith in Pollard and Jantjies.
Pollard finally seems to be over his injuries and has had lots of experience at this level whilst still at a young age.
Jantjies also boasts a lot of experience having racked up over 100 Super Rugby appearances which recently saw him become the third South African to score more than 900 points in the competition.
Pollard will most likely be handed the starting position whilst Jantjies would then offer an exciting attacking option off the bench to try and ignite the backline later in the game.
Should one of them fall to injury, Robert du Preez remains the safest next option as a player who can definitely cope at the level and will provide a safe option for Erasmus.
