18 July 2019, by: Carl Lewis

SPRINGBOK SELECTION vs ALL BLACKS: TALKING POINTS

Experienced No 8 Duane Vermeulen will lead the Springboks against the All Blacks on Saturday when the two traditional rivals clash in Wellington in the second round of the shortened 2019 Rugby Championship.

Coach Rassie Erasmus made a bunch of changes to his side from the one that beat the Wallabies 35-17.

Vermeulen replaces Eben Etzebeth who was last weekend’s captain. Etzebeth along with Pieter-Steph du Toit (flank) and Makazole Mapimpi (wing) are the only remaining from the 15 that started against Australia.

Saturday’s much-anticipated Test is a rematch of last year’s epic clash between the two nations, which South Africa narrowly won 36-34.

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Duane Vermeulen will lead the Boks on Saturday in the absence of the injured Siya Kolisi. It seems like the logical call by Rassie as ‘Thor’ is a respected member of the squad.

He has also been part of the leadership group since his return to Springbok colours under Allister Coetzee, and was clearly a sounding board for Kolisi last year.

Rassie could easily have kept Etzebeth as captain after Saturday. The move to make Vermeulen captain indicates the number 8’s standing with the coach and his team.

It’s a completely different team from the side that convincingly beat the Wallabies. Only Eben Etzebeth, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Makazole Mapimpi retained their place.

All three selections make sense, Etzebeth and especially du Toit were excellent against Australia and besides both being world-class, their experience is valuable commodities when trying to defeat the mighty All Blacks at home.

For winger Mapimpi, his selection is suggestive of the strides he’s made since making his Bok debut in Washington last year. He was always known as the best finisher in the country, however, his all-round game and Super Rugby form deservedly earned him a starter (the injury to Aphiwe Dyantyi as well). It will be his biggest Test yet on Saturday.

Rassie split his squad into two teams and it’s quite clear the team to face New Zealand on Saturday is his preferred ‘A’ team. With the All Blacks being the Boks World Cup opener, it’s not rocket science as to why Rassie is placing a lot of emphasis on this match.

Players such as le Roux, Pollard, de Klerk, Vermeulen, du Toit and Marx are all certain starters, generally speaking. So the 15 that start or even the 23 in the squad are the front runners for World Cup selection.

However, there are a few selection pointers. Lukhanyo Am starting ahead of Jesse Kriel suggests the Sharks midfielder is ahead in the pecking order. In the second row, Franco Mostert snuck in ahead of the popular RG Snyman to partner Etzebeth.

Cheslin Kolbe’s scintillating French Top 14 form could not be ignored. Initially thought of as an impact player off the bench for the Boks; his consistency, dynamism and game-changing ability has meant he cracked his way into Rassie’s ‘A’ team.

Alongside Willie le Roux and Mapimpi, the Boks have an exciting back three with the devastating ability on attack. The way Kolbe and co. deal with the All Blacks kicking game will be the most significant test though.

So much debate has surrounded Kwagga Smith’s suitability for Test rugby. He is a Blitzbok legend and has been one of the Lions best and most consistent players in the last few years.

At 93 kg’s, Smith is not as ‘meaty’ as other loose forwards in world rugby. However, he does offer a variety of skills that is not usually associated with Springbok flankers.

Smith is a destructive runner in open play, his work-rate alongside Pieter-Steph du Toit is an exciting prospect and he has the skills of a back. He is a similar player to what his coach Rassie was, although he is much faster and more incisive on the attack. This is a litmus test for Smith.

Those who argue ‘for’ or ‘against’ against Kwagga will hope the weekend provides more ammo to their argument.

15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Duane Vermeulen (captain), 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Kwagga Smith, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Steven Kitshoff

Substitutes: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Tendai Mtawarira, 18 Trevor Nyakane, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Francois Louw, 21 Herschel Jantjies, 22 Frans Steyn, 23 Jesse Kriel

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