Springbok Watch: Players In The Spotlight v Italy In Genoa

Quintin van Jaarsveld highlights five Springbok players who’ll be in the spotlight in the clash against Italy in Genoa on Saturday.

Salmaan Moerat

Moerat was seemingly destined to become a Springbok. Born into a rugby family and captaining the SA Schools and Under-20 teams as he rose through the ranks, it was only a matter of time until he realised his dream and did so in the season-opener against Wales in Pretoria.

In coming off the bench in that last-gasp 32-29 win, he became the 12th member of his family to represent the national side, 10 of whom received their Springbok blazers post-unification. He’d been on the radar for years and figures to be part of the future of Springbok rugby.

However, there’s no time like the present and with mounting injuries in the second row, the 24-year-old will make his first start this weekend and that honour will further fuel his fire to impress on the Test stage.   

Marvin Orie

Moerat’s lock partner is in a different boat. His Springbok future is uncertain. Although he’s been a fringe player, he’s received several opportunities at Test level and is yet to produce the type of performance to change the general perception that he’s a top-class provincial player but not up to international standard. Conceding a costly penalty after he replaced Siya Kolisi against France last weekend didn’t help. 

He doesn’t fit the mould of a Springbok lock but uses his streamlined frame to get through a ton of work and is a lineout general…at the club level. He needs to come good on Saturday to prove he belongs. Fortunately, the familiarity he and Moerat have as the Stormers’ first-choice second-row combination will help both men and the Springboks.

Andre Esterhuizen

With time running out, this might be Esterhuizen’s last change – in the national set-up – to force his way into the World Cup squad. It’s only the second time this season he’s been named in the starting line-up, the first coming to a premature end due to a hand injury in the historic 13-12 home loss to Wales in Bloemfontein in July.

The only action he’s seen since recovering from that ill-timed setback was also brief; it came off the bench in the 36-20 win over Argentina in Buenos Aires. The herculean Harlequins centre is a conundrum in that he has international experience and has dominated the Gallagher Premiership but hasn’t had a real chance to prove why he, as a specialist midfielder, should be on the plane to France next year when utility players like Damian Willemse and Frans Steyn are around.

Being paired with fellow brute Damian de Allende doesn’t do him or South Africa any favours as his feared power and slick offloading ability are most potent in conjunction with a true No 13 running intelligent lines at pace. He won’t complain, though, and will be bullish to show he can be every bit the agent of chaos in green and gold that he is in the colours of Quins.

Evan Roos

There’s been an air of reluctance from Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber with regard to Roos and his place in the Springbok squad even before he entered it at the start of the international season.

The juggernaut who took the United Rugby Championship by storm was discarded after 47 minutes of Test rugby against Wales in Bloemfontein and told to work on shortcomings. Those weren’t disclosed to the media and a supposed plan to bring him back into the mix for the Argentina Tests was scrapped.

Now, after not being included in the SA ‘A’ or SA proper team last weekend, he’s been named on the bench. Again, it’s a selection that seems more limiting than it does a legitimate chance for the 22-year-old to flourish in a game tailor-made for his barnstorming style. The majority of Springbok supporters will be waiting with great anticipation for him to be unleashed in the second half.

Manie Libbok

The same is true for Libbok. Most South African fans will be hoping the Stormers flyhalf gets sufficient time to stamp his authority on the game after being given five minutes in his Springbok debut last weekend.

Given the match situation and significance, that was understandable, but not handing Libbok the No 10 jersey for this Test indicates the Springbok coaches don’t see him as part of their World Cup plans.

One could say he deserves at least 30 minutes but the better word is earned. His glorious emergence as the flyhalf the Stormers never knew they needed to finally win silverware until he did so unbelievably in the United Rugby Championship is such a powerful story and one that’s earned him the honour of a true go in the green and gold.

The spotlight’s already on him. One can only hope he gets his due on Saturday. 

South Africa: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Damian de Allende, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Damian Willemse, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Franco Mostert, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Salmaan Moerat, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche.

Replacements: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Steven Kitshoff, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Eben Etzebeth, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Evan Roos, 22 Cobus Reinach, 23 Manie Libbok.

Quintin van Jaarsveld

Quintin Van Jaarsveld is a former MDDA-Sanlam SA Local Sports Journalist of the Year and a former three-time Vodacom KwaZulu-Natal Sports Journalist of the Year. Formerly the sports editor and Outstanding Journalist of the Year award winner at The Fever Media Group, deputy editor at eHowzit, editor at SARugby.com and senior staff writer at Rugby365.com, he boasts over 15 years’ experience and is currently a freelance sports writer.