Springbok Watch: Players in the Spotlight v England

Quintin van Jaarsveld identifies five Springbok players who’ll be in the spotlight in their World Cup semi-final showdown against England in Saint-Denis on Saturday night.

Steven Kitshoff

Springbok supporters are spoilt in many ways, one of them being the man who’s owned the No 1 green and gold jersey since Tendai Mtawarira retired following the triumphant 2019 World Cup campaign in Japan.

Bok fans have become used to Kitshoff’s all-around greatness, taking it for granted rather than giving the unsung front-row hero his flowers. It’s only on a rare occasion like last weekend’s quarter-final for the ages against hosts France when South African supporters are reminded “Spicy Plum” is human after all.

The flame-haired behemoth by no means had a bad outing in the thrilling 29-28 win but he did look a tad tired and conceded a number of penalties at the breakdown. Starting most of your international – and club – matches is bound to take its toll eventually and the frenetic pace of the instant classic meant Kitshoff wasn’t his colossal self against Les Bleus.

This was perhaps then a good opportunity to give him a bit of a breather on the bench and back Ox Nche to start. Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber have instead named an unchanged matchday 23 for only the second time in 64 Tests since they took charge of the team in 2018. The only other occasion was in the opening match of the 2019 tournament, which was lost 13-23 to New Zealand.

Intensity is at its peak in the first half and Kitshoff has been asked to front up once again. Given his history as a consistently excellent performer, Bok fans aren’t fretting about the 31-year-old’s selection but it does put him in the spotlight.

Eben Etzebeth

As commanding as they come, Etzebeth played a leading role in last weekend’s epic and will be looked upon to continue in that vein.  

His rivalry with Maro Itoje, which bled into the 2021 British & Irish Lions series, is well documented which, coupled with his excellent form, makes Etzebeth one of the key men to keep an eye on come Saturday.

Cheslin Kolbe

Monsters come in all shapes and sizes. It’s not always the biggest beasts who strike fear into your heart and haunt your dreams. Sometimes, it’s the little demons who do the most psychological damage.  

Kolbe is England’s Freddy Krueger. He’s a lightning-fast, fleet-footed footed fiend who famously hit the final nail in their coffin when he sliced through their defence to score THAT try in the 2019 World Cup decider that cemented a third title for the Boks.

Now, Owen Farrell – who he famously posterized with that legendary step – and his team’s boogeyman is back. Their living nightmare has switched wings but is planning a similar attack, one more frightening and victimising than any you’ll see in a horror film.

Coming off a phenomenal performance against France, Kolbe looms large like a stone-cold killer out for English blood.  

Jesse Kriel

Another player who was fantastic against the French, Kriel is in the best form of his career and was thus deservedly a shoo-in to stay in the starting line-up ahead of Lukhanyo Am.

Kriel has received plenty of criticism for his continued presence in the national side over the years, most of which was not unfair, but the Bok coaches knew what they had in him and he’s repaid their faith in him ten-fold this season.

The muscle-bound midfielder is firing on all cylinders and Bok fans, most of whom now appreciate the hard-working veteran, are eager for more from him.

Kwagga Smith

The Boks have become renowned for their unrivalled firepower off the bench under Erasmus and Nienaber. They veered away from the forwards-heavy Bomb Squad last weekend and are sticking to the traditional 5-3 split for the rumble against the Red Rose.

Smith has been the key man in all scenarios, be it 5-3, 6-2 or 7-1, and he’s made an incredible impact every single time. Beyond passionate, ultra-energetic, fast, skillful and gritty, he’s been the ultimate super-sub and is once again poised to play a pivotal role in upping the tempo when he’s unleashed in the second half.  

South Africa: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Kurt–Lee Arendse, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Cheslin Kolbe, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Steven Kitshoff.

Replacements: 16 Deon Fourie, 17 Ox Nche, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Faf de Klerk, 22 Handre Pollard, 23 Willie le Roux.

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.