Springbok Watch: Players in the Spotlight v New Zealand

Quintin van Jaarsveld identifies five Springbok players who’ll be in the spotlight in their final World Cup warm-up match against New Zealand at Twickenham on Friday.

Franco Mostert

The loss of Lood de Jager means the No 5 jersey is up for grabs for the World Cup. Marvin Orie did solid work during the Rugby Championship and RG Snyman made the most of his opportunity against Wales last weekend. Now, “Sous” gets his shot. 

Mostert has generally done well in the back row, where he’s played most of his rugby for the Boks over the last few years, but he’s been a step off the pace this season. Thus, a switch back to the second row comes at a good time in more ways than one. 

He has a great motor and the most experience of the contenders for the role. What’s key is for him to remind the Bok coaches how well he can run the lineout.

Siya Kolisi

Following his phenomenal return in the record rout of Wales, the next hurdle in Kolisi’s comeback journey is considerably higher as Test matches don’t come more intense and physical than those against South Africa’s greatest rivals.

Such a pivotal part of what makes the world champions tick, the inspirational Bok captain needs more minutes and another hit-out like the one in Cardiff would be just what the doctor ordered. 

An injury setback, on the other hand, would be disastrous and would raise questions about whether he was rushed back too soon. 

Manie Libbok

For all his playmaking prowess, which included touches of class in two of the Springboks’ eight tries in Cardiff – Canan Moodie’s first and Damian Willemse’s score – Libbok endured another shocking day off the tee, missing three conversions and two penalty goal attempts in what was his fourth start and eighth Test. 

With just a 56% success rate in the last two Tests, the pressure will be ramped up several notches on Friday night as he not only makes his first start against the All Blacks but does so in front of 80,000 fans. 

The environment and atmosphere he’ll be exposed to will be daunting but a fitting dress rehearsal for the pressures of a World Cup knockout game in which every point counts. 

Makazole Mapimpi

Having struggled with form, the veteran enjoyed a timely confidence-boosting outing last time out against Argentina in Buenos Aires. 

In addition to returning to his try-scoring ways, Mapimpi was more effective in the air and upped his work rate, which saw him win a breakdown penalty. Now he needs to build on that performance. 

The 33-year-old formed part of the back three (Cheslin Kolbe and Willie le Roux) that bombed under the aerial assault of the All Blacks in Auckland and the New Zealanders will no doubt test Mapimpi and company early and often in this department. 

Canan Moodie

The big surprise selection, Moodie moves from wing to start at outside centre for the first time not just at Test level, but in his senior career as a whole. It’s a massive ask of the 20-year-old, who last played at No 13 in his schoolboy days.

With Lukhanyo Am ruled out of the World Cup through injury, Jesse Kriel is the only specialist outside centre in the squad. Damian de Allende and Andre Esterhuizen have experience in the position, but both are better suited at No 12, so it makes sense for Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber to trial Moodie in the midfield. 

Having said that, it would probably have been wiser and fairer to the prodigy to have debuted him there against the diluted Dragons last weekend and start Kriel against the Kiwis instead of the other way around. What it does more than anything is speak to the confidence the Bok coaches have in the blue-chipper, and he has all the natural gifts to become a world-class 13 down the road.

However, it’s an extremely complex role from a defensive standpoint and one just hopes it doesn’t tank his confidence if the experiment blows up in the Boks’ faces.

Springbok team to face New Zealand: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Steven Kitshoff.

Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Ox Nche, 18 Trevor Nyakane, 19 Jean Kleyn, 20 RG Snyman, 21 Marco van Staden, 22 Cobus Reinach, 23 Willie le Roux.