Springbok Watch: Players In The Spotlight v Argentina

Quintin van Jaarsveld identifies five Springbok players who’ll be in the spotlight in Saturday’s Rugby Championship decider against Argentina in Nelspruit.

Etzebeth To Break Bok Record, Libbok Gets Shot At Redemption

Eben Etzebeth

Etzebeth will be the man of the hour as he reaches the massive milestone of becoming the single most-capped Springbok of all time. The herculean lock tied Victor Matfield’s record of 127 appearances in the 31-29 loss to the Pumas in Santiago del Estero last weekend and will break new ground in Nelspruit.

Feared and revered the world over, Etzebeth is the youngest of seven Bok centurions. A puppy with big paws back when he made his Test debut as a 20-year-old in the 22-17 win over England in the 2012 season-opener in Durban, he’s since grown into one of greatest players the sport has ever seen.

The perfect mix of enforcer and athlete with elite-level rugby intelligence, he’s the total package and a titan among men. Matfield praised Etzebeth on SuperSport’s Final Whistle Presents Side Entry and said he always knew the Tygerberg High School product would become a star after seeing him dominate from a young age.

“Bakkies had to hand him his jersey and Bakkies said something like: ‘I give over for you to be the enforcer now’,” Matfield said. “I thought, ‘Bakkies, he’s already the enforcer we need to stand back here, he can take both of us on at the same time!’

“I’ve always said that I was lucky to play with Bakkies. You always want that one guy that when you run onto the field, the other pack know there’s no chance you’re taking on this one guy because he’s always stronger, he will always put you on the back foot. Eben is the same.

“Just playing with him, in the beginning years, Bakkies Botha was just as athletic. As Bakkies got older, he got bigger, maybe more of an enforcer with the athleticism gone. But with Eben, his engine is just still there. If you look at the kick-chases that happen in a game, he’s in the frontline the whole time.

“His tackles around the field, the work rate, it’s just unbelievable. And then when it comes to the physicality, he just never takes a step back. That’s what Eben has been giving this pack, for the last 10 years now; just giving you that physical ability to put you on the front foot – he will never take a step back – and you want a guy like that in your team.”

Rassie Erasmus also lauded Etzebeth for his impressive career milestone this week, saying, “As a former Springbok, I can attest to what a massive achievement it will be for Eben to become the most-capped Springbok ever, and we are all very proud of him and want to make this a special and memorable occasion for him.

“If we can win the title and finish the competition off with a victory it would be a massive occasion for the team and Eben as an individual, and we’ll give everything to make this a special day for him.”

Decade Of Destruction: Etzebeth’s Rise To Springbok Royalty 

Jaden Hendrikse

Hendrikse makes his first start of the season after two appearances off the bench following a lengthy injury layoff. His pairing with Manie Libbok is interesting as they are two fundamentally different players. Hendrikse is proficient with his tactical kicking whereas Libbok is an attacking playmaker.

On one hand, it gives the Boks balance, but on the other hand, it could potentially cause a disconnect, especially as it will be the first time they start together. Expect Hendrikse to do most of the kicking, including when it comes to exits, as well as for him to provide speedy service when the Boks are on the front foot.              

Manie Libbok

Libbok has been in the spotlight all week and gets an opportunity to redeem himself after costing the Boks the game by missing a straight-forward late penalty kick last weekend.

Of course, it had been known before the Round Five clash that the 27-year-old is an erratic goal-kicker. He’s three from seven for the Boks this year and sits at 60% in his 17-Test career, well below the satisfactory 75% mark and Handre Pollard’s 80% mark.

Therefore, starting him on Saturday leaves the Boks with Pollard as an insurance policy on the bench if needed. This could well be a make-or-break match for Libbok, not necessarily in terms of his Bok future but more so as a goal-kicking option.

He’s a fantastic player in general play and offers the Boks so much on attack with his vision, speed, distribution and pinpoint crosskicks. Few flyhalves can cut defences to shreds as electrifyingly as Libbok and he has the full backing of his teammates and coaches to come good in all departments in Nelspruit.   

Damian de Allende

After a well-deserved break last weekend, De Allende is back in the No. 12 jersey, where he is without peer at the moment. 

He showed his class in his Man of the Match performance in the 18-12 win over the All Blacks in Cape Town last time out and will be asked to muscle the ball up again on Saturday.

As he’s shown on so many occasions, he has brains and brawn and is no slouch in the distribution department. However, with Libbok at pivot to pull the strings, his primary role will be to get the Boks on the front foot and set up quick second-phase ball.

Cheslin Kolbe

Like De Allende, Kolbe enjoyed a break last weekend and returns looking to light up Mbombela Stadium. The question is, what will he do this weekend?

A mini–Swiss Army knife, we’ve seen them feed the scrum and throw into the lineout with surprising accuracy and effect this season, on top of being one of the best wingers in the world.

It’s hard to imagine that he could capture the imagination of fans even more than he had before this season and brings such unpredictability and entertainment value that watching him is worth the price of admission and tuning in on television alone.