The Springbok line-up, particularly the frontline XV, for Saturday’s opening test against Ireland at Loftus Versfeld has an air of formidability.
All 15 starting Boks, as well as substitute lock RG Snyman, featured in last year’s triumph over the All Blacks in the final of Rugby World Cup 2023. Rassie Erasmus could not have decided on a more established and experienced starting line-up.
The bench features six forwards and only two backs, with Erasmus even hinting that injuries might prompt him to once again opt for his infamous 7-1 split come Saturday.
This conjures up menacing images of the notorious “Bomb Squad” of the Boks trotting on to the park after halftime.
The Counter Ruck: the rugby newsletter from The Irish Times
Leinster see off brave Clermont but error-strewn display brings little cheer
Champions Cup Saturday as it happened: Leinster beat Clermont as Ulster lose to Bordeaux
Bordeaux Bègles pile the pain on Ulster with late barrage of tries in Belfast
The burning question, on the eve of the first encounter between South Africa and Ireland since the latter’s 13-8 win during the pool stage of the World Cup, is whether the somewhat new-look bench will have the same devastating impact as the one in France last year.
Here are five takeaways from the Bok substitutes selected for Pretoria:
Malcolm Marx
Marx is as formidable as they come. Many pundits believe that Marx should be South Africa’s first-choice hooker.
He recently returned to the fray, against Wales at Twickenham, following a lengthy lay-off due to a knee injury sustained last September, inevitably appearing a little rusty – especially regarding the accuracy of his lineout throws.
That is fixable, though, and Marx offers so much more. At almost 1.90m, he is a particularly tall hooker and highly effective at scrum time, as well as scoring off the back of rolling mauls – as his 17 tries testify.
With 65 caps under his belt, Marx also doesn’t lack experience.
Gerhard Steenekamp
Steenekamp has to fill the boots of Ox Nché in the Bomb Squad, and, although Nché might only stand 1.76m in his socks, it is a pretty tall order for the 27-year-old loosehead prop of the Bulls.
Having made his test debut against Argentina in Buenos Aires last year, Steenekamp missed out on World Cup selection. Thus, he will be champing at the bit to make his mark in green and gold this time.
The 1.91m, 126kg frontrow giant emerged as the cornerstone of the Bulls pack, as the Pretoria-based outfit surged towards the final of the United Rugby Championship, where they were beaten by the Glasgow Warriors.
RG Snyman
No stranger to the Irish club scene, 29-year-old Snyman battled a series of injury woes over the past few seasons, including two ACL ruptures after he had joined Munster in 2020. Having recently signed with fellow Irish giants Leinster, this has cast doubts about his match fitness.
A double World Cup winner, Snyman has nevertheless distinguished himself as an exceptional impact player – as exhibited in last year’s World Cup semi-final against England when he powered across for a vital try at the death.
He has been earmarked to once again fulfil that role against Ireland on Saturday at his old stomping ground, Loftus Versfeld.
Grant Williams
Faf de Klerk might have been the toast of South Africa’s World Cup success in 2019 and played another leading role last year, yet Williams, who is equally at home on the wing and lightning fast, is a game-breaker of note.
He has had limited opportunities at test level to date but has showcased his X-factor in thrilling fashion for the Sharks in the URC, scoring superlative solo tries against Ulster in 2022 and Leinster, in the 2023 quarter-final at Aviva Stadium.
Should he get a run against the Irish in Pretoria, it will be Williams’ best opportunity thus far to stake a permanent claim for the Bok number nine jumper.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu
Viewed by certain critics as the bolter in the squad, the versatile Feinberg-Mngomezulu (22) is a prodigious talent with a great future.
His inclusion on the bench comes at the expense of last year’s regular in the standoff slot, Manie Libbok.
While Libbok is a flair player par excellence, his erratic goal-kicking has started to count against him. Feinberg-Mngomezulu, on the other hand, came off the bench against Wales at Twickenham for his debut cap and immediately banged over a monster penalty goal from 50m.
Besides his educated boot, the Stormers ace is also no stranger to the goal line, as his brace of tries off the bench against the Dragons earlier this year proved.
