– Cape Town Springboks head coach Jacques Nienaber’s decision to play Frans Steyn at flyhalf for Saturday’s match against Argentina is still understandable, although I don’t necessarily agree with it.
Nienaber was forced into a corner by the injuries to Damian Willemse and Elton Jantjies, so he opted for the safety-first selection of the seasoned Steyn in the No. 10 shirt.
But with the Boks having to chase the game to win the Rugby Championship championship — the All Blacks are certain to defeat the Wallabies with a bonus point at Eden Park earlier on Saturday – Willie le Roux in the pivot position would have been the more audacious selection.
Le Roux was not given the nickname ‘Quade Cooper’ for nothing when he shone at flyhalf for Boland all those years ago, and he possesses the skill-set to fire up the Bok backline at Kings Park.
The 33-year-old has an exceptional passing game, sufficient speed to challenge the defense, and an underrated kicking game. If it becomes a severe issue, he can be simply moved to wing or fullback, where he will be better able to handle large, loose forwards charging at him near to the ruck.
Steyn was a bundle of fire when he commanded respect at the 2007 Rugby World Cup, but we know what to expect from the 35-year-old now: good defense, a powerful boot, and a strong ball-carrier. However, he will not give the dexterity that Le Roux would as the primary playmaker, and it would have been worthwhile to test him at No. 10 a year before to the World Cup.
Canan Moodie’s retention at right wing is commendable, as he has earned another start, especially because the returning Kurt-Lee Arendse has not played in four weeks.
Nienaber also named Pieter-Steph du Toit as the blindside winger, noting that “the energy and passion Pieter-Steph has shown in training has been fantastic, and we know what he is capable of in this loose trio, so I am confident he will make an impact among the loose forwards.”
But there was little reason to alter what had worked in the previous two matches, which was placing No. 7 Franco Mostert. The latter has demonstrated genuine “energy and excitement” against the Wallabies and Los Pumas in Sydney and Buenos Aires, whilst Du Toit has struggled since returning from injury.
A case may also have been made for Kwagga Smith, who has performed admirably both off the bench and while starting.
It was an unnecessary risk to go with a six-two split in favor of the forwards on the bench, given that there is no fit flyhalf in the team.
Nienaber stated that Faf de Klerk is the backup pivot if something were to happen to Steyn, although the World Cup ‘Bomb Squad’ strategy has gone awry several times this year due to injury.
It is unnecessary to have All Three of Mostert, Duane Vermeulen, and Smith on the bench, as De Klerk and Arendse can cover the defense. Andre Esterhuizen, who has played at flyhalf for his English side Harlequins, would have been a good addition to the team, as he is versatile in the midfield and has also played the position for Harlequins.
@AshfakMohamed