What Handre Pollard's injury means for the Springboks ahead of a challenging international calendar
Handre Pollard’s horrific knee injury is a major blow for the Springboks, who have lost their starting flyhalf and goal kicker ahead of what is shaping to be an Everest-sized challenge to defend their Rugby Championship crown.
The world champions were already dealing with the loss of locks RG Snyman, Eben Etzebeth and Lood de Jager to injury, significantly denting the lineout firepower that dominated the World Cup.
Now they will have to deal with the loss of the goal kicking ace tasked with accumulating so many of the Springboks points.
Uncertainty surrounds what shape the Springboks will be in once the Rugby Championship commences – not just from a depth point of view, but the clear challenges around the level of preparation they will have heading into the competition.
If the Springboks turn up to play, credit should be given for their commitment to the cause to help resume international rugby in the Southern Hemisphere again.
It will not resemble the world champion team many are expecting, and expectations should be adjusted as such.
However, this does not rule out the Springboks completely as the bad injury luck they have been dealt so far isn’t a death knell for their campaign.
It has hurt, but not totally curtailed, their chances of winning games with the same formula they used in Japan.
The 6-2 split on the bench used at the Rugby World Cup shows how much value is put on the flyhalf position by the Springboks that needs to be replaced following Pollard’s injury.
They did not carry a specialist 10 on the bench like most other test sides, instead relying on the utility value of Frans Steyn to plug into any position as required.
This is not an insignificant fact – they were prepared to lose their starter Pollard in a knockout World Cup game and insert a makeshift flyhalf to finish the job.
The only other test sides in the knockout rounds that did not carry a specialist 10 on the bench already had two on the park, England with George Ford and Owen Farrell and New Zealand with Richie Mo’unga and Beauden Barrett.
If one of them was lost, an on-field reshuffle would be made to replace them.
The only backs position the Springboks carried specific insurance for was Faf de Klerk, with specialist 9 Herschel Jantjies providing cover on the bench.
The strategy allowed the Springboks to supercharge their interior defence in phase play and the set piece with basically a second forward pack of six waiting in the wings.
Physical exertion is required for little more than a half of rugby by the starters, allowing for more than maximum effort. If injuries do not set in early, the Springboks gain advantages in the trenches as the game goes on.
Having so much power to use up front naturally shapes how they play with ball in hand.
Most attacking launches are centred around dominant carries from Damian de Allende on the first phase before running forwards around the corner flat off 9 for more power carries.
It is an attack built for bullying a way forward, putting less emphasis on a 10 who directs play and offers creativity in attack.
That means the biggest area of concern with the loss of Pollard is the points production off the tee, but there are multiple ready-made options to cover this.
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A number of the flyhalf options available to South Africa have demonstrated an ability to kick goals at 80 percent or better in Super Rugby.
The latest is Curwin Bosch, who has proven to be a class operator with the full array of abilities at his disposal. He has all the traits of a flyhalf that could dominate the game in the right system that is build around his natural instincts.
Speed, agility and natural decision-making at the line, Bosch is a triple playmaking threat every time he touches the ball.
It’s not what the Springboks need necessarily, but a valuable asset to have all the same, and he has a monstrous boot both out-of-hand and off the tee.
After taking over from Robert du Preez as the Sharks flyhalf, he was able to kick at 83 percent throughout the 2019 Super Rugby season. This dropped to 76 percent this year in a shortened season, but it did so from a lower sample size as a result.
That man Bosch replaced, now at the Sale Sharks, is inconsistent in other areas of the game, but one aspect where he has excelled at in the past is goal kicking.
During the 2018 Super Rugby season, Du Preez was a prolific point scorer, kicking at 86 percent over the season.
This option is intriguing because after stripping away all the areas of concern, Rob du Preez could nail his core responsibility of knocking over penalties and conversions.
With De Klerk in control of the exits and territorial management, Du Preez could do what is needed of him.
Working against him, however, is that AJ MacGinty currently has the start and goal kicking job with Sale, leaving Du Preez without much game time.
Stormers flyhalf-fullback hybrid Damian Willemse in that same 2018 season kicked a tick below 80 percent, but has since handed over the tee to others. He perhaps has the most dangerous running game of all options.
Lions flyhalf Elton Jantjies, who was used at the World Cup as a secondary 10 option, has maintained a 76-78 percent goal kicking rate over the last few seasons, and ran the Lions’ attack into three Super Rugby finals.
As a player with all the tools, Jantjies has proven to be one South Africa’s best-ever 10s at Super Rugby level.
In this system, for this specific role the Springboks require at 10, there are no shortage of options available, even if it means asking them to water down their games to fulfil the role the team needs.
The locking stocks present a more difficult task as losing both the starting options and one of the bench replacements from the World Cup is no short order.
At this point, a likely scenario is that World Rugby Player of the Year Pieter-Steph du Toit is asked to move back into the second row, allowing for another loose forward to join the starting side.
Such as the value du Toit brings, it might be best to make use of his versatility now.
Comments on RugbyPass
Bold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
61 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
8 Go to comments