Jacques Nienaber on Handre Pollard over Manie Libbok call

As many predicted, South Africa head coach Jacques Nienaber has gone for experienced standoff Handre Pollard for the Rugby World Cup final against New Zealand this Saturday, preferring him to Manie Libbok.

It was the selection debate that had gripped Springboks fans over the last three weeks, with Pollard proving his value, steering the Boks to a comeback win against England at the Stade de France.

Yet noise from the Springboks camp this week was that it wasn’t a given that Pollard would start ahead of Libbok in the final. Now, with the team named and Pollard starting at ten, it’s apparent that the Leicester Tigers star did enough to warrant his selection ahead of his rival for the jersey.

The Boks are going for a 7-1 split, which means Libbok will play no part in the Rugby World Cup final, on the field at least.

With Libbok viewed the superior threat will ball-in-hand and a player described as running the Boks backline brilliantly in attack throughout the World Cup, Nienaber was grilled on whether the return to the tried and test Pollard would see a change in direction from the men in green and gold.

“No, not necessarily,” said Nienaber. “Handre (Pollard) was injured, which was a big reason why Manie had to step up, and he is a brilliant rugby player. If we’d gone with 5:3 split he would have played. They are unlucky because of the tactics that we think we will deploy.

“World Cup finals are not necessarily the most spectacular affairs. If you look at past games it is always tight and this one is going to be tight. It’s going to be a grind.”

In truth, with wet weather conditions predicted, the Pollard versus Libbok may have been a foregone conclusion in the context of their sodden semi-final win over England.

“There is a 60 per cent chance there will be rain either just before the game or in the game. We had a semi-final where we were exposed to that. The kicking game will be important, like it is in any final or semi-final, and gaining territory will be important.

“If you look at our team we have got numerous kickers. I don’t think there is a guy who can’t kick in our backs and I suppose a couple of forwards will put their hands up as well. There are a couple of options there.”

It will have been a hard call for Nienaber to make on a personal level, with the Leinster-bound coach having worked with a young Libbok as part of the EPD (Early Player Development) in South.

“Before I joined the Springboks I was high-performance manager at South Africa Rugby. Of the EPD programme, Rassie (Erasmus) was general manager of rugby and I was underneath him.

“Damian Willemse was in the EPD programme, Manie Libbok, Jessie Kriel, Malcolm Marx, all guys I’ve worked with since they were 17. That’s what makes it so special.

“That’s why I enjoy the time with the players. I just sat in the changing room having a drink after one of the training sessions looking at the players and I had a story from every single one.

“Ox Nche at his rugby club and a first scrummaging session. I was wondering who is this guy and where’s he from. They were just dreaming to become Springboks. Fair play to them, they haven’t changed. They don’t have egos.

“The same Manie that was 17-year-old in a schools side with Damian Willemse, they are the same people. They haven’t become big-headed. If they are not selected they take it on the chin as they know it’s for South Africa, just like they did back then.

“It’s about teaching schoolkids, see how they grow as a person, how they become fathers. How they become men. It’s unbelievable to have been part of it, starting back in 2013. That’s 10 years now.”

Nienaber has made five changes to his match-day squad from their one-point semi-final victory against England, with two in the starting XV and three on the bench. He’s named a 7-1 split on the bench, with Jean Kleyn, Jasper Wiese and Trevor Nyakane, who replaces Vincent Koch, coming in.