'Brave' Boks call described as 'brutal' and 'tough to come back from'

The decision to give South Africa flyhalf Manie Libbok the proverbial shepherd’s crook after just 30 minutes of the Rugby World Cup semi-final has been described as a ‘brutal’ if ‘brave’ call by the Springboks.

Libbok was replaced as the fly-half after a poor start to the match in which the Springboks found themselves chasing the game.

The Stormers star, who had been South Africa’s preferred number ten leading up to the tournament, was substituted after an unfavourable sequence that involved a poorly executed clearance kick followed by a knock-on. It marked a calamitous beginning to the game for South Africa, with heavy underdogs England gaining the upper hand on the scoreboard and maintaining it for 77 minutes.

Handre Pollard, who had been the incumbent at 10 prior to the tournament and a key figure in the 2019 World Cup-winning Springboks team, stepped in to take Libbok’s place and ended up slotting the winning penalty and bagging the man of the match award.

Many fans have predicted that Pollard would battle his way back into contention despite being left out of the Springboks’ original Rugby World Cup squad due to a lack of game time following an injury picked-up playing for Leicester Tigers.

The pundits on Virgin Media Sports in Ireland lauded the call, harsh as it was on Libbok.

“It was seriously brave to get him [Pollard] on as early as they did,” said former Ireland flyhalf Ian Madigan. “Brutal. Harsh. It’s tough to come back from that [for Libbok]. It is tough. Getting the shepherd’s hook after 30 minutes, you don’t see it too often, especially at this high level.

Fellow former Ireland Test player Rob Kearney believed weather might have been the key factor behind the decision. “The weather had a big impact. Rassie [Erasmus] knew from the first 10 to 15 minutes ‘This is not the game I expect it to be. It’s going to come down to a few kicks. We need our more seasoned outhalf, who knows how to run a game, is a little bit strategic’.  Arguably it was a call that he should have made during the week and started Handre Pollard. I think he’s a better all-around player.

“He’ll start the final now, for cup rugby,” concluded Kearney on the matter.

Springboks head coach Jacques Nienaber explained the thinking behind the call to remove Libbok so early.

“The beauty of this group is we are open and honest, and because we have the right players, the players accept it. Sometimes things aren’t going your way. We did it with Bongi [Mbonambi] in 2018. We took him off. For that specific day he just was not on fire but he started the next week again.

“The main thing is everything is for the team and they understand that. Players take it on the chin. It doesn’t mean he [Libbok] won’t start next week. We didn’t miss a kick at goal tonight, every single opportunity we utilised, with him and Handre [Pollard]. That is how it is. It is for South Africa, not for the individual, not for the ego.

“We get messages and we see every single message that gets sent to us. It is for them. The Springboks are more important than anything else.

"Brutal. Harsh. It's tough to come back from that."

"It was a call he should have made during the week."

Ian Madigan & Rob Kearney on South Africa's decision to replace Manie Libbok with Handré Pollard after 30 minutes tonight.#ENGvRSA | #RWC2023 pic.twitter.com/j8RpZTFgnC

— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) October 21, 2023

“We struggled to get a foothold in the game and get things going. Like the 2019 World Cup quarter-final and semi-final, you need a 60-metre maul, something special to break the game open, and I think the touch kick that set us up for the try [was it]. In this weather and these conditions, to score a try against England that has an unbelievable defence, and this is their first loss in the tournament, was special. And then there was big pressure on nailing that last kick for the win.”