Pollard or Libbok at 10 for Springboks against Scotland?
Yesterday at 12:46 AM
For the first November Test against Scotland this Sunday, Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus will face a few challenging selection decisions as he contemplates whether to go all out with a first-choice team, or perhaps offer game-time to some ‘new’ players who have come into the mix this year.
Trying to predict what Erasmus will do with his team selections has been an almost impossible task so far in 2024, and perhaps the most challenging decision this week will revolve around whether to start Handre Pollard or Manie Libbok at 10.
Early weather forecasts suggest it won’t be a wet weather match, and so there could be strong consideration given to allowing Libbok to continue pulling the strings at flyhalf with his superior distribution and playmaking ability.
However, Pollard does offer more surety when it comes to goal-kicking, and Erasmus did recently hint that he may want to see the team play a little more conservatively during the November internationals.
Meanwhile, breakthrough star Ruan Nortje is expected to start once again at No 5, while the consistent form of Thomas du Toit with English club Bath could see him crack the nod at tighthead prop in the absence of Frans Malherbe.
This is how we think the Springbok team could look for this Sunday’s Test.
Probable Springbok team: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Cheslin Kolbe, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi, 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche.
Replacements: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Grant Williams, 22 Manie Libbok, 23 Lukhanyo Am.
WOULD YOU MAKE ANY CHANGES TO THIS SPRINGBOK TEAM?
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The Springboks will play three Tests on their end-of-year tour to the United Kingdom.
Those fixtures are:
Sunday, 10 November vs Scotland at Murrayfield, Edinburgh – 18:10 (SA time)
Saturday, 16 November vs England, Allianz Stadium, London – 19:40 (SA time)
Saturday, 23 November vs Wales, Principality Stadium, Cardiff – 19:40 (SA time)
Updated squad for the Outgoing Tour:
Props: Thomas du Toit (Bath), Vincent Koch (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Wilco Louw (Vodacom Bulls), Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Gerhard Steenekamp (Vodacom Bulls).
Hookers: Johan Grobbelaar (Vodacom Bulls), Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears), Bongi Mbonambi (Hollywoodbets Sharks).
Locks: Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Franco Mostert (Honda Heat), Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls), RG Snyman (Leinster).
Loose forwards: Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz), Cameron Hanekom (Vodacom Bulls), Siya Kolisi (captain, Hollywoodbets Sharks), Elrigh Louw (Vodacom Bulls), Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs), Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls), Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks).
Scrumhalves: Jaden Hendrikse (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Cobus Reinach (Montpellier), Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks).
Flyhalves: Jordan Hendrikse (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Manie Libbok (DHL Stormers), Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers).
Centres: Lukhanyo Am (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Damian de Allende (Wild Knights), Andre Esterhuizen (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles).
Outside backs: Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls), Aphelele Fassi (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath), Willie le Roux (Vodacom Bulls), Makazole Mapimpi (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls)
