Mike Greenaway
Australia is a notoriously unhappy hunting ground for the Springboks and this week they pack their bags with coach Rassie Erasmus uncertain over his best starting 15 for the August 10 match in Brisbane.
The Boks’ away record against the Wallabies borders on the embarrassing and if they are to win at the Suncorp Stadium and the following week in Perth, Erasmus needs to nail his selections as well as sharpen the team’s mindset.
The uncertainty in some key positions is down to both unavailability and form. There is a group of big names not travelling Down Under in Faf de Klerk, Franco Mostert, Jasper Wiese, Trevor Nyakane, Steven Kitshoff, Canan Moodie and Damian Willemse.
This means opportunities for newcomers. The big calls will be in the playmaking positions of nine, 10 and 15. At scrumhalf, there is an argument to promote Grant Williams as the Boks move to a faster game but Cobus Reinach is no slouch, despite his ripe age of 34.
Erasmus is likely to opt for the experienced Reinach and use the versatile Williams off the bench, while Morne van den Berg will be the cover in the greater squad.
The position of flyhalf is not as simple as most think. Yes, Handre Pollard is a goal-kicking ace. He was faultless in the second Test against Ireland after an off day in Pretoria but he is not running the attacking game with fluency.
Manie Libbok is doing just that but everybody knows his kicking is in crisis.
The man in the background holding the aces is Sacha Feinberg-Mgomezulu. The young Stormer covers the good of both Pollard and Libbok but Erasmus is reluctant to rush him into front-line duty. He knows he has a diamond and for now, he would rather polish it with cameos off the bench.
Deepening the conversation is the question of how to use fullback Willie le Roux.
He would not be travelling if he was not over his concussion problem and the question is whether to use his vast experience off the bench or to start him at 15. This depends on how Erasmus wants to use Feinberg-Mgomezulu.
Another puzzler for Erasmus is who to start at No 8. Duane Vermeulen is on the coaching staff and will give Erasmus good advice regarding whether to continue with Kwagga Smith or to revert him to his valued role in the Bomb Squad.
Jasper Wiese is still serving a suspension and the selection of Elrigh Louw in the 33-man Rugby Championship squad is revealing. Wiese will only be back for the home Tests against New Zealand.
The position of hooker is not as clear-cut as it was at the World Cup.
Incumbent Bongi Mbonambi was some way off his best against Ireland while Malcolm Marx is touring but has a doubt over his fitness after being injured by a Caelan Doris crocodile roll. Erasmus is, by nature, a conservative selector but don’t be surprised if the Bulls’ Johan Grobbelaar features prominently in the first Test.
The Bok squad assembled in Johannesburg yesterday and flies to Australia on Wednesday.