Erasmus blessed with options as World Cup gang get back together

Erasmus could have as many as 12 of the team which started the World Cup final win over New Zealand for the first test against Ireland.

Manie Libbok catches the ball watched by Jasper Wiese during a South Africa training session in 2023. (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

Rassie Erasmus will name his South Africa team on Tuesday for Saturday’s first Test against Ireland in Pretoria and the Springboks head coach has plenty of selection issues to settle.

While the irascible Erasmus took to his X account at the weekend to stoke the fires by naming his Ireland matchday 23 for Loftus Versfeld and the first of this two-Test series, his own line-up is less clearcut.

There will, though, be changes from the XV he sent out a fortnight ago against Wales at Twickenham in the Springboks’ first game since retaining the World Cup in Paris seven months earlier. With his options strengthened by returning Bulls players following their URC grand final defeat to Glasgow on home soil at Loftus on June 22 as well as departing Munster, Leinster-bound lock RG Snyman, Erasmus could have as many as 12 of the team which started the World Cup final win over New Zealand at his disposal to face the back-to-back Six Nations champions.

Perhaps fly-half is the most intriguing issue for the Boks, with World Cup hero Handre Pollard vying for the number 10 jersey with the Stormers’ Manie Libbok, while the Lions’ Jordan Hendrikse started the 41-13 win over Wales.

Local reports suggest Libbok, the more expansive-minded playmaker, might be favourite to start ahead of the more consistent goal-kicker Pollard, who was initially omitted from former head coach Jacques Nienaber’s 33-man World Cup squad due to injury.

Libbok was poised to lead the Boks in France, only for the Leicester Tiger to be parachuted into camp as an injury replacement for hooker Malcom Marx and not miss a kick at goal in the knockout matches against the French, England and the All Blacks.

Backs Pollard’s double World Cup-winning half-back partner Faf de Klerk has been a doubt since sustaining a leg injury against Wales with Cobus Reinach or Grant Williams in the frame to take the number nine jersey should he fail to pass fit while at full-back, Willie le Roux looks favourite to replace the injured Damian Willemse in a back three expected to include Kurt-Lee Arendse and Cheslin Kolbe on the wings.

Former Munster centre Damian de Allende could return at number 12 to partner Jesse Kriel having started the Wales game on the bench with Andre Esterhuizen starting, while Lukhanyo Am is also in the midfield mix.

Marx, whose start against the Welsh was his first action since a knee injury in training following the opening World Cup pool game against Scotland, could continue at the expense of Bongi Mbonambi but it will be a tight call between the two world-class number twos while the other big decision awaits the No.8 selection.

Evan Roos won his sixth Springbok cap in the win over Wales but could lose out to the more experienced Kwagga Smith in a back row also likely to contain Pieter-Steph du Toit, the skipper a fortnight ago, and World Cup-lifting captain Siya Kolisi on the flanks.

Snyman, surprisingly dropped from starter to replacement for Munster in their URC semi-final defeat at home to Glasgow on June 15, would be more familiar with a Test bench role behind Eben Etzebeth and Franco Mostert. The composition of the eight-player finishers remains a source of intrigue with Erasmus going with five forwards and three backs at Twickenham last time out but equally capable of opting for a 6-2 or even the 7-1 split he deployed against Ireland last September in the World Cup pool stages, when the Irish won 13-8 at Stade de France.