The Springboks could be set to reveal a surprise pick at hooker after one of their loose forwards was seen practising his lineout throwing during training this week.

Openside flanker Marco van Staden joined hookers Malcolm Marx and Bongi Mbonambi and utility forward Deon Fourie in lineout training during a session in Toulon yesterday.

Marco van Staden working on his line-out throwing at today’s training session in Toulon. He will play hooker for the Boks in the case of an emergency. #Springboks #RWC2023 🇿🇦🏉 pic.twitter.com/G2DuGSLrZw

— Hendrik Cronjé (@hendrikcronje71) September 12, 2023

The Springboks face Romania in the second round of the World Cup pool stages on Sunday, with Jacques Nienaber set to name the matchday-23 for the game this evening.

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With only Marx and Mbonambi in the 33-player squad as out-and-out hookers, the Boks are putting in place emergency plans in case one of the two World Cup winners gets injured.

Veteran back row Fourie could get a run in the position against Romania, while Joseph Dweba is back in Cape Town on the standby list.

However, a source told Netwerk24 that a team has to give 48 hours’ notice to call in an injury replacement, so Van Staden is being prepped to play in the middle of the scrum in case Dweba does not manage to make it to France in time.