Cheslin Kolbe to get Bok 10 for Twickenham clash?
Selection headache or innovation challenge? Rassie Erasmus will surely select a surprise fly-half on June 22.
With a host of players set to be unavailable for the Springboks’ opening Test against Wales, Cheslin Kolbe features on the shortlist of candidates to rent the No 10 jersey at Twickenham.
The DHL Stormers and Vodacom Bulls are fighting for a place in the URC play-offs, with the final of the competition scheduled for June 22, the same day as South Africa’s first Test of 2024.
Given the clash with Wales falls outside the official Test window, players based in the UK, Ireland and France will also be unavailable for selection.
This means that Leicester-based Handre Pollard and Stormers playmaker Manie Libbok are set to be among a mass of players unavailable for the Springboks. This is also likely to include props Steven Kitshoff and Frans Malherbe, locks RG Snyman and Jean Kleyn, loose forwards Marco van Staden, Jasper Wiese and Siya Kolisi, scrumhalf Cobus Reinach, wings Canan Moodie and Kurt-Lee Arendse and fullback Willie le Roux.
However, Japan-based players will be available for selection, so Rugby World Cup winners Faf de Klerk, Lood de Jager, Damian de Allende, Jesse Kriel and Pieter-Steph du Toit are expected to join Kolbe in facing Wales.
Pollard and Libbok were the two specialist fly-halves in the squad that successfully defended the world cup in 2023, so their absence creates a particular headache for Rassie Erasmus.
However, Erasmus is an innovator and has never been scared to make a daring call, as he did by preparing Kolbe as the backup scrumhalf in the team that took on the All Blacks in the Rugby World Cup final in Paris, when deciding on a seven-one split on the bench.
Kolbe and De Klerk both have prior experience at fly-half and would be ready to wear the Bok No 10 jersey if needed.
Meanwhile, Sanele Nohamba has been the Lions’ go-to flyhalf this year and was part of the first Springbok alignment camp in Pretoria.
And Siya Masuku has steered the Sharks’ Challenge Cup campaign since returning to fitness and will be available as John Plumtree’s team is already out of the URC play-off race.
Finally, Andre Esterhuizen has the skills to fill in at No 10 and despite currently being contracted to Harlequins, will join the Sharks at the end of the Premiership season, which reaches a conclusion on June 8.
