The warm-up matches are done, it's now all systems go for the Test series in Rugby's Greatest Rivalry.
The calm before the storm. Eben Etzebeth, Zachary Porthen, Handré Pollard and Herschel Jantjies of the Springboks chat at a recent training session ahead of the Test series against the All Blacks. Picture: Juan Jose Gasparini/Gallo Images
Are Ox Nche and Siya Kolisi fit to take on the All Blacks this coming Saturday?
Who between Wilco Louw and Zachary Porthen will make it into the matchday-23?
And, who’ll start at No 5 lock, scrumhalf, and flyhalf?
These are the burning questions about the makeup of Rassie Erasmus’ team for the first Test against the All Blacks in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series, at Ellis Park on Saturday (5.10pm).
After weeks of build-up which has seen the Boks take on the Barbarians and Argentina in friendly matches, and England, Scotland and Wales in the new Nations Championship last month, and he All Blacks warm up with their own three Nations Championship games and three matches in South Africa against the Stormers, Sharks and Bulls, we’re all set for the four-match Test series.
All Blacks boss Dave Rennie has his own head-scratching to do regarding the makeup of his side.
Among the tougher decisions, who’ll play 9 and 10, will there be place, if fit, for Damian McKenzie, does veteran Beauden Barrett feature, and just how match-ready is regular captain and No 8 Ardie Savea, who only arrived in the country late last week?
Boks fans though will be far more interested in what Erasmus does this week.
Loosehead prop star Nche hasn’t played in weeks, while Kolisi injured his hamstring early in the match against Argentina last weekend, casting his participation in this series in doubt. If he is unable to play, will rookie Paul de Villiers get his shot, or will Erasmus turn to veteran Deon Fourie, a late call-up last week.
If Thomas du Tout starts at No 3 who’ll back him up on the bench – powerful scrummager Louw or the mobile and busy Porthen, who has had such an impact since debuting late last year?
Lood de Jager, who started for the first time in ages against Argentina, is again fit, but will Erasmus gamble with him and Eben Etzebeth, who also only returned to action in Buenos Aires after a long injury absence, against the All Blacks, or will the work-horse Ruan Nortjé take charge at No 5?
And then there is the halfback pairing.
Grant Williams or Cobus Reinach at scrumhalf? Does it matter who starts and who plays off the bench? Does Morné van den Berg come into the equation?
And at flyhalf, will it be Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, the most dynamic of the No 10 options, but he, too, only got back into the mix against Argentina and looked rusty, or will it be the more dependable and you-know-what-you’re-going-to-get Handré Pollard or Manie Libbok?
It will also be interesting to see where a player like André Esterhuizen fits in and how the bench will be split between forwards and backs.
Erasmus will name his matchday-23 for the first Test on Thursday this week.
