Bok boss Rassie Erasmus has a number of men to pick from to wear the No 10 jersey this season.
Handré Pollard is currently one of three flyhalves in the Springbok squad. Picture: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
Though coach Rassie Erasmus has backed veteran flyhalf Handré Pollard, one can’t help but feel his days in the Springbok set-up are numbered.
The reality is the emergence of a number of young players on the scene at senior level, combined with Pollard’s form over the last few years and style of play could leave him in the back of the queue of No 10s lining up to play Test rugby for the Boks.
Not in a long time have there been so many options for Erasmus to pick from to wear the Bok flyhalf jersey.
Here are the No 10 choices: possible first pick when fit Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, a close second and maybe the best all-round option Manie Libbok, rising U20 star Vusi Moyo, future star Yaqeen Ahmed, converted fullback Quan Horn, who Erasmus opted to move to 10 … and veteran Pollard.
Then there’s Damian Willemse, who also covers 10.
The battle for the No 10 jersey has been fierce over the last few years, but it is going to be even more hotly contested this season and in the run up to next year’s World Cup, especially when Feinberg-Mngomezulu returns from injury in late July, early August.
Pollard in the spotlight
Pollard has been a stalwart for the Boks over his 85 Tests, scoring 815 points, second only to Percy Montgomery in this country.
In the 2019 World Cup final in Yokohama against England he kicked 22 points (all eight of his kicks) in the 32-12 win, and then in the 2023 tournament he slotted all 13 of his kicks at goal – four against Tonga in pool play, and then two against France, three against England and four against New Zealand, in the one-point victories in the knockouts.
Pollard will always be one of the big heroes of those wins and World Cup triumphs.
But, he has not been the same player recently. Since returning to South Africa and the Bulls, after a spell playing in England, he has struggled to properly fire.
While Pollard is sure to offer a lot on the training ground and could yet find his best form at the Boks, and possibly still prove to be a match-winner, he faces a big battle in the race for the No 10 jersey. Even getting into the matchday-23 could prove tough.
It looks like 2026 will be a make or break season for the 32-year-old.
