Training leak shows Boks’ baffling scrum-half decision is dangerously backfiring
When South Africa head coach Jacques Nienaber named four scrum-halves in his World Cup squad, Faf de Klerk, Jaden Hendrikse, Grant Williams, Cobus Reinach, with Herschel Jantjies on the standby list, most of the rugby world raised their eyebrows in confusion and intrigue.
‘What’s the worst that can happen?’ most of us thought. Maybe there is a challenge rotating players at the World Cup? Maybe one player gets very little game time? That was the worst case scenario most people envisaged. Even the greatest rugby cynics would not have foreseen what has unfolded in the Bok camp this week.
Fortunately one brave whistleblower in the South Africa social media team has risked their career to leak footage of a scrum-half mutiny in Bok training. Think Planet of the Apes but 1000 times worse as this is led by Faf de Klerk.
Reports have emerged that every minute of training is spent box kicking, which, to be fair, is like every minute of a Springboks match. The leaked video shows flanker Kwagga Smith timidly approaching Cobus Reinach to try and stop him from box kicking, only to be set on by the pack of No9s. Reinach began kicking balls at the flanker while de Klerk rained down an onslaught of kicks. There is no confirmation yet, but Rugby Onslaught believe Smith was able to escape unscathed.
Take a look at the leaked video while you can:
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While Jacques Nienaber appears to be in charge still, he is just a puppet for the de Klerk, Reinach, Hendrikse and Williams, who picked the team to face Wales in Cardiff this weekend. They wisely still only picked two No9s, but it is only a matter of time before all four are starting for the Boks.
Springbok team to face Wales in Cardiff:
15 – Willie le Roux (Vodacom Bulls) – 86 caps, 65 pts (13T)
14 – Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls) – 6 caps, 10 pts (2T)
13 – Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles) – 61 caps, 60 pts (12T)
12 – Damian de Allende (Panasonic Wild Knights) – 72 caps, 50 pts (10T)
11 – Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath) – 25 caps, 81 pts (12T, 3C, 5P)
10 – Manie Libbok (DHL Stormers) – 7 caps, 45 pts (1T, 11C, 6P)
9 – Jaden Hendrikse (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 12 caps, 12 pts (2T, 1C)
8 – Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers) – 22 caps, 5 pts (1T)
7 – Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz) – 69 caps, 30 pts (6T)
6 – Siya Kolisi (captain – Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 75 caps, 45 pts (9T)
5 – RG Snyman (Munster) – 26 caps, 5 pts (1T)
4 – Jean Kleyn (Munster) – 2 caps, 0 pts (Ireland 5 caps)
3 – Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers) – 61 caps, 5 pts (1T)
2 – Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 61 caps, 75 pts (15T)
1 – Steven Kitshoff (Ulster) – 74 caps, 10 pts (T)
Replacements:
16 – Bongi Mbonambi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 60 caps, 60 pts (12T)
17 – Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 19 caps, 0 pts
18 – Vincent Koch (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 45 caps, 0 pts
19 – Franco Mostert (Honda Heat) – 65 caps, 15 pts (3T)
20 – Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls) – 12 caps, 0 pts
21 – Duane Vermeulen (SA Rugby) – 68 caps, 15 pts (3T)
22 – Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 4 caps, 0 pts
23 – Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers) – 31 caps, 36 pts 36 (2T, 4C, 4P, 2D)
