Bizarre training footage reveals how Springboks pick their scrum-halves
Jacques Nienaber likes to chop and change when it comes to his scrum-half options. Last week it was Jaden Hendrikse starting and Faf de Klerk on the bench, this week de Klerk starts and Cobus Reinach is on the bench.
People might have questioned how the selectors come to these decisions, but we might have been given some clues this week. It looks like it all comes down to who can avoid being beaten up by hooker Malcolm Marx. A video has surfaced this week of Reinach grappling with the 115kg front row, who ended up basically sitting on top of the No9.
This, however, was obviously enough to earn Reinach a place on the bench, which goes to show that Hendrikse clearly did not too well. Equally it de Klerk might have even got the better of Marx. That grappling might come in handy this Saturday against a beastly French pack.
Take a look:
Everyone has an off day😅#almosthadhim@M_marxi2 pic.twitter.com/FKBen3alAP
— cobus reinach (@c_reinach) November 10, 2022
Springbok team to face France in Marseille:
15 – Willie le Roux (Toyota Verblitz) – 80 caps, 65 pts (13t)
14 – Cheslin Kolbe (Toulon) – 21 caps, 53 pts (10t, 1p)
13 – Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles) – 57 caps, 60 pts (12t)
12 – Damian de Allende (Wild Knights) – 67 caps, 45 pts (9t)
11 – Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls) – 4 caps, 15 pts (3t)
10 – Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers) – 24 caps, 22 pts (1t, 4c, 3p)
9 – Faf de Klerk (Canon Eagles) – 43 caps, 25 pts (5t)
8 – Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers) – 19 caps, 5 pts (1t)
7 – Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz) – 65 caps, 15 pts (3t)
6 – Siya Kolisi (captain, Cell C Sharks) – 72 caps, 40 pts (8t)
5 – Franco Mostert (Honda Heat) – 60 caps, 15 pts (3t)
4 – Eben Etzebeth (Cell C Sharks) – 107 caps, 15 pts (3t)
3 – Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers) – 55 caps, 5 pts (1t)
2 – Bongi Mbonambi (Cell C Sharks) – 53 caps, 55 pts (11t)
1 – Ox Nche (Cell C Sharks) – 16 caps, 0 pts
Replacements:
16 – Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 56 caps, 65 pts (13t)
17 – Steven Kitshoff (DHL Stormers) – 68 caps, 5 pts (1t)
18 – Vincent Koch (unattached) – 39 caps, 0 pts
19 – Marvin Orie (DHL Stormers) – 8 caps, 0 pts
20 – Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs) – 28 caps, 15 pts (3t)
21 – Cobus Reinach (Montpellier) – 22 caps, 40 pts (8t)
22 – Manie Libbok (DHL Stormers) – uncapped
23 – Makazole Mapimpi (Cell C Sharks) – 34 caps, 110 pts (22t)
