Willie le Roux, Zane Kirchner or Pat Lambie at fullback? That’s the question Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer will be mulling over in the coming days ahead of the Boks’ trip to Australasia for the Rugby Championship Tests against Australia and New Zealand.
Kirchner, who was yesterday included in the 28-man squad for the trip, was the mainstay at fullback for Meyer’s team last year, but injury and the emergence of Le Roux, on the wing mind you, for the Cheetahs this season saw the Bulls man slip down the pecking order.
But an unsatisfying performance against Argentina in Mendoza last weekend – especially under the high ball – may result in Le Roux losing his place to Kirchner, a player who’s perhaps not as exciting as Le Roux with ball in hand, but is extremely safe under the high ball and strong in the tackle.
Should Meyer go with Kirchner, who he backed to the hilt last season, Le Roux could yet find himself in the Bok starting team, but on the wing, in place of Bjorn Basson.
The other option for Meyer is to include Lambie at fullback, someone who probably has a bit of both Kirchner and Le Roux in him. The Sharks man is comfortable playing in the last line of defence, is solid in taking the high kicks and brings an attacking element from fullback, something Kirchner isn’t known for when he wears the Bok jersey. Lambie is also a good kicker, something Le Roux has yet to consistently do well.
The other position that will have kept Meyer busy in the last few days is scrumhalf where Ruan Pienaar failed to back up his excellent showing at the FNB Stadium with an equally commanding showing in Mendoza. The Ulster-based scrumhalf may be better used off the bench where he can play in a number of positions, with Jano Vermaak’s swift service possibly worth employing against Australia next weekend.
The rest of the side that played last weekend will probably stay intact, but Meyer may also consider using the more aggressive Flip van der Merwe at No5 lock in place of Juandré Kruger who, like Pienaar, failed to back up his good showing on home soil in Mendoza.
There are two additions to the Bok squad that toured Argentina, with Kirchner and Chiliboy Ralepelle coming into the group for the trip to Australasia. Ralepelle, though, will have to pass a fitness test on his back before departing with his teammates on Saturday.
“This will be two tough weeks on the road against two of the best sides in the world and as we saw last weekend against Argentina, we still have a lot of hard work to do,” said Bok boss Meyer yesterday. “The Springboks have never beaten Australia at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane and our last victory at Eden Park was in 1937.”
The Boks get together in Joburg tomorrow, with the overseas-based players joining the squad in Australia on Monday.
Squad:
Forwards (16): Lourens Adriaanse, Willem Alberts, Marcell Coetzee, Bismarck du Plessis, Jannie du Plessis, Eben Etzebeth, Siya Kolisi, Juandré Kruger, Francois Louw, Tendai Mtawarira, Coenie Oosthuizen, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Gurthrö Steenkamp, Adriaan Strauss, Flip van der Merwe, Duane Vermeulen.
Backs (12): Bjorn Basson, Jean de Villiers (captain), JJ Engelbrecht, Bryan Habana, Zane Kirchner, Patrick Lambie, Willie le Roux, Ruan Pienaar, Jan Serfontein, Morné Steyn, Piet van Zyl, Jano Vermaak. - The Star