Comment by Ashfak Mohamed
The last time the Springboks faced Scotland, Manie Libbok was chosen as the Player of the Match. But should Libbok start against the same opponents at Murrayfield on Sunday?
The Stormers star produced some thrilling moments in the 2023 Rugby World Cup opener for the South Africans, stretching the Scottish defence with a mixture of long and short passes, little grubber kicks and of course THAT no-look cross-kick to Kurt-Lee Arendse for a spectacular try in the 18-3 victory.
Libbok, though, missed two relatively easy shots at goal – and a long-range penalty – which saw Faf de Klerk take over the goal-kicking later in the game.
But then-Bok head coach Jacques Nienaber, when asked if he was concerned about Libbok’s goal-kicking form, replied: “Not if he wins Man of the Match.”
That is the kind of impact Libbok had – and still has – on the Bok team, which saw him start quarter-final and semi-final against France and England, until he was replaced in the first half of the English game, with Handré Pollard’s goal-kicking prowess a necessary panacea at the time.
Fast-forward to this year, and Libbok’s goal-kicking issues were again in the spotlight when he missed a crucial late penalty against Argentina in Santiago del Estero, and Los Pumas won 29-28.
To Rassie Erasmus’ credit, he backed the 27-year-old from Humansdorp in the last Rugby Championship clash in Mbombela the following week, and Libbok delivered a stunning performance in the 48-7 rout.
Now that the Boks are in the northern hemisphere in winter, though, some critics and fans may feel that Pollard should be named at No 10 when Erasmus announces his match-23 on Friday for the Scotland Test due to his goal-kicking and cool temperament under pressure.
But it is exactly that kind of scenario that must result in Libbok starting at Murrayfield.
Scotland will be in confident mood after dispatching Fiji 57-17 last weekend, and they will be bolstered by France-based flyhalf Finn Russell and fullback Blair Kinghorn, who missed the Fiji Test as it was played outside the international window.
Russell is a real attacking force who will look to take on the Bok defence with ball-in-hand and make full use of dangerous runners such as Duhan van der Merwe, captain Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones, although wing Darcy Graham has been ruled out with concussion.
But so is Libbok, who is fully immersed in ‘Tonyball’ – as Jordan Hendrikse put it last week – as he has flourished under new Bok attack coach Tony Brown.
Apart from his attacking ability – he even outplayed the highly-rated Russell in their World Cup clash last year – which by now Bok fans and critics can agree is undoubted, Sunday’s Test provides Libbok with an opportunity to exorcise his goal-kicking demons.
He landed all three goal-kicks for the Stormers in their 28-17 loss to Glasgow in Stellenbosch a few weeks ago, and would have been hard at work on that aspect of his game since the end of the Rugby Championship.
Erasmus said before the Mbombela Test recently – in explaining and backing Libbok’s selection at flyhalf for his general play – that the Boks are “working on a plan” for the goal-kicking.
Of course, Jaden Hendrikse was entrusted with the shots at goal in Mbombela until Pollard came on as a replacement. But the Sharks scrumhalf, although arguably the first-choice No 9 at the moment, won’t start in every Test and is probably not a long-term solution off the tee.
So, the first prize is for Libbok to nail his kicks, and not let the shot-clock especially bother him, and Sunday’s Test is an immediate opportunity to see if there is real improvement in that regard.
Pollard can always be an insurance policy on the bench if things go really pear-shaped, while Hendrikse and Cheslin Kolbe are other options.
But if Libbok can shake the goal-kicking bogey once and for all, it could take the Boks to the next level on attack – which includes pushing Pollard to greater heights too in that regard.