Comment by Ashfak Mohamed
AT long last, Jasper Wiese’s six-match suspension is over, but does that mean that he walks straight into the Springbok No 8 jersey for next weekend’s showdown with the All Blacks?
Bok coach Rassie Erasmus hasn’t been shy before to slot players who haven’t had much game-time right back into the side – think Eben Etzebeth, Duane Vermeulen and Siya Kolisi.
But they were all stalwarts of the team, and Wiese is not in the same boat. He was regarded as the likely successor to the retired Vermeulen this year, having already started several of his 26 Tests in previous seasons.
The effectiveness of Wiese’s combative approach was most evident in last year’s World Cup final.
In the last scrum of the game inside the Bok 22m area, the former Cheetahs star had to pick up the ball at the back of a moving scrum, and then powered through tackles by Ardie Savea, Beauden Barrett and Sam Whitelock, eventually keeping the ball secured long enough for referee Wayne Barnes to blow his whistle for the end of the game.
Wiese is as direct as they come at No 8, perhaps even more so than Vermeulen, who could still pull off a silky offload in the tackle in his later years, having previously ran good lines as well.
But with the Boks embarking on a more attacking style of play that values skills in contact as much as physicality, is Wiese the right man to line up against the All Blacks at Ellis Park next Saturday?
Just on lack of game-time alone, you wouldn’t think so. Wiese’s last match was the English Premiership final on June 18, which would be 10 weeks by the time the Johannesburg Test kicks off.
How do you go from not playing for so long to starting against the All Blacks?
Even if Wiese is as sharp as ever physically, there is nothing like actual time on the pitch to replicate match situations, compared to training.
But what complicates matters is that there isn’t another specialist No 8 in the squad at the moment, with both Evan Roos and Cameron Hanekom injured, and Bulls powerhouse Mpilo Gumede left out.
Elrigh Louw was catapulted, somewhat surprisingly, above Roos into the No 8 jersey for the first Wallabies Test in Brisbane, with Roos suddenly opting to have shoulder surgery after being omitted from the tour squad.
Louw was his usual solid self, carrying strongly at close quarters and putting in his hard tackles – as direct as Wiese – and put in a similar display in last week’s 30-12 win in the wet in Perth.
But now the Boks will be facing much friendlier attacking conditions in Joburg, where the sun is sure to shine and a hard, fast pitch awaits them and the New Zealanders.
So, it is worth thinking out of the box a bit when it comes to No 8 and the loose trio in general. A more comfortable and skilful ball-carrier with a higher work-rate might be a better solution – and that is why Pieter-Steph du Toit would be a worthy consideration at the back of the scrum next weekend.
Du Toit has been outstanding as usual at blindside flank, and even excelled at No 5 lock this season. He is in the form of his life, and would be able to fill in at any position in the back five of the pack at the moment.
Another colossal performance by #Springboks stalwart Pieter-Steph du Toit in Perth💥#ForeverGreenForeverGold pic.twitter.com/hRoxoPaOgA
— Springboks (@Springboks) August 19, 2024
Apart from his incredible engine, he also has the necessary skills – such as offloading in the tackle and claiming kick-offs – to be a real force at No 8, which are a few shortcomings in the games of Wiese and Louw.
But the key to considering Du Toit at No 8 is the fact that there is someone ready-made to step into his gigantic boots at No 7: Ben-Jason Dixon.
The Stormers star has taken to Test rugby with aplomb, with many comparisons with Du Toit already in just his first year of international rugby.
Imagine a loose trio of Kolisi, Dixon and Du Toit, with Wiese and Kwagga Smith coming off the bench to up the tempo even further in the second half?
That presents endless possibilities for the high-flying Bok attack, and would also be able to counter the equally hard-working, bustling All Black combination of Savea, Dalton Papali’i and Ethan Blackadder.