Springbok legend Joel Stransky says it remains to be seen whether Manie Libbok, the only specialist flyhalf in South Africa’s 33-man squad, can be counted on take the big kicks at the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
Libbok, who made his Bok debut in November, is the only specialist flyhalf in the squad after Handre Pollard was omitted due to a calf injury.
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Pollard finished as the tournament’s top points-scorer when the Boks won the 2019 Rugby World Cup, memorably nailing a last-gasp penalty against Wales to put South Africa through to the final.
With Pollard enduring a bad run of injuries since 2019, the Boks experimented with goal-kicking options last season, as scrumhalf Faf de Klerk, utility back Damian Willemse and wing Cheslin Kolbe all took shots during the European tour.
Speaking to Sunday newspaper Rapport, former Springbok flyhalf Naas Botha said the world champions have enough options to be confident about nailing their kicks at goal at the World Cup.
“Honestly, I’m not too worried about our kickers,” Botha told Rapport. “I was surprised by Faf’s technique; he is above average and can stand in as a kicker at any time. I haven’t seen Cheslin kick enough, but Manie is a very, very good kicker.
“He wasn’t brilliant in Buenos Aires, but he wasn’t rotten either. Every kicker sometimes experiences days like this. Often we sit in our armchairs at home in front of the TV and criticize the kicker, without knowing what the circumstances entail. Factors such as a strong wind, which is also swirling, can complicate matters. Some guys adapt to the circumstances faster than others.
“The Bok management must decide as soon as possible who the kickers will be, place trust in them and then those kickers must put in the necessary extra work. Training gives more confidence than anything else. Manie knows how to kick, same goes for Faf’s technique.”
Stransky, who clinched the 1995 World Cup with a famous drop goal, told Rapport that, while the Boks have options, Libbok has yet to show he can slot high-pressure kicks at Test level.
“Faf kicked quite well and Cheslin also did well when they were expected to take goal kicks. So there are other options. Manie mastered the kicking in Argentina, to succeed with four penalties and a conversion, so I believe he has the ability to handle the responsibility.
“To be able to do it in a massive showdown and under pressure, such as a World Cup final, is obviously a completely different story, and Manie has yet to prove he is capable of it. This is a big question that needs to be answered.”
Libbok has showed his big-match temperament at franchise level for the DHL Stormers and kicking coach Gareth Wright backed him to reproduce that form for the Springboks
“He is a quality flyhalf. There is no doubt that he is a good kicker of a rugby ball,” Wright told Rapport.
“Keep in mind that he is playing in his first full international season. The pressure a player faces at the highest level is different to the United Rugby Championship and European Champions Cup,” he says.
“The more he plays, the more confidence he will gain in the international arena.”
Photo: PHILL MAGAKOE / AFP