Dan du Preez says Bok fans can expect more of the same after Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber innovated to name seven forwards on the bench against the All Blacks.
The Springboks suffered a late blow when fullback Willie le Roux, originally named on the bench for the World Cup warm-up at Twickenham, had to withdraw due to a knock hours before kick-off on Friday night.
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Le Roux was the second replacement back as part of a 6-2 split, along with scrumhalf Cobus Reinach. However, instead of calling up a backline player to replace Le Roux, the Springboks chose loose forward Kwagga Smith.
This meant that for the first time, Erasmus and Nienaber experimented with a 7-1 split between forwards and backs. The gamble paid off, as Smith rounded out the scoring in a record-breaking win over New Zealand.
Writing for Sunday newspaper Rapport, Bok loose forward Dan du Preez expects Erasmus to repeat the tactic at the World Cup.
“The Boks decided at the eleventh hour on Friday evening to replace Willie le Roux, who struggled with a knock, with Kwagga Smith on the bench,” wrote Du Preez.
“We saw a 7-1 bench for the first time … and how it worked! This is the first time I have seen it. The way we play, and the fact that we put such a big onus on set piece, could be the reasons why the Boks might also follow that route in the World Cup.
“Having worked with Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber, it doesn’t surprise me when they try new things. When they chose a 6-2 bench at the last World Cup, pundits said they were crazy, and look how well it worked. They don’t come up with plans just for the fun of it. They know what they are doing.”
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Speaking after the match, Nienaber admitted that he took a huge risk by only having one backline substitute, but was happy with how it worked.
“We just felt we didn’t want to risk Willie,” said Nienaber.
“The safest option is a 5-3 split. There is a risk to a 6-2 bench, and a 7-1 bench is high risk. We were fortunate that we didn’t get any injuries in the backline.
“I don’t know if we will take that risk going forward, but it’s something we’ll look at and consider. Especially with all the yellow and red cards, it’s something we’ve been looking at.”
The Springboks are currently in Corsica, where they will finish their preparations for the World Cup with a week-long training camp.
Photo: Ian Kington / AFP