Cape Town – When the Springbok Test squad for the end-of-year tour was announced on Friday, there were only two names at hooker: Malcolm Marx and Bongi Mbonambi.
Joseph Dweba, who battled with his lineout throw-ins during the Rugby Championship, and for the Stormers in recent weeks, was understandably relegated to the SA A group.
But most Test teams have a third hooker in tow in the week of a match, and next Saturday’s Ireland clash is looming large.
When quizzed about the risk of having just two hookers in Dublin, though, director of rugby Rassie Erasmus was quick to point out that Stormers flank Deon Fourie is the next-in-line in the front row.
“Deon Fourie is actually just purely picked ahead of Joseph at this stage. We had those opportunities during the Rugby Championship. Some people would say we must give guys opportunities and see where they are at, and then they must grow and get better from there,” Erasmus said.
“I think Deon Fourie is a real option to take to the World Cup – just like Schalk Brits was. So, we have three hookers in Malcolm, Bongi and Deon. Deon scrums, does the mauling and lineouts and everything at hooker currently for us.
“Then there are two hookers on the other (SA A) side. Jan-Hendrik Wessels can play loosehead and hooker. So, I think we’ve got good stock at hooker for these six games.”
But that doesn’t mean that Dweba’s Test career is over, as Bok coach Jacques Nienaber added: “With the example of Joseph Dweba, nothing stops us from letting Joseph play by us and, say, Deon Fourie by the SA A team.”
There is another new face in the tight five in the shape of Jason Jenkins, the former Bulls lock who now plays for Irish giants Leinster – having had a difficult time with injuries during his short Munster stint last season.
The 26-year-old has one Test cap to his name, but now could help to give Eben Etzebeth a bit of a breather at No 4 in future – along with Stormers stalwart Salmaan Moerat.
“Jason has one cap for South Africa, which was Rassie’s first Test as head coach in 2018 against Wales in Washington. After that, Jason left for abroad, and he just had a bad run last year. He played 10 games for Munster, started in only 20 percent of the games, and had a lot of injuries and stuff that he had to get through,” Nienaber said.
“But this year, he’s played five games for Leinster and he’s playing good rugby consistently – starting and finishing games, scored two great tries.”
Part of the reason for Jenkins’ call-up is due to the absence of RG Snyman, who has had a horror run with injuries since joining Munster after the 2019 World Cup.
“We’ve been always waiting for RG Snyman, as we all know what a freak he is as an athlete and what he can do for the Boks,” Erasmus said.
“But the last time he played for us was at the World Cup. RG’s been into camp with us, sharing a week and the way we do things, but then he gets another setback.
“So, a guy like Jason… we have to at some stage think ‘Hell, will RG make it to the World Cup?’, and for this end-of-year tour, we would be taking a big risk not to make sure if we maybe have a third or fourth front lock.
“And Jason is somebody who will probably give us some of those answers, hopefully in these six games on tour.”
IOL Sport