Stick: Springbok backline not fretting about 7-1 split against Wales

Springbok backline coach Mzwandile Stick said there is sufficient cover and clear plans in place should injuries occur while the Boks run a 7–1 bench split against Wales.

Cobus Reinach, earning his 50th Test cap, is the only backline player named on the bench for the Springboks’ 15th and final match of the season in Cardiff on Saturday (kick-off 5.10pm).

Head coach Rassie Erasmus said he had been forced into playing the forward-heavy bench due to the match falling outside World Rugby’s official Test window – making European-based players unavailable – while the Boks allowed some South African and Japanese-based players to return home for the resumption of their leagues.

He even listed 2023 retiree and current mobi-coach Duane Vermeulen as his 25th player, to step in and play should two injuries occur before kick-off.

Springboks unperturbed

The starting backline sees Morné van den Berg at scrumhalf, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu at flyhalf, Canan Moodie at left wing, André Esterhuizen and Damian de Allende in the midfield, Ethan hooker at right wing, and Damian Willemse at fullback.

Stick pointed out that most of these players can interchange and cover for each other if needed, while loose forwards Ben-Jason Dixon and Kwagga Smith can also come off the bench and fill in at the back.

“Whenever we’ve gone to a 7-1 split in the past couple of years, it was always Grant Williams or Cobus [Reinach] who could give us cover with a lot of positions because of their pace,” Stick said.

He added that Reinach would again cover scrumhalf and wing for the Springboks.

“And we’ve always been vocal about Kwagga as a back-up for us, looking at his skillset coming from Sevens. I don’t think we’ll have challenges there.”

Also, while Feinberg-Mngomezulu had covered fullback most recently, Canan Moodie could also fill in at 15, though he hasn’t started in that position for years.

“We went through those scenarios during the week. Hopefully, we won’t have too many injuries for us to go deeper,” he said, joking about the small chance of traditional loose forwards such as Siya Kolisi being drafted into the backline.