Springbok: it’s Time to Look Beyond Rassie Erasmus Raise Concern Over His Ageing Squad
Rassie Erasmus admitted last year that the Springboks are ‘a bit thin at hooker’ when discussing his plans for players over the next cycle for the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
He said as much in an interview with Afrikaans newspaper, the Rapport, where he raised concerns over his ageing squad that won back-to-back World Cups and now set their sights on an unprecedented three-peat.
There he bluntly said that he was unsure if Eben Etzebeth would make the next tournament, the lock will be 36 by the time Australia 2027 comes around.
“He is so athletic but I don’t know if he still has a World Cup in him,” Erasmus stated.
There are many players in the same boat and while Erasmus has blooded new talent in his first season back as head coach, there is one position of particular concern, hooker.
Springboks back versitility
The Springboks have been incredibly innovative since Erasmus and his right-hand man Jacques Nienaber returned to South Africa in 2018 and have taken a different approach to selecting squads than their other international counterparts.
Notably, Nienaber’s squad for the 2023 World Cup contained four scrum-halves, one out-and-out fly-half and just two hookers – Bongi Mbonambi and Malcolm Marx.
The Boks coaches backed the versatility at the World Cup with Faf de Klerk primarily selected as scrum-half but doubled up as a number ten while Grant Williams and Cobus Reinach were expected to cover wing as well, the former actually starting two pool matches in the position.
Similarly, in 2019, veteran Bok Schalk Brits was picked as a hooker but would start and captain the side from the back-row, something he was not unfamiliar with. Fast forward four years and the opposite was true for Deon Fourie who famously came off the bench minutes into the World Cup final to play hooker after Marx’s injury in the pool states and Mbonambi’s game being cut short by a horror clear-out by Shannon Frizell.
These tactics, with a bit of luck, have paid dividends for the Springboks but despite all the strength in depth they do have at their disposal it is rather puzzling as to why the side has not found a stable third-choice back up Mbonambi and Marx.
Chasing the Sun 2 showed just how highly regarded the two hookers are held in the Springboks set up and rightly so, as they have been amongst the best number twos in the world for over six years now. Both players have been accurate at the set-pieces during this time with Marx bringing a real poaching threat at the breakdown while Mbonambi’s brings brutal strength on both sides of the ball.
The pair provide a stunning double punch in the hooker position over the 80 minutes but it’s clear that the Boks need that third player and probably a fourth to step up, get experience at the highest level and start pushing the two incumbents for a place in the squad.
Erasmus raised the concern of Etzebeth’s age last November and based on his form this year, he has parked that discussion for the time being. However, there are heirs getting their shot with Salmaan Moerat in particular, as he given the opportunity to lead the side while Jean Kleyn could still be in the mix come 2027 and RG Snyman will most certainly be too.
Marx and Mbonambi’s dominance of the hooker role
But when it comes to hooker, since 2018, few have been given an extended opportunity in the all-important role. In fact, that number sits at just one and a player who now looks to be completely out of the selection frame, Joseph Dweba.
Analyst Angus Usher perfectly illustrated this by looking back at the hookers who have featured in the Springboks squad in the ‘Rassie era’.
The Boks have spread a wide net in the position with 12 players selected in the role, more than any other position.
Springboks hooker appearances since 2018 (as of 23/10/2024).
However, 83% of those Test matches since 2018 have had Marx or Mbonambi or both filling the hooker role over the 80 minutes, the remaining 17% has been shared by the other 10 players.
To break it down further, in the 75 Tests matches, 150 caps in the hooker roles (starting and bench) have been up for grabs and collectively Marx (59) and Mbonambi (61) have taken up 124, with the pair both going the full 80 minutes on two occasions.
That trend has continued into 2024 with Marx and Mbonambi dominating the hooker jersey once again; the former playing all but one Test match this year, against Portugal, and the latter missing the same game and another two.
Against Os Lobos, Johan Grobbelaar earned a Test debut as did Andre-Hugo Venter while Jan-Hendrik Wessels featured off the bench in the other game that Mbonambi did not play, the loss to Los Pumas in Argentina.
