The Springboks will be without a star hooker for Saturday’s Rugby Championship match against the All Blacks due too..

Boks lose hooker for Eden Park clash

The Springboks will be without a star hooker for Saturday’s Rugby Championship match against the All Blacks at Eden Park.

SA Rugby revealed on Sunday that Bongi Mbonambi had remained behind in South Africa earlier this week to attend to family matters

Meanwhile, Faf de Klerk will join the Boks in New Zealand as additional scrumhalf cover. His inclusion increases the size of the squad to 36 players.

The Boks also face the All Blacks in Wellington on 13 September.

Springbok squad:

Forwards: Lood de Jager, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Thomas du Toit, Jean-Luc du Preez, Eben Etzebeth, Vincent Koch, Siya Kolisi, Wilco Louw, Malcolm Marx, Franco Mostert, Ox Nche, Ruan Nortje, Kwagga Smith, RG Snyman, Marnus van der Merwe, Marco van Staden, Boan Venter, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Jasper Wiese.

Backs: Damian de Allende, Andre Esterhuizen, Aphelele Fassi, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Ethan Hooker, Jesse Kriel, Cheslin Kolbe, Willie le Roux, Manie Libbok, Makazole Mapimpi, Canan Moodie, Handre Pollard, Cobus Reinach, Morne van den Berg, Grant Williams, Damian Willemse.

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Barrett: ‘I can’t be another Ma’a Nonu’

Jordie Barrett believes he’s finally carving out a permanent place in the All Blacks midfield, but the 28-year-old insists he won’t be moulded into a carbon copy of Ma’a Nonu.

Saturday’s defeat to Argentina marked Barrett’s 26th Test start at inside centre, moving him past the 25 appearances he has made at fullback. He’ll once again be used prominently by All Blacks coach Scott Robertson as an attacking weapon in the two Tests against the Boks in Auckland and Wellington.

For the younger Barrett brother, the shift feels natural.

“I feel comfortable enough in both positions, but that obviously doesn’t guarantee performance at an international level – rugby’s so tough at the highest level these days,” he said.

“I feel like I’ve got a deep understanding of the game, which helps, but I guess I just want to play one of those positions the best I can if it grants me a starting All Black jersey. At the moment that’s 12, and my challenge is to hold on to that for as long as I can.”

For years, Barrett has faced comparisons with legendary All Black centre Ma’a Nonu, but he refuses to be boxed into someone else’s mould.

“For years there’s been calls that I need to play like Ma’a Nonu, but I can’t physically play like Ma’a Nonu. I certainly don’t want to be put into a box and told this is a way that a 12 is meant to play.”

Instead, Barrett says the modern game demands a different kind of inside centre, and he is intent on building a multi-dimensional skillset.

“I think the game has evolved over the last few years. I’m trying to develop a skillset and I feel like I’m getting there. If I need to kick to someone I can, if I need to pass to someone I can, if I want to get my hands through an offload I can, if I want to beat someone I can, that’s where I want to get to as a midfielder and I feel like that’s important in today’s game.”