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Erasmus heavily implies Pollard vs Libbok debate is over

Handre Pollard of South Africa looks on during the Rugby World Cup France 2023 match between South Africa and Tonga at Stade Velodrome on October 01, 2023 in Marseille, France. (Photo by Paul Harding/Getty Images)

South Africa director of rugby Rassie Erasmus has heavily hinted that they have a preferred candidate in the race for the Springbok number ten jersey between Handre Pollard and Manie Libbok.

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While Libbok is the incumbent, there have been question marks raised around his kicking off the tee after eleven points went begging in the loss to Ireland.

Against that, returning star Pollard had his first outing at the Rugby World Cup against Tonga and bagged four successful kicks off the tee.

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Erasmus have heavily implied that they will retain Stormers standoff Libbok as their starting ten, given the way the Springboks play with him pulling the strings at ten.

“Unfortunately for Handre it’s only the one game he has played,” said Erasmus. “Manie had proved himself the way he has played in general play for us. Handre made four kicks and Manie three kicks so we kicked seven out of seven.

“It’s a tough call we will have to make. If we go five-three, maybe both can be in the mix. If we go six-two it’s a possibility, if we go seven-one then things might look a little different.

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“Internally, we will only announce team (if in quarter-finals) next Sunday, then as quick as we can in the test match week. On Saturday, after the Scotland v Ireland game we will know exactly who we will play. If we are in first place we play the following Saturday, if second we play the next Sunday so we will have a seven day turnaround.

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“But tries also wins games and the way we play is to try and score tries. I really think we have been attacking much better, like the country has asked us to do and the supporters are always wanting us to be more creative and not just have this kicking game.

“Manie brings that to us.”

Erasmus also revealed that Pollard and Libbok may have been working together to make sure the latter better manages his shot-clock management when kicking.

“I won’t take any credit with that. If somebody helped him it would be ‘Stokke’ (Mzwandile Stick, assistant coach). We know it’s a nice talking point and (kicking) wins games. Yes, it true.

“He certainly has worked hard with Handre and maybe it’s Handre who gave him a tip or two. I don’t think the shot clock was ever an issue with him and Manie is a very interesting character when it comes to something like that.

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“It doesn’t bother him for the rest of his game and that is something special to have. It would be nice to have him on the park for that general play and if he is on song and fantastic with his kicking, but somebody else who can back him up if he does have a bad day.”

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Comments

6 Comments
N
Nico 574 days ago

Polard or Libok the title is ours

T
Tim 574 days ago

No10 doesn't have to take the place kicks though. Faf also missed two kicks at goal, so you could say he lost the game Vs Ireland. The Boks backline loses some attacking potency with Pollard running the cutter. Great to see Am back in the squad. Classy operator.

r
rory 574 days ago

No debate. Pollard must start. Rassie knows it and just putting the alternative forward. Maybe Libbok comes on when job done but while it is tight Pollard will be the man. All about smoke and mirrors.

A
Ace 575 days ago

Ja Rassie, we wanna score tries. But first we wanna win tests, tournaments and trophies.

In today's professional rugby environment, tries are hard to come by. We scored one (ONE) try again Ireland. Some others may have gone begging. But that's the nature of tries - those pesky opponents always try (haha, see what I did there?) to get between you and the tryline.

Whereas, with kicks it comes down to the ability of the kicker.

We don't know how many tries we left on the table against Ireland, but we DO know that we failed to convert 11 points from kicks, which definitely would have influenced the final score.

N
Nico 575 days ago

100%. Common sense prevails.

M
Michael 575 days ago

Libbocks erratic goal kicking will cost the Boks in the big games as he did with Ireland finish and klaar ou waar.

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JW 4 hours ago
How 'misunderstood' Rassie Erasmus is rolling back the clock

The All Blacks have definitely exchanged physicality for their running rugby, tiring teams out in the last 10 minutes type approach, over the last decade.


Hell they were the ones getting tired in South Africa last year.


Previously, we had always had to get ourselves pumped up to match the SB. Our forwards would need to punch above their weight. There’s been no such feeling or talk like that for a decade. We’re happy that we can go toe to toe all day everyday now. I suggest Ireland still need to do that though.


Yes I’m not familiar with those games, or the way you’d played them, you and Graham were discussing, but I’d say the players I’ve seen recently certainly do have those capabilities (to outplay/skill NZ or France). Really though I think we both acknowledging the same thing, the capaticity to play multiple ways, because you have the most well rounded player types.


So I fully endorse unlocking that further. Ireland became a tricky bunch for sure. You may not have heard me champion their play when it first started coming out, by I credited them/Lancaster, as encompasing a lot of the great backline/phase play trickery I’d become accustomed to naturally seeing, through evolution, from all ages in New Zealand. He put a plan together about how/when to cut/when to loop/when to skip. Players I grew up with, well even myself of course, we just did those things based on what we see, and Lancaster put that together as a package for people who don’t.. have such DNA, or ‘IP’. I’ve not seen any other team do it with such precision, or make it look so natural as they did. They’ve lost it now of course (as had NZ already), but my point would be that you can also do you’re own thing. For instance you could go to grubbers instead of territory kicks, low fast guys, even the tall lanky Fassi’ are supreme at reading and catching a bouncing ball. Simply by not going to your lineout strength, you can put immense attacking pressure through space and speed for example. Brown got the use of those athletes going in the wide channels, while still looking for say someone who was as good as Kieran Read to really unlock that threat. But anyway, maybe I misconstrued what you wanted the team to do, but I just think there are, as youve said about the past, ways SA can play. I wouldn’t be worried about anything too fancy, but yes, they say defence wins match’s but really that’s just because attack is the hardest thing to get right. So if you can get it right, yes, you do almost become unbeatable. Like I said I couldn’t see going as far as to play like a “Brazil” being a “trick” to get over the mental barrier of expectation, not with SA’s psyche. In tsaying that though I’m thinking to myself, in terms of clamming up in big games, Irelands playbook approach would be better than instinct. That’s because you need that ‘brazilian’ to play on instinct, and I think the game means too much to us for that, and maybe that’s how Ireland was able to keep up it’s threat in those big games, all everyone simply had to do with stick the playbook.


Even without winning WCs NZ has been able to feel like it was still on top, and playing with some audacious flair, as in just backing yourself to beat these two players in front of me that results in a breakdown field which wins you the game, requires that sort of knowledge that you are the best, that level of confidence. That’s an advantage NZ has had to keep that style going over the decades. The acid test has come on, there is a desire their from from Razor to regain it, now to be able to play that way when doubts set in.

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