Former Springbok coach makes interesting call on ‘bomb squad’

One of the enduring talking points since the start of the Springbok season has revolved around whether the national coaches should still be sticking to a strategy of deploying a ‘bomb squad’ of bench players.

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During the last Test against the All Blacks, the likes of Malcolm Marx, Duane Vermeulen and Pieter-Steph du Toit helped inspire a mini comeback in the second half as they featured off a bench that once again included a six-two forwards-to-backs split.

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When reviewing the debate over who should be starting or brought on for impact, former Springbok coach Jake White wrote an interesting column for RugbyPass.com in which he saw the silver lining to the New Zealand result.

“What the loss has done is ignite debate about selection. The talk here in South Africa is: ‘Isn’t it time for RG Snyman or Malcolm Marx to start?’ Or, ‘Isn’t it time Kurt-Lee Arendse was unleashed’, or ‘Why isn’t PSDT starting?’

“The drums are beating for the Bomb Squad to start and the court of public opinion is criticising the fact we didn’t compete at the lineout and saying we gave away too many penalties.

“What would I say to the doubters? It shows what makes rugby such a great game because what it also throws up is questions as to whether the Boks, despite their enormous strength in depth, have held something back.

“Instead of the narrative that the Boks are too predictable and have nothing up their sleeve, fans are now left playing a guessing game.”

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THE SPRINGBOK SIDE TO FACE ARGENTINA WILL BE REVEALED ON TUESDAY

It’s been confirmed that the Boks‘ matchday 23 for the Argentina Test will be named at 12.30pm this Tuesday, with the clash against the Pumas at Ellis Park set to kick off at 5.05pm.

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It also shouldn’t be forgotten that the Boks’ squad for the 2023 World Cup will be announced on Tuesday, 8 August at a special event taking place from 2-4pm.

It effectively means that the shortened single-round Rugby Championship will serve as the final opportunity for players to cement their place in the squad.

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