PARIS — Springboks coach Jacques Nienaber has defended the selection of under-fire playmaker Manie Libbok, pointing to the No. 10’s record this season as to why he got the nod for the Rugby World Cup quarterfinal against France.
South Africa will close out the opening weekend of knockout action against Les Bleus at Stade de France on Sunday night [CET], the Springboks expecting a fierce reception from a crowd that will be boisterously supporting the host nation.
Whether that transpires to goal kicking, too, remains to be seen, though “respect the kicker” signage does flash up around the stadium for both conversion and penalty attempts – but getting the crowd to adhere to the request is another matter altogether.
While Libbok is no youngster at 26 years of age, the Stormers fly-half is only 12 Tests into his international career. And he has already found himself in the spotlight over his goal kicking, which sits at a lowly 54.5% for the tournament.
Still, Nienaber has backed Libbok to do the job against France, referencing his win/loss record, rather than his goal kicking percentage, as to why the 26-year-old got the nod ahead of Handre Pollard.
“If you look at a guy like Cobus [Reinach], he is playing exceptional rugby, and Faf [de Klerk] for that matter. It’s the same with Manie [Libbok],” Nienaber said Friday [CET]. “Handre [Pollard] is a bit different, when you look at the cumulative number of minutes he has played for us this year. It is probably one game altogether, so he is slowly building up his minutes.
“And Manie is probably our in-form fly-half. I think we have lost one game this year when he has started at 10. The team performs when he starts at 10, it is as simple as that.”
The Springboks coach did concede that every point from hereon out was going to be crucial, but said he was confident Libbok could back up his flawless effort against Tonga after coming off the bench to replace Pollard.
“I know Handre came back and kicked 100% in the last game, but I think Manie did too. Any kicker can have an off day but when you play knockout games, you are not going to get many opportunities. So when we get them, we must use them.”
Elsewhere, the Springboks have reverted to a traditional 5-3 bench split, noting the need for some tactical kicking cover against the French. South Africa have undergone a major change in their game over the past 18 months, with the Springboks having the lowest percentage of possession kicked away (46%) and second fewest actual kicks in play (20.3) of the eight teams who remain in France.
Rather than trying to bludgeon the tournament hosts with a fresh army of forwards in the second half, the Boks instead appear to be preparing for a cat-and-mouse type kicking exchange with de Klerk, Pollard and Willie le Roux providing excellent cover off the bench.
Pollard’s inclusion among the replacements also provides cover from the tee, should Libbok not be on target early in the match.
“If it’s 8-0, 7-1, 6-2, 5-3, it falls under team selection. We have selected a team, irrespective of the bench, that we think will give us the best opportunity of a victory on Sunday,” Nienaber said of his bench.
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“If we select Cobus [Reinach] or Faf [de Klerk], I don’t think there would be a lot of raised eyebrows. France have got a very interesting kicking game and we feel using those two guys will give us the best opportunity.”
Captain Siya Kolisi echoed his coach’s sentiments around France’s kicking game, suggesting the Springboks would have to bide their time and not get sucked into a counterattack that wasn’t on.
“There are not a lot of weaknesses in the French side, or all four teams playing [in Paris] this weekend,” Kolisi said. “One thing a bit different is their kicking game. They make no bones about it – they prefer not to play with the ball. They pressurise you, try to suffocate you and force you into making errors, which is a very good system from Shaun [Edwards].
“We have had to talk to that with our team selection. If you look at their set-pieces, they win their ball and then they have some X-factor, So they are a well-rounded team who puts teams under pressure and don’t give up, they play for 80 minutes.”
SOUTH AFRICA: Damian Willemse, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Cheslin Kolbe, Manie Libbok, Cobus Reinach, Duane Vermeulen, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Siya Kolisi (capt), Franco Mostert, Eben Etzebeth, Frans Malherbe, Bongi Mbonambi, Steven Kitshoff
Replacements: Deon Fourie, Ox Nche, Vincent Koch, RG Snyman, Kwagga Smith, Faf de Klerk, Handre Pollard, Willie le Roux