CRAIG LEWIS looks at five backs who could have added value to the Springboks’ Rugby Championship campaign.
When it comes to squad selections that can only accommodate 12 or 13 backs, there will always be the unlucky few who miss out, but some omissions have certainly been more than just a little puzzling this season.
Ruan Combrinck
Combrinck has been the most surprising continued omission from the Bok setup. This, after all, is the man who passionately stated that he would ‘catch a cannon ball’ for the Boks before going on to make a stunning debut off the bench against Ireland last year. A couple of subsequent injuries have served as setbacks, but Combrinck is now fully fit and enjoying a stint of rugby in Japan. Considering Combrinck offers a powerful kicking game, explosive strength and the ability to cover both wing and fullback, it beggars belief that he has been considered surplus to requirements.
Frans Steyn
One thing the Bok backline has sorely missed this year has been much-needed experience. Rather strangely, Steyn was used in a limited role off the bench during the June series, but was then overlooked for the Rugby Championship. ‘A decision was made that it was in the player’s best interest to have a good pre-season following a prolonged layoff since June and a gruelling European season,’ SA Rugby stated at the time. Nevertheless, we can only wonder what sort of benefits Steyn could have added to the squad with his experience, physicality, long-range boot and utility value. Also don’t forget that when the next World Cup rolls around, he will still only be 32 (Dan Carter was 33 at the last tournament).
Makazole Mapimpi
The 27-year-old has emerged as the best finisher in South African rugby this season, with the winger having recorded 11 tries in Super Rugby, six in the Currie Cup and already three in the Pro14. Boasting pure pace, size and strength, Mapimpi is the sort of player who could have brought out-and-out X-factor to the Bok lineup, but instead, Raymond Rhule has been afforded another opportunity to prove his doubters wrong. Yet one has to wonder just how much longer Mapimpi’s try-scoring feats can be overlooked?
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Rohan Janse van Rensburg
The powerful inside centre has overcome challenges on and off the field this year, but looks to be rediscovering some of his best form in the Currie Cup. Janse van Rensburg would have been expected to play a key role for the Boks this year, but he suffered a setback in April when he sustained a serious knee injury. However, the 23-year-old is now back to full fitness, with his powerful running and physicality continuing to set him apart as one of the most destructive backs in South African rugby.
Lukhanyo Am
The talented Sharks centre has been desperately unlucky on the injury front this year. After earning inclusion in the 31-man squad for the Boks’ series against France, he then sustained a cheekbone fracture in the Sharks’ final league game before the June international break. Am returned to action before the end of Super Rugby, but recently picked up another injury in the Currie Cup. Injuries aside, it’s unclear whether the talented 23-year-old would have been deemed ready for national exposure, but his work-rate, elusive footwork and ability to play at inside or outside centre make him a player to watch for the future.
