Coenie Oosthuizen is set to start his first Test since 2014, while Uzair Cassiem appears poised to make just his second Springbok appearance, writes CRAIG LEWIS in Port Elizabeth.
The signs from the Springbok camp have been encouraging ahead of Saturday’s first Rugby Championship encounter against Argentina, with training having been filled with accuracy and intensity.
It bodes well for this weekend’s clash, but the fact remains that the Boks will be heading into this clash with another new tighthead prop, and an untried loose trio.
The untimely neck injury to Frans Malherbe – which is set to sideline the Stormers strongman for an extended period – has left the Boks a little short in terms of their tighthead stocks.
Malherbe would initially have been expected to start on Saturday, with Oosthuizen and Trevor Nyakane providing cover on either side of the front row.
However, Allister Coetzee looks set to back Oosthuizen in the No 3 jersey – which, to be fair, is where he regularly impressed for the Sharks this season.
The 28-year-old does look to be in top shape, and there is no doubt that he owes much of his success this season to the conditioning work that he has undertaken.
It led to his inclusion in the Bok squad for the June series against France, where he featured off the bench in each of the three Tests, with those appearances marking his first Bok involvement since 2015.
Yet the last time Oosthuizen started a Test was against Wales at the end of 2014, and his return to the tighthead berth is sure to provide him with a real litmus test against the powerful scrummaging unit of the Pumas.
The good news for the Boks is that both loosehead prop Beast Mtawarira and hooker Malcolm Marx have recovered from injury niggles, and will be able to take up their places alongside him in the front row.
Where the Boks have endured real disruption is among the loose forwards, with Warren Whiteley remaining sidelined, while Siya Kolisi has been troubled by a niggling ankle injury.
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Although Kolisi was unable to feature in all of Monday’s training, he was up and running with the Boks on Tuesday, albeit somewhat gingerly at times.
Nevertheless, Kolisi was officially cleared by the medical staff towards the end of last week, and should be able to take up his place at openside flank.
Although Oupa Mohoje ran extensively with the team during Monday’s training session, he has now been released back to the Cheetahs, which could well open the door for Jaco Kriel to start at blindside flank.
It would be a golden opportunity for Kriel to strut his stuff in a ball-carrying role that he is extremely comfortable with, while Jean-Luc du Preez’s versatility is likely to earn him a spot on the bench. He is also the man who would be expected to be elevated to the starting lineup should Kolisi suffer a recurrence of his ankle injury.
The real talking point, though, seems set to come at No 8, where Cassiem is in line for a new role, with his abilities at the lineout certainly appearing to have caught the attention of the Bok coaches.
Cassiem’s only previous Test appearance came on the flank against Wales at the end of last year, while it’s where he has also been predominantly deployed by the Cheetahs.
Having said that, he is not a complete stranger to the No 8 role, and it’s his ranging play and strength at the lineouts that the Boks will be hoping to make the most of in Saturday’s Test against the unpredictable Pumas.
Beneficially, the Boks have had minimal disruption among their backs, with Ross Cronjé expected to overcome a shoulder injury to take up his place in an unchanged backline from the French series.
There could also be a big moment for uncapped 20-year-old Curwin Bosch, who is likely to take up a place on the bench previously occupied by Frans Steyn during the June series.
ALSO READ: Boks back ‘coachable’ Bosch
‘I think we’ve trained really well, and it’s been great to work with everyone again,’ Bok assistant coach Franco Smith commented. ‘We haven’t had too many injuries, particularly among the backs, and there are a lot of guys adding real value. We’re excited for this first Test.’
The Boks will announce their team at 14:00 on Thursday.
Probable Bok team – 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Raymond Rhule, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Jan Serfontein, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Ross Cronjé, 8 Uzair Cassiem, 7 Jaco Kriel, 6 Siya Kolisi, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Coenie Oosthuizen, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Beast Mtawarira.
Photo: Richard Huggard/Gallo Images
