While Schalk Brits looks set to go to the World Cup with the Springboks, Bismarck du Plessis and Akker van der Merwe remain in the running. CRAIG LEWIS reports.
Malcolm Marx will travel to the 2019 World Cup as the Springboks’ first-choice hooker. Fitness permitting and barring any inconceivable fall from grace, there is little doubt about that. Similarly, all signs up to this point suggest that Bongi Mbonambi is set to primarily serve as the backup when the showpiece event rolls around in September.
Of course, rugby is a fickle beast and plenty can still happen between now and then, but the 1-2 pecking order at hooker has become pretty clear. Yet the selection waters become a little more murky when it comes to stating with a similar level of certainty who should fulfil the ‘third hooker’ berth in that World Cup squad.
In such a specialist position, the importance of this selection cannot be underestimated. It has also remained a talking point ever since the national recall of 37-year-old Schalk Brits last year. Make no mistake, the veteran is a probable front-runner to grab one of those plane tickets to Japan, should he enjoy a productive Vodacom Super Rugby season. It could become one of rugby’s most remarkable comeback stories.
Just last May, Brits received a grand farewell as he ran out for his final game with his beloved English club Saracens. From there he was set to head into rugby retirement, having planned to begin an executive MBA at Cambridge. Instead, Brits’ life and career took an unexpected turn when he was lured out of retirement by Bok coach Rassie Erasmus, and has subsequently remained a fixture in the national squad for the majority of last season, despite featuring in just one Test.
Although that time served to ignite a burning desire within Brits to push though to this World Cup year, it has not come without its challenges. For one, there have been some critics who have questioned the stalwart’s exact role in the Bok set-up and his limited game time.
It’s a debate that’s divided opinion, but Erasmus has been clear on the subject. He believes Brits is still fit enough to contribute as a player, one who brings immense intellectual properties with him. His role as a mentor with more than 15 years’ experience under the belt is well documented, and it’s a big part of the reason Erasmus has encouraged Brits to hold off his retirement for now.
At the start of the Rugby Championship last year, fellow front rower Beast Mtawarira perhaps best summed up the impact of Brits on the team environment.
‘He’s like one of the coaches,’ Mtawarira quipped. ‘He’s been a big help to the guys in the side. It’s something special, that characteristic he has… always helping the hookers, offering them additional information. It can be anything from his knowledge of the opposition, to something specific he has seen or picked up.
‘Even the guys in the backline get advice,’ Mtawarira said with a chuckle. ‘That’s Scalla – he’s got an all-rounder brain. He knows the game very well. He’s made a massive impact and the guys enjoy his presence.’
In the Currie Cup final, for example, Mbonambi endured a difficult day out as Western Province’s lineout imploded. Yet, just a couple of weeks later, he came off the bench, successfully found his jumpers in a high-pressure Test against France and scored the winning try to boot.
‘I think Schalk had a massive role in that,’ Erasmus said in an interview late last year. ‘Bongi is not a guy who has 50 Test caps. So before a World Cup, to get a guy like him working with Schalk is great. Schalk is not a guy just looking for a position, he is there to help with lineout throwing, scrumming and his knowledge of European conditions.’
The caveat that the Bok coach added in that interview was that Brits still needed to successfully negotiate an entire season with the Bulls to provide more tangible evidence of his enduring on-field ability. Indeed, it was a sentiment Brits also shared when SARugbymag.co.za caught up with him at the start of his Bulls journey.
‘I didn’t play rugby to be a coach or play a mentorship role; that has just come with age, I guess. Some criticism has been thrown my way, and I’ve got no problem with that. But it’s nice to be in a set-up where I will hopefully get some decent game time.
‘I’m not the player I was 10 years ago, or five years ago, or even last year. For me, there is a constant drive to keep getting better as a player, and now I’ve got a platform to focus on my game, while also obviously hoping to add value where I can to a team that want to be successful.
‘I know I can’t look further than the Bulls. If I don’t play well for them, I can’t be selected for the Boks – it’s as simple as that,’ he added. The ball is in my court, and it’s about what I do with it. If I play good rugby, I’ll hopefully have a good shot at being selected. If not, I will have to go another route.
‘But there is a big drive in my last year to have a meaningful impact and to leave a legacy, and for me, that is to play good rugby and continue getting enjoyment from this wonderful game. I’ve got a second shot at playing in South Africa and it’s an unbelievable opportunity.’
Of course, it cannot be forgotten that another veteran, Bismarck du Plessis, is certainly not out of contention. If one recalls, Erasmus had originally intended to bring the Montpellier-based hooker into the squad before the three-Test series against England last year. Du Plessis had been identified as the experienced general who could provide expert input that would benefit the lesser experienced hookers such as Marx, Mbonambi and Van der Merwe. It was only after Du Plessis’ release was circumvented that Erasmus managed to secure the services of Brits.
For the 34-year-old Du Plessis, who last played for the Boks in 2015, it may seem that time is running out to battle his way back into the World Cup equation this year. However, the physical former Sharks hooker has made it clear he has not given up on the dream of wearing the green and gold again.
‘I still have a real desire to play for the Springboks,’ Du Plessis told KweséESPN towards the end of last year. ‘I put my heart into playing for South Africa and that remains my ambition. I have always given everything I have for the national team and if I get the chance again, that will not change.’
As it is, Du Plessis does boast the experience banked from three World Cup tournament appearances, which included coming off the bench in the successful 2007 final against England. John Smit, who lifted the Webb Ellis Cup that night, said he believed a player like Du Plessis could certainly still offer value.
‘Those French clubs have been difficult when it comes to adhering to Regulation 9 [related to the release of players for Test duty], but this year there could be opportunities if Rassie wanted to use them. I can’t see why he wouldn’t want that sort of experience.’
It’s a point Erasmus has driven home, particularly as questions continue to be raised over Brits’ selection ahead of Van der Merwe, who will join the Sale Sharks after this year’s Super Rugby tournament.
‘You do need experience,’ Erasmus explained before the November tour to Europe. ‘Schalk was the right choice for such a trip, but that doesn’t mean Akker or other hookers won’t get a chance of going to the World Cup.’
After all, injuries can wreak havoc with the best-laid plans. But to have the likes of Brits, Du Plessis and Van der Merwe all effectively fighting for one World Cup berth can only be seen as a position of real strength.
– This feature first appeared in the April 2019 issue of SA Rugby magazine.
