Calm down rugby fans … Boks unlikely to employ 7-1 bench split at World Cup

The Springboks seem to be hitting peak form at the perfect time, the All Blacks are wounded and worried and others in the rugby world are running scared.

The build-up to this year’s Rugby World Cup is as interesting as it is intense, with the Boks, once again, at the forefront of many observers’ minds. And not only because they have smashed Wales and New Zealand with record scores in warm-up games in the last two weeks.

Twickenham match

What has got rugby fans across the world talking, and hot under the collar in some instances, is the fact the Boks experimented with a replacements bench consisting of seven forwards and one back for last Friday’s “friendly” match against the All Blacks at Twickenham.

In a late change to the bench, the Boks replaced a back, Willie le Roux, with a forward, Kwagga Smith, giving the world champions a split of seven forwards, almost an entire pack, and just one back (Cobus Reinach) on the bench.

Teams normally pick five forwards and three backs on the bench, so as to cover all positions in the team.

It was a big gamble by the Boks and on Friday it paid off for them because none of the starting backs got injured.

With a new, fresh pack on the field in the second half at Twickenham the Boks powered past the All Blacks to register a record 35-7 win to give them momentum and belief that they can defend the World Cup title they won in Japan four years ago.

Criticism

Many in New Zealand have questioned the Boks’ tactics and implied that fans of the All Blacks shouldn’t be concerned ahead of the World Cup because the Boks cannot play any better than they did last Friday. Really?

Also, others like former Scotland coach Matt Williams said the Boks’ bench of seven forwards and one back was “totally against the spirt of the game” and he implored World Rugby to act immediately and ensure all teams picked three recogniseed backs on their benches during the tournament in France. Why?

Like the six-two split introduced by the Boks in 2019 (the Bomb Squad), this new innovation by Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber has shaken up the rugby world.

The reality though is in a big, competitive World Cup knockout game the chances of the Boks picking seven forwards and one back on their bench is highly unlikely. It’s just too much of a risk and not worth it. And it won’t happen.

But, isn’t it great seeing the panic and fear and uncertainty in some of the Boks’ biggest rivals just days out from the start of the 2023 Rugby World Cup?