Boks growing in bubble: The one positive of touring with a big squad

While it’s been a trying few weeks and months for the Springboks, there is one positive to come out of touring with a bigger than normal squad – the coaching team have been able to grow the depth of the Bok group and give several young players much-needed experience of the Test environment.

More than 40 players have been part of the Bok set-up over the last few months – from the training camp in Bloemfontein at the start of the international season, through the British and Irish Lions series to the current Rugby Championship.

In all this time, the Bok players have been challenged on various levels, not only on the field, but off it, by having to live in bio-secure bubbles in this time of Covid.

But because of the difficulties associated with touring to foreign lands and isolation and quarantine challenges, the Bok squad is far bigger than normal, and this has allowed coach Jacques Nienaber and earlier, director of rugby Rassie Erasmus, to have a look at a few younger players with an eye on the future.

And Nienaber admits the Boks are already looking ahead to the World Cup in 2023.

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“When I got appointed as head coach at the beginning of 2020 the big goals were the Lions (in 2021) and the World Cup in 2023.

“While the other Tests and competitions are still important those were the two big ones to focus on. And that’s because as a coach and for the players you’re likely to only get one shot at both in your career.

“We’ve now beaten the Lions; and the next focus is now the World Cup.”

Nienaber’s Boks though have come somewhat unstuck since beating the Lions. While they beat Argentina in back-to-back Tests in Gqeberha, they go into Saturday’s final Rugby Championship Test against the All Blacks with three straight defeats to their name – they’ve lost twice to the Wallabies and once to the All Blacks.

“What the last three games have taught us is that when we veer away from our DNA our foundation is not there,” said Nienaber. “We then struggle to impose our game on the opposition. We’re thus still trying to get back to where we were in 2019… but that’s what missing out on international rugby for 18 months (mainly in 2020) has done.”

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Nienaber said the current situation, and the one positive about Covid protocols, is that he has been able to grow his squad – by default nearly.

“We’ve had an opportunity to bring some younger guys in now, to learn about the team environment.

“This ‘academy squad’, with the like of (Jaden) Hendrikse, Grant Williams, Johan Grobbelaar and Aphelele Fassi… we’ll be better off when we have to press on them in future. That’s what being forced to have an extended squad has brought us.

“We’ll look to give these players more game time in 2022 as well, ahead of the World Cup (in 2023) and then looking ahead, too, to the World Cup in 2027.”

Other players who would have learnt and benefitted by being part of the Boks in recent months include Joseph Dweba, Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg, Marvin Orie, the Du Preez brothers Jean-Luc and Dan and Jasper Wiese, who’s become a bit of a matchday regular already.

The Boks’ final Rugby Championship game against the All Blacks in the Gold Coast kicks off at 12.05pm Saturday.