Five Springbok rookies in the spotlight against the All Blacks

If the Springboks are to beat the All Blacks in a Rugby Championship match at Ellis Park on Saturday a huge team effort will be required, but the performance of five specific individuals is sure to play a key part in the outcome.

In the forwards, Ruan Nortje and Ben-Jason Dixon are rookies at this level, and while Jasper Wiese isn’t a newcomer, he hasn’t had any action in three months, while at the back flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and fullback Aphelele Fassi, who’ve each only played six Tests, have heaps of pressure on them in arguably the biggest days of their rugby lives.

Here The Citizen discusses each one of these key Bok players in Saturday’s Test.

Ruan Nortje

The Bulls captain will call the lineouts in what will be just his third Test. He is only in the side because of injuries to other locks, but don’t for one minute think he’s not up to it … Nortje is a work-horse of the highest order, in the same mould as Franco Mostert, and goes into this match on the back of a good showing in Perth two weekends ago.

Expect him to make several tackles and be highly competitive in the lineouts; he must though maintain good discipline. A huge test awaits him against a determined All Blacks team.

Ben-Jason Dixon

The Stormers flanker wasn’t even mentioned as a possible Bok at the start of the season and now he is set to wear the No 7 jumper against the mighty All Blacks, in surely the biggest day of his rugby life.

Dixon though has taken his chances this year, from facing Portugal to tackling the Wallabies. He reminds one of Pieter-Steph du Toit regarding his high tackle count and general involvement in the game.

He’ll also have to carry plenty of ball at Ellis Park, clean rucks and be a lineout option … games like these can be career-defining.

Jasper Wiese

One of the real modern-day bruisers, Wiese is no rookie, having won the World Cup last year and already collected 27 Test caps, but he goes into this match as cold as ice, having not played for several months, because of a six-match ban.

The good news is he’s been training with the Boks for weeks and should be ok, even if only for 40 to 50 minutes. The Boks are desperate to find a full-time replacement for Duane Vermeulen and while Wiese can be that man … he now has to take on the responsibility and ensure he ticks every box of what’s required by a Bok No 8.

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu

South African rugby fans are extremely excited about what the Boks can do with Feinberg-Mngomezulu at flyhalf and there’s not better test than the one he’ll face at Ellis Park. The All Blacks will show whether he’s good enough or not … though he seems to have it all.

The young No 10 has played six Tests now and looks settled in the team, with his attack, defence and kicking all seemingly in place, and he’ll hope, like the rest of South Africa, that he can direct the Boks’ play in a hugely important Test in front of a huge crowd on Saturday.

Aphelele Fassi

The Sharks man hasn’t put a foot wrong since returning to the Bok set-up this season and looks like he’s been playing Test rugby for years, so composed and comfortable has he looked.

He now gets his big chance. It’s one thing playing against Portugal and a weak Wallabies team and another facing the All Blacks, but Fassi has been told by his coach Rassie Erasmus to go out there and show everyone what he can do.

There’s some real X-factor about the “Weekend Special” and let’s hope he has Ellis Park and SA cheering his name on Saturday night.

And on the bench …

Gerhard Steenekamp

The Bulls loosehead prop has hugely impressed the Bok coaching staff this season, with them singing his praises and his somewhat surprisingly getting the nod ahead of the experienced Steven Kitshoff for this weekend’s Test.

It will be just his fifth match in the green and gold, so he has surely done something right to get the leadership’s approval.

Playing off the bench on Saturday, Steenekamp will be required to continue the work done earlier on in the match by No 1 starter, Ox Nche. The All Blacks will have prepared for the impact of the “Bomb Squad” so plenty rests on the shoulders of Steenekamp and his bench sitters.