Players have made it tough for coaches to pick World Cup squad — Mbonambi

Springbok stand–in captain Bongi Mbonambi has applauded his charges for putting their hands up for the Rugby World Cup squad selection following their impressive 24-13 win over Argentina in Buenos Aires on Saturday.

Going into the match, the Boks fringe players and those uncertain of their positions, knew it was their last chance to stake their claim for a spot in coach Jacques Nienaber’s final 33-man squad that will go to France.

The Boks were trailing in the first half 10-3 but bounced back in the second stanza with 21 points courtesy of tries from outside backs Makazole Mapimpi and Canan Moodie, plus 12 points from flyhalf Manie Libbok’s boot.

Selection headache

There were impressive displays from a lot of players, but the likes of Moodie, Mapimpi, Jean Kleyn (lock), Thomas du Toit (prop), and Andre Esterhuizen (centre) put up strong cases for a boarding ticket to France.

Mbonambi, who made his debut as skipper, said he was proud of how the travelling core performed to give the management team a selection headache ahead of Tuesday’s squad announcement.

“The guys put up their hands and showed that they really want to be in the World Cup squad,” Mbonambi said in the post-match press conference.

“The one thing that the coaches wanted to do was give everyone a chance before the World Cup squad is announced, but I think a lot of guys put their hands up, showing they’re ready for the World Cup, making it tough for the coaches,” he said.

‘Hostile crowd’

Following the previous week’s narrow 21-20 win over Los Pumas in the final Rugby Championship encounter in Johannesburg, the Boks were expected to be rolled over in BA, but they fronted up against a feisty Argentina side who had the backing of the home crowd and came out on top.

“When we arrived here we spoke about backing each other on the field,” Mbonambi said.

“We knew it was going to be tough, against a very hostile crowd. In the first half, we tried a lot of things, but it didn’t go our way. We knew in the second half it was going to come our way, we said we have to keep on grinding.

“Playing Argentina in front of their home crowd is tough,” said the Sharks man.