Rassie says Libbok can bring Boks the Rugby Champs title: ‘We back him fully to do the job’

Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus has backed Manie Libbok to bring the Boks home in the Rugby Championship after elevating him to the starting lineup for their title deciding clash against Argentina at the Mbombela Stadium on Saturday.

Libbok has been under fire again after missing two crucial kicks in their tight 29-28 loss to Los Pumas in Santiago after the past weekend.

One was to touch late in the game which would have given the Boks an attacking lineout deep in the hosts’ 22m area, and the other was a potentially match winning penalty from an easy position with just minutes remaining.

‘Back Manie fully’

Despite those disappointments, and with many fans unhappy at the inconsistency of Libbok’s goal kicking, Erasmus has firmly backed his man, hailing his general play, while adding that the Boks were working on the rest.

“Manie’s general play is fantastic, and he brings a lot of energy and play-making abilities to the backline. He dictates play well, so we back Manie fully to do the job for us at flyhalf,” said Erasmus when naming the Bok team on Tuesday.

“It’s not just up to him to find solutions for his goal kicking, it is something we have to do as a team, and we are working on a plan.”

The Boks only need to pick up a losing bonus point in their final game of the competition to seal the title, but with Eben Etzebeth set to break Victor Matfield’s cap record and playing in front of their home fans, they will want to end the Rugby Championship with a bang.

Stiff resistance

They should face stiff resistance from Argentina however, as they have a slim chance of picking up a first ever title if they can get a bonus point win and not let the Boks pick up any points.

“We know it’s not going to be easy because Argentina really believe they have what it takes to win the title. They showed that anything is possible by defeating New Zealand at home and registering a record-breaking victory over Australia as well, so although we are close to claiming the title, we are taking nothing for granted,” explained Erasmus.

“The Pumas are a lot like South Africans. They come from a country where their players have also had to overcome great challenges to be where they are today, and this is the first time in history they have a shot at winning the trophy.

“So they’ll come out guns blazing because they have everything to gain and nothing to lose. They showed the quality of rugby they can play last week.

“They run hard, which is one of the reasons we opted for a five-three split for this game, so we are preparing for a proper final and we know it will take a massive 23-man effort for the full 80 minutes to win the trophy.”