Springboks have full-blown lock crisis ahead of All Blacks Test

The Springboks have a full-blown lock crisis on their hands after it was confirmed on Monday that RG Snyman was out of the All Blacks Test at Ellis Park on Saturday and that Eben Etzebeth would be touch and go for the match.

Bok assistant coach Deon Davids was fronting up to the media at a press conference and admitted that there was some concern due to all of the players out in the position, but that it also highlighted the incredible depth they have in it.

Locks Franco Mostert, Lood de Jager and Jean Kleyn have all already been ruled out of the Rugby Championship, while Snyman is still struggling with the leg injury picked up in training in Australia.

Salmaan Moerat is also unavailable for the game due to the concussion he picked up in the second Test against the Wallabies just over a week ago, and if Etzebeth is not on the team list on Tuesday it could leave the Boks in a bit of a pickle.

Lock ‘hoodoo’

“Salmaan is following the protocol for HIA (return to play) so he unfortunately won’t be available for the game. We also have a bit of a hoodoo in the lock department … as guys like Lood de Jager, Franco Mostert and Jean Kleyn are out,” explained Davids.

“At this point in time RG Snyman is also unavailable due to a leg injury and I can’t go into detail on it, but he will be out for a couple of weeks. Eben Etzebeth is also struggling with a bit of a niggle, so that’s something we have to look at in terms of his availability.

“But luckily at the end of day we have some good depth. Guys that have played in those positions are Pieter-Steph du Toit, and Ruan Nortje had a good game in his last outing, and we have an experienced guy in Nicolaas (Janse van Rensburg), who we have brought in.

“Ben-Jason Dixon has also played a couple of games at lock for the Stormers, so while it is always tough when you lose such experienced players, it’s also an exciting opportunity to see what the next guy can bring to the squad.”

The Boks could see a new lock pairing in action on Saturday, with Montpellier lock Janse van Rensburg, who played his only Bok Test off the bench against Argentina in Gqeberha in the 2021 Rugby Championship, possibly set to be thrown straight into the starting mix to partner Du Toit.

Nortje could also start if the Boks want to keep Du Toit at flank, but in the first Test against the Wallabies Du Toit played No 5 and Dixon No 7 and that could be the case again this weekend.

All Black lock decisions

The Boks aren’t the only ones with decisions to make at lock, as the All Blacks are going through some changes having lost Sam Whitelock and Brodie Retallick after last year’s World Cup, but Davids believes that won’t be too much of a problem for them.

“Scott Barrett will be back this week and it will be massive from a leadership and playing point of view for New Zealand to have him back,” said Davids.

“Whitelock and Retallick are quality players and any team that loses that quality will take some time in rebuilding that, but they have some good youngsters coming through and with the leadership of Barrett and (Patrick) Tuipulotu around them they will grow in stature.”

The Bok team for Saturday’s Test will be named around midday Tuesday.