The Springboks have a huge hooker problem

The Springboks have a huge hooker problem

The Springboks have to answer their hooker question in the coming season but the URC will be crucial in sizing up who should get the call.

Springboks Bongi Mbonambi

South African Bongi Mbonambi and Englishman Ellis Genge
South Africa vs. England, 2023 International Rugby Union, Stade de France, Paris, France – October 21, 2023 – Rugby World Cup Semi-Final 2

Due to the injury of Springboks star Bongi Mbonambi early in the tournament, Deon Fourie justifiably received high credit for playing 75 minutes at hooker. However, that situation only occurred because of a developing positional issue in South African rugby.

The position of hooker is obviously problematic throughout the nation, as none of the available backups can match the injury-prone Malcolm Marx and Mbonambi of the Springboks.

URC not going great for SA hookers

A few URC rugby matches have shown how thin the roster is and how inconsistently the players who might be called upon to step up in 2024 perform.

Johan Grobbelaar of the Bulls, who was first capped by the Springboks in 2023, seems to be the strongest contender. When it comes to carrying and even finishing, Grobbelaar is almost on par with someone like Marx. The Bulls No. 2 undoubtedly has an eye for the tryline, but the Springboks already need to improve their precision at this setpiece because his lineout throws this season have been far from flawless.

In order to support the Bulls, Akker van der Merwe has also gone back to South Africa, although at 32,it is unclear if he would be considered for a rebuilding Springboks squad.

The Sharks glut of hookers

The national cause hasn’t benefited from the Sharks’ failure to decide on their hooker, especially considering that Dylan Richardson, a Scotland international, is one of their possibilities. Due to their height, Dan Jooste and Kerron van Vuuren have drawn criticism, yet despite never really establishing themselves, both players have had fantastic seasons for the Sharks. Although Fez Mbatha is more akin to the hooker from the Springboks, he is now having trouble finding any playing time in Durban.

The Stormers have aging options

Promising young players Andre-Hugo Venter and JJ Kotze are among the many hookers vying for playing time in Cape Town. Joseph Dweba, who signed with the Stormers with the intention of pushing the Springboks, has been told to improve his lineout feeding. Although Scarra Ntubeni is their most dependable player, he is likely in the same situation as Bulls’ van der Merwe when it comes to national duty.

Lions being overlooked

When it comes to bigger honors, Lions player PJ Botha is certainly one who should be discussed more. The Lions have been working to provide the 25-year-old the playing time that his skill set demands, as he is signed with them through at least 2025. Veteran Lions hooker Jaco Visagie, with whom Botha alternates in the No. 2 jersey, is providing Botha with excellent advice. Morne Brandon, a 22-year-old talent, hasn’t shown us enough to properly assess him.

The URC key to answering hooker question

One of the fundamentals of the No. 2 job is still locating your jumpers in the lineout, despite the fact that the hooker position has changed throughout time, with many now functioning as extra loose forwards at the breakdown as well as fierce and aggressive ball carriers.

From a Springbok perspective, the 2023–2024 URC season will be crucial because Rassie Erasmus will aim to find players who can provide elite choices at hooker.

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *