South Africa’s formidable replacements will loom over Australia’s Test against the Springboks in Perth on Sunday, even if the line-up does not quite fit the traditional definition of a “bomb squad”.
Rassie Erasmus has selected a conventional five-forwards, three-backs split on the bench, rather than the forward-heavy 6-2 or 7-1 combinations South Africa have used in the past. Malcolm Marx, Ox Nche, Wilco Louw, Lood de Jager, Jasper Wiese, Morne van den Berg, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Quan Horn nevertheless give the coach a formidable group of options.
All but Horn played important roles in South Africa’s recent 3-1 series victory over New Zealand, underlining the depth available to the world champions.
Van den Berg is emerging as an answer to one of the few questions surrounding the Springboks: whether they possess a scrum-half capable of matching the quality around him. He is expected to enter the contest around 10 minutes into the second half, bringing a fresh threat to a match Australia will already have been tested heavily by.
Wiese will win his 50th Test cap in Perth after making a powerful impression against the All Blacks. His repeated ability to carry beyond the gain line, alongside the efforts of Eben Etzebeth and Marx, helped South Africa maintain their momentum even when New Zealand’s forwards managed to break tackles.
The Wallabies have shown encouraging signs under Les Kiss, with Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii’s selection on the wing representing another change in direction. The move marks a further shift from the Joe Schmidt era, which began with a marked improvement before performances appeared to level off.
Australia, however, will face a markedly different challenge from the one presented by Argentina, Japan and their earlier Super Rugby opponents. South Africa’s strength lies not only in the personnel available to Erasmus but in the force and purpose with which they carry the ball and defend the advantage line.
The Springboks also continue to operate close to the limits of their technique, yet have shown considerable control in doing so. Pieter-Steph du Toit, who will miss the Perth Test, repeatedly demonstrated against New Zealand that his height was no obstacle to making hard, low and legal tackles.
There are still reasons for Australia to believe it can cause an upset. Rob Valetini offers the Wallabies a powerful, hard-running flanker, while Suaalii’s exceptional ability in the air could neutralise one of South Africa’s key advantages.
The result may therefore prove less predictable than the world rankings suggest. Australia’s players will have to withstand the Springboks’ physical pressure, while South Africa’s bench will be expected to turn its depth into a decisive advantage in the second half.
