Bongi surprise choice to lead Boks

Hooker Bongi Mbonambi will lead the Springboks in their Rugby World Cup warmup game against Argentina in Buenos Aires on Saturday.

With Duane Vermeulen, who led the Boks in two of their Castle Lager Rugby Championship matches, and the skipper for the game against the All Blacks, Eben Etzebeth, both staying at home, a new leader was needed for the return clash against the Pumas.

Steven Kitshoff is in Argentina and he along with Lukhanyo Am would have been considered more likely alternatives to wear the captaincy armband, but Kitshoff does not feature in the Bok match 23 this week.

So the Cell C Sharks’ Mbonambi gets his chance to lead his country and it will be considered a slightly left field selection in the sense that he hasn’t captained at franchise or provincial level.

He was though mentioned by Bok coach Jacques Nienaber as a potential captain earlier in the season and he is one in the leadership group both at Bok level and with the Cell C Sharks.

As anticipated when the squad to travel to Buenos Aires was named, there are several changes to the starting team from last week’s game against the same opponents at Emirates Airlines Park in Johannesburg.

In fact, flyhalf Manie Libbok, who gets a third chance to start in the No10 and his second in succession, and his Stormers teammate Marvin Orie are the only common denominators from the scrappy and error-ridden 22-21 win on the highveld.

Lood de Jager was in the initial team released by SA Rugby early on Tuesday but a revised team was sent out later in the day.

MIX AND MATCH SELECTION

No reasons were given for De Jager’s absence but it can be assumed he is injured as the big lock looked like he needed game time to clear away the rust in the loss to the All Blacks at Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland.

Cobus Reinach returns as Libbok’s halfback partner after missing both games subsequent to the good opening Championship win over Australia in Pretoria, and another player who did well in that game, Munster lock Jean Kleyn, is also back in the starting team.

Considering it is a mix and match selection, with fringe players being given another go at impressing the selectors, it is a strong team - on paper at least.

The game presents a first starting opportunity at Bok level for Deon Fourie, who must be strongly in the frame for World Cup selection given that he can also cover hooker.

However, his Stormers teammate Joseph Dweba, who was excellent when he came on as a replacement in the Loftus game three and a half weeks ago, will cover for Mbonambi in this game.

Two players who will be making their first starts of the season are props Thomas du Toit and Trevor Nyakane, while Jean-Luc du Preez and Herschel Jantjies will be getting their first rugby of the international season by coming off the bench.

It is interesting to note that Du Preez appears to be covering lock in this game. Vodacom Bulls prop Gerhard Steenekamp, called into the squad when Ox Nche was injured in training in the buildup to the Wallaby game, will make his international debut if he comes on off the bench.

UTILITY VALUE OF PLAYERS A BIG BOK STRENGTH

Damian Willemse is at fullback in the starting team for the first time this season and given Willie le Roux’s poor defensive game (he is admittedly good on attack) he could just be challenging for the right to be first choice No15 going to the World Cup.

He will continue to cover flyhalf, but now as the third option, with Libbok seemingly the second cab off the rank behind the still injured Handre Pollard.

Andre Esterhuizen is back to build on his fine performance against Australia at inside centre and wing Canan Moodie is another player who will be playing his second game of the international season, with his Bulls teammate Kurt Lee Arendse playing off the bench in this game and probably providing fullback cover as much as wing.

The utility value of several players, and you can include the ability of some of the props to swop sides, is one of the big strengths of the Boks heading into the World Cup.

Even Jesse Kriel, who is back on the bench to allow Am to return to the outside centre position, has utility value as while he has moonlighted on the wing occasionally he also started his senior provincial career at fullback.

Libbok also has experience of fullback, Franco Mostert is at blindside flank but has played most of his career at lock, Fourie doubles as hooker, and so it goes on…