Off-target Springboks can defy Cup history

A South African World Cup win, without the guarantee of an elite goalkicker, would set the sort of example for which the world has been waiting.

Springbok fly half Manie Libbok kicks for penalty against Scotland. Picture: Getty Images.

“We play as a team. If someone’s lacking elsewhere, someone picks up for him.” That’s the sort of team you want to play for and that’s the sort of leader you would wish to follow. The team is South Africa, the man speaking is their captain, Siya Kolisi. The subject of debate? The poor standard of goalkicking from Manie Libbok against Scotland.

Less than 24 hours earlier in the same stadium in Marseilles, another fly half, George Ford, had kicked flawlessly. Six penalties and three drop-goals. A perfect nine from nine. On Sunday afternoon, you didn’t have a clue whether the Springbok No 10 was going to hook, slice or bisect. And yet he was adjudged the official man of the match.

Normally a couple of horrible missed kicks is the unfortunate flyhalf’s epitaph for his afternoon. But the variety of precise crosskicks; long, fast passes; and occasional darts at the defensive line to hold the opposing midfield caught the eye.

It was one of the better moments of the first weekend, someone judged on more than one aspect of his game.

Libbok is a very fine fly half. And he can kick from the tee. Against New Zealand at Twickenham he was immaculate. Yet in the Rugby Championship match in Argentina he was spraying his efforts high, wide and not very handsome. Many South African eyes were on Handre Pollard, their World Cup fly half from 2019.

You can’t win a World Cup without a consistent kicker. So the wisdom says. France have two of the best in Thomas Ramos and Melvyn Jaminet, his back-up full back. Eddie Jones has brought Ben Donaldson into the Wallaby side at the last moment to turn pressure into points, as well as freeing the relatively inexperienced Carter Gordon to maximise his game from fly half. Donaldson’s return of six from seven was a good start for the fullback. In the absence of the injured fly half Caleb Muntz, Fiji may have to score another four tries (as they did against Wales) or more to beat an Australia side with a specialist goalkicker.

History suggests that the more tense the occasion, the more cautious the teams, the more imperative the trusty goalkicker.

And here’s South Africa 2023, with their hit-or-miss fly half. It’s exhilarating. Come on Springboks; challenge the caution of World Cup history.

South Africa’s suffocating defence plays its part but so does their running game. It’s all part of the same jigsaw. The speed, skill and rugby understanding on the counter-attack is a thing of beauty. Pulling most of the strings is the graceful Libbok.

A South African World Cup win, without the guarantee of an elite goalkicker, would set the sort of example for which the world has been waiting.

The Times