Rassie Erasmus rotated his 31-man squad smartly over the course of the World Cup pool phase. Every player in the group received game time and all three hookers were afforded the chance to start.<\/p>\n
Erasmus has settled on back-row and back-line combinations as far as the \u2018A\u2019 side is concerned. What\u2019s been less clear is whether he will stick with a specific tight five throughout the playoffs or opt for a horses-for-courses approach.<\/p>
The subject was broached at a media conference in Kobe last week. At that point, the Boks were waiting on the outcome of two Pool A fixtures to see whether they would face attack-minded Japan or pragmatic Ireland in the quarter-finals.<\/p>\n
Erasmus explained that Mbonambi and Marx had different strengths. He pointed out that Mbonambi\u2019s raw power was suited to a tighter, set-piece battle and that Marx\u2019s ability to force turnovers and offload in contact would be an asset in a free-flowing contest.<\/p>
He inferred that Mbonambi would start in an arm-wrestle against Ireland and that Marx would be favoured in a high-tempo affair against Japan.<\/p>\n
Now that it\u2019s been confirmed that the Boks will face Japan, however, one wonders if Erasmus will indeed back Marx to start.<\/p>\n
Speaking from the team\u2019s base in Shinjuku on Monday, Erasmus said that the Boks will need to play a faster game in order to live with Japan. That statement can be interpreted in different ways, though.<\/p>\n
One can\u2019t see the Boks forgoing their set-piece and kicking strategies to engage with a side like Japan in an all-out attacking contest. It would make more sense for the Boks to attack Japan at the set pieces in the early stages and build up a big first-half lead before upping the tempo later in the game. Mbonambi as well as Marx will have key roles to play in that kind of plan.<\/p>\n
Two months ago, we saw Mbonambi, Beast Mtawarira and Trevor Nyakane targeting the Argentina scrum in the Rugby Championship decider. Prior to that game, many questioned Erasmus\u2019 call to pick a second-string front row for such an important game. The call was made with the trio\u2019s strength in mind, though, as well as the set-piece weakness of the opposition.<\/p>\n
The Bok forwards destroyed the Pumas in the early stages. Argentina grew more desperate on attack as the game progressed, and the Boks proceeded to punish the home team\u2019s errors by scoring points and tries at the other end of the park.<\/p>\n
On Sunday night, 13 October 2019, coach Jamie Joseph highlighted Japan\u2019s progress at the set pieces and how that improvement has enabled the Brave Blossoms to beat more tier-one nations. The Boks, however, will pose a different threat in this regard.<\/p>\n
It wouldn\u2019t surprise to see Mbonambi starting in the quarter-final on Sunday. Lood de Jager should also crack the nod for his lineout management expertise.<\/p>\n
Again, while Franco Mostert and RG Snyman are more suited to a high-tempo contest with their work rate and offloading skills, De Jager\u2019s marshalling of the maul will be needed when the Boks target the Japan forwards in the early stages.<\/p>\n
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