Advertisement

Brits brings early vindication for Rassie

rugby04 March 2019 05:22| © Cycle Lab
By:JJ Harmse
Share
article image
Schalk Brits © Getty Images
It hasn’t taken long in the new Vodacom Super Rugby season for one of Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus’ most perplexing selections and decisions of 2018 to be vindicated.

In a week when some Durbanites were crying into their hankies because they drew a connection between the Bok selections at hooker last year and Akker van der Merwe’s departure for the United Kingdom at the end of the season, Erasmus could not have asked for better timing.

“What is Schalk Brits doing there?” It was a question this writer asked many times last year. So did many others. It seemed crazy to select a 38 year old when it meant someone like the much younger, and apparently perennially in good form Sharks hooker Van der Merwe was making such a habit of picking up man of the match awards at franchise and provincial level.

Given that Brits, who had never really set the international scene alight when given the opportunity, had to be talked out of retirement to be a Bok again was Erasmus’ most questionable selection in a year where he mostly got everything right. On Saturday, playing for the Vodacom Bulls against the Emirates Lions, he emphatically removed that question mark.

He had of course already added the value to the Bulls that Erasmus had said he’d do for the Boks. His experience, gained over many years of top class rugby for first the Lions, then the Stormers and English club Saracens, was in tandem with the similar strengths of Duane Vermeulen seen as one of the secrets to the confident and composed way that the Bulls started their season against the Vodacom Stormers.

At Emirates Airlines Park he went even further, turning in an energetic and dominating performance that belied his age and emphatically confirmed his abilities. He effected turn-overs, showed up as a carrier, made tackles, contributed to a winning scrum and also continued to be his usual efficient self as a lineout thrower.

It would be wrong to make too much of the fact that he outshone the Springbok first choice, Malcolm Marx, on the day. That did happen, but then it would when the pack Marx was playing for was forced to play second fiddle for 80 minutes. Nonetheless, the timing was again perfect. Being so influential in a game that pitted him against his Bok squad mate sent out a strong message.

Erasmus always intimated that Brits was in the squad in 2018 to teach the other hookers. Well in Johannesburg at the weekend he confirmed his right to be considered a teacher and the others learners. Erasmus, if he ever did doubt his decision at all, can now consider that box to be ticked.

What of Van der Merwe? Well, the new national contracting system, and the lifting of the 30 test rule for overseas based players who want to play for the Boks, surely means that non-selection no longer plays any decision to go overseas. You will be selected if you are good enough regardless of whether you live in Benoni or Brive.

It’s also an error to think that Van der Merwe was left out in 2018 for Bongi Mbonambi. The latter was good as a starter in his two tests against England and proved then that he can play international rugby. He did so on frequent occasions later in the year too. The selection would not have been between Mbonambi, the back-up hooker to Marx, and Van der Merwe. It would always have been for the third spot, meaning Brits.

Not that on Saturday’s evidence Brits should automatically be pigeon-holed as a third choice. He delivered a performance that underlined his ability to do the other thing Erasmus would possibly want from him - which is massive impact off the bench in big games.

As it turned out, Mbonambi, playing against Van der Merwe in the Durban game that followed the one in Johannesburg, didn’t do his own reputation any harm at the weekend either. In fact, the King’s Park match was one that sent out a strong warning to future opponents that the Stormers’ Achilles heel of the last while should be one of their biggest strengths.

Mbonambi’s throwing was spot on, and the Stormers lineout formation of Eben Etzebeth, JD Schickerling and Pieter-Steph du Toit thrived. They were comfortable on their own ball, and like the Bulls’ Lood de Jager did to the Stormers at Loftus two weeks ago, they were a disruptive influence when it was Van der Merwe throwing into the Sharks lineout.

Du Toit was as outstanding as he always appears to be these days, Schickerling showed why he is so highly regarded, and why the Stormers can afford to play Du Toit as a blindside flank and not a lock. But it was Etzebeth who stood head and shoulders above every other player on the field, and again proved what a massively influential player he is to the Stormers when he is present.

The Sharks had raised the hopes of their fans - it wasn’t a bad turn-out at King’s Park by recent standards - with two good wins, but they had yet to play a proper pack. The Stormers answered the question about what would happen to the Sharks on the day they are fronted. They were rattled, and looked nothing like the team they were against the Sunwolves and the Bues, when they had so much front foot ball to play with.

The Lions don’t look like the team they were either, though in their case the comparison is with last year. It is still way too early to draw a line on which teams are going to be successful and which are going to fail this year. The three rounds have produced wildly fluctuating results, with the only truly consistent team being the Crusaders, who are also now the only unbeaten team in the competition.?The Hurricanes showed that the reason they were so poor the previous week was because John Plumtree didn’t choose his strongest team. With the first choices back, the Brumbies, supposed giant-killers from the week before, were swept off the park in the same way that they swept the Chiefs off the park.

But the Lions should still be concerned, for it is a long time since their pack, which so much of their game is based around, has looked as poor as it was at Emirates Airlines Park. And the Bulls were missing the influential Lood de Jager and continue to be without their other Bok lock, RG Snyman.

That the game was on their home field should be particularly concerning to the Lions’ brainstrust. They have now completely surrendered any pretence at having a psychological hold on the other South African teams, with the Sharks, Stormers and now Bulls all having ended on the winning side in their last meeting with the conference champions.

Talking of conference champions, don’t make your picks for that race within a race without factoring in the Jaguares. They don’t have all their top players playing at this early stage of the season but have won two in three. Their big test will come in the coming weeks, with the Stormers waiting for them at Newlands on 15 March.

The Cape team goes into a bye week having played three tough derbies and won two out of three, with two of those games away from home. They would have bought that at the start of the season. For them, the Loftus debacle of the opening weekend must now seem a long time ago.

Weekend Super Rugby results

Hurricanes 43 Brumbies 13
Rebels 24 Highlanders 19
Chiefs 15 Sunwolves 30
Reds 12 Crusaders 22
Emirates Lions 12 Vodacom Bulls 30
Cell C Sharks 11 DHL Stormers 16
Jaguares 23 Blues 19

Advertisement