Mark Andrews says the Springboks may regret fielding an attacking halfback combination in the World Cup quarter-final against France.
Jacques Nienaber pulled off a big surprise when he revealed on Friday morning that Cobus Reinach and Manie Libbok will start at the Stade de France on Sunday night.
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Libbok has been the go-to No 10 in Handre Pollard’s absence, while Reinach has scored four tries in three games at the tournament, including his hat-trick against Romania.
However, many expected to revert to fit-again Pollard and regular halfback partner Faf de Klerk. Instead, the pair that started the 2019 World Cup final are on the bench.
It will be just the third time that Reinach and Libbok have started a Test match together – the first coming in the Rugby Championship demolition of the Wallabies at Loftus Versfeld.
Andrews, who won the 1995 World Cup under Kitch Christie, told Sunday newspaper Rapport that it is a massive gamble in what will be a high-pressure test in a hostile environment.
“Starting with them is quite a big call, and I’m trying to make sense of it,” Andrews told Rapport. “Critical tests, and especially knockout matches, are largely decided with the boot. This was already drilled into us by Kitch.
“All I can conclude from the Boks’ team selections for tonight is that they intend to attack from the start.
“If it doesn’t work out, they will bring in Faf and Handré Pollard to kick for the corners or launch the ball into the air and then compete for it.
“It’s a huge gamble,” Andrews added. “The moment you fall behind on the scoreboard, with nearly 70,000 fanatical French fans pressuring and influencing the match officials, it becomes difficult to try to catch up.”
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Photo: Christophe ARCHAMBAULT / AFP