In the wake of Handre Pollard’s injury blow for the Springboks, veteran scrumhalf Faf de Klerk has stepped up as back-up to fill the No 10 jersey at the World Cup.
Flyhalf Pollard (calf), with centre Lukhanyo Am (knee) and lock Lood de Jager (chest) were the three notable omissions when Jacques Nienaber announced the 33-player squad to defend the Webb Ellis Cup in France.
The two backs were included in a five-player standby group that will travel with the world champions to the UK on Saturday for their final warm-up matches, against Wales and New Zealand.
Manie Libbok, with three starts in seven Tests under his belt, and DHL Stormers teammate Damian Willemse are set to vie for the pivot spot over the coming weeks, yet De Klerk is waiting in the wings in event of a crisis.
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“I’ve played there before, and I have trained there a lot. I think the best preparation is just training, making sure I am aligned and I know everything,” he told reporters after the World Cup squad announcement on Tuesday.
“I have played in the system for many years, so it won’t be too difficult for me to slot in there. It is going to be a challenge if I do have to. If it happens, I will step up and hopefully perform well.”
On the loss of Pollard, who also served as vice-captain, the 48-Test De Klerk added: “We are lucky enough to have a squad and a group that now has a lot of caps.
“We are close to 50 caps average in the squad. There are a lot of leaders in the group and all over the park. There are guys that have played for longer and there are younger guys stepping in as leaders as well.
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“[Pollard] will be missed, but there are also guys that we believe in that can step up and do that job. We’ve had three or four different captains this year, and that shows the quality of the guys.”
A 2019 World Cup winner and one of the senior statesmen in the team, De Klerk is ready to guide young halfbacks Jaden Hendrikse and Grant Williams on their maiden World Cup appearance.
“All of them are excellent players and all of them bring something different to the party,” the 31-year-old said. “Hopefully I can share some experiences that I have been through.
“They are very accomplished players. The only thing is just the pressure situations that they probably haven’t dealt with yet.
“From my side, it is just about doing my job and role. If I need to help somewhere, I will do that.”
🗣️ "Faf will be the back-up 10 and we have Willie. We still have Cheslin who's played 10 for Toulon."
Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber clarifies the decision to pick four scrumhalves and the versatility in the squad. pic.twitter.com/HPUdH914Nm
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) August 10, 2023
Photo: Wikus de Wet/AFP