Experience, power or technique, what is your priority in choosing a No 8 to start for the Boks at the 2023 Rugby World Cup?
Readers selected their scrumhalves, picked their locks and finalised their finishers, but who will don the No 8 jersey for South Africa in France?
Man of the match in the 2019 RWC final, Duane Vermeulen is a rock for the Boks. The Ulster No 8 leads from the front, anchors the Springbok defence and is immovable once latched onto a stray ball. Having already played in two World Cups, is Vermeulen’s experience key to success in France?
What Kwagga Smith lacks in size, he more than makes up for in dynamism. The Shizuoka Blue Revs forward is a valuable asset to the Bok pack, no stranger to the try line, a fetcher of note and lends versatility to the World Champions in the form of speed, workrate and game awareness.
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The recently named English Premiership Players’ Player of the Year, Jasper Wiese is lethal for Leicester Tigers. He has previously stepped up in the absence of an injured Vermeulen, churning out impressive performances for South Africa, with the hard-running No 8’s current form making him a tantalising option for the upcoming World Cup.
A quadruple award winner in the 2021-22 United Rugby Championship season, Evan Roos recently returned to action after a long injury lay-off, but the menacing No 8 is showing signs of returning to his best as the Stormers head into a second straight URC final. A perpetual thorn in the skin of his opponents, Roos loves a rampaging run, hard work at the breakdown and has no problem putting his body on the line every time he takes to the field.
A No 8 that fits the traditional role of a Springbok bruiser, Elrigh Louw has not reached the heights of last season’s URC campaign. The Bulls No 8 still remains a solid option for the Boks and is a devastating runner with the ball when he’s in the mood. At only 23 years old, the youngster still has a lot to offer.
Joining Roos for another URC final, is Stormers star Hacjivah Dayimani. He was sensational for the Cape outfit this season, popping up everywhere on the park, linking backs and forwards while regularly crossing the whitewash.
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A try-scoring machine and incredible running No 8, the Lions’ Francke Horn is the complete package. Often overlooked due to South Africa’s rich pool of No 8s, Horn’s stats prove a paradigm shift is in order. He is the top try-scorer when it comes to South African forwards in this year’s URC, has nine clean breaks to his name and won over 500 metres.
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