Boks will soon need all hands on deck

Game time for captain Siya Kolisi and influential flyhalf Handré Pollard must be deemed priority number one for the Springboks in their last two warm-up matches before the Rugby World Cup (RWC) kicks off in France next month.

With head coach Jacques Nienaber stressing the importance of his team's opening match of the RWC against Scotland, the need to go into that clash in Marseille all guns blazing, cannot be overstressed.

“We are going to be in knock-out rugby mode from the first game. Scotland is the most important game for us. We must make sure we peak for it. The Scotland game is going to be massive,” Nienaber asserted after watching his team beat Argentina 24-13 in their warm-up game in Buenos Aires on Saturday.

The injuries to flank and skipper Kolisi, seasoned pivot Pollard and to a lesser extent scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse, have cast an ominous shadow over the Boks RWC preparations.

Kolisi (knee), Pollard (calf) and Hendrikse (shoulder) all missed the Rugby Championship due to their ailments and the trio also sat out Saturday's clash in South America.

Hendrikse, who has been restored to fitness and is widely expected to be included in the RWC squad, will likely do duty for the Boks against Wales in Cardiff on the 19th of this month.

The prognosis for Kolisi and Pollard is less clear, though in both cases the management has presented an optimistic forecast for their restoration to fitness before the global showpiece.

They however have not been specific which has contributed to the angst about the player's availability for the tournament.

Kolisi who suffered a partial tear of his anterior cruciate ligament while playing for the Sharks against Munster in April, has also beamed optimism about his recovery and participation in the RWC.

Even if his date of return is set beyond the London clash against New Zealand in the last warm-up match on the 26th of this month, he will be included in the RWC squad set to be unveiled on Tuesday. The Boks though will want to field a team that resembles their best against the All Blacks.

Director of rugby Rassie Erasmus has made it clear they will accommodate Kolisi even if it means he returns to fitness during the tournament. That of course, will not come without risk.

Unless Kolisi sees action in the two warm-up games and his knee stands up to the challenge, Nienaber and Co will have to build some contingencies in the way they assemble their squad.

Kwagga Smith has deputised ably for Kolisi in the past but the Boks may need further fortification in their back row if the captain does not feature in the initial part of the RWC.

Pollard is equally crucial to the Bok cause. His experience and temperament in tight, tense contests are precious commodities at the RWC.

Manie Libbok has done well in the No. 10 jersey in his absence, while Damian Willemse proved his worth in last year's end-of-year tour. The Boks however need Pollard, not just as their primary flyhalf option, but as potential second receiver when the occasion demands it.

The need to hit the deck running against Scotland is paramount for the defending champions. Scotland are ranked fifth in the world, just one spot below South Africa.

Like the Boks, they too rallied in the second half in their warm-up match on Saturday, though France fielded a hard to disguise second-string team.

The Boks cannot afford slip-ups in pool play like they did four years ago.

To be fair though, the Boks were pretty much in knock-out mode from the opening weekend when they were defeated by New Zealand in Yokohama. That defeat obligated them to win six matches in a row en route to the title, a feat they achieved with aplomb thus becoming the first team to lose a pool match before going on to win the title.

While they had a relatively smooth path in the remainder of their pool action in Japan, this time round they also have to face the challenge of Ireland, who are the top-ranked team in the world.

Clearly they will need all hands on deck from the outset in Marseille.