Meyer to come up snake eyes?

Jacques van der Westhuyzen looks at the men who have to show that their presence in the Bok squad was the right call.

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Cape Town - On Friday, Heyneke Meyer will take his Springboks to the World Cup, where they will look to bag a third Webb Ellis trophy. The pressure on every squad member to deliver will be immense but for some, the weight of expectation will be just a little higher.

The squad, despite some key figures not featuring for some time in the green and gold, have been given the all-clear to tour. So, Independent Media rugby writer Jacques van der Westhuyzen looks at the men who have to show that their presence in the final 31-man group was the right call by Meyer.

These are the Boks’ miracle men - players who’re either somewhat fortunate to have been picked, or have overcome major setbacks, to be part of the Cup-bound squad.

Jean de Villiers

It really is a minor miracle the Bok captain is a part of the final squad. When he was lying on the Millennium Stadium turf in November last year with a smashed up knee, the prospects of the 34-year-old being ready for the World Cup looked extremely bleak.

A full reconstruction of the knee and De Villiers’ desire to be fit saw him return to action sooner than expected, but a broken jaw suffered in Durban against Argentina on August 8 put the veteran centre on the sidelines yet again.

The good news is his knee has held up well and it seems that once his jaw has mended, he’ll be good to go.

The only problem is De Villiers has played so little in the past 10 months that he’ll enter the fray in England very much on the back foot.

Training hard and being match fit are two very different things, and one has to wonder what role the 106-capped midfielder will play, after Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel looked like the perfect midfield pairing earlier in the season.

De Villiers’ leadership cannot be questioned, but what is uncertain is whether his form will be good enough to warrant a starting spot in South Africa’s run-on XV.

Morné Steyn

It is not that far-fetched to suggest the 59-capped flyhalf and slayer of the British and Irish Lions in 2009 is Meyer’s banker, or insurance policy.

The 31-year-old has not featured in the green and gold at all this season, with Meyer preferring Handré Pollard and, to a lesser extent, Patrick Lambie at No 10. But Steyn will be a part of the Boks’ challenge in England. Many have asked why, especially as the form man in Super Rugby, Elton Jantjies, was left out?

Steyn’s match-winning ability with the boot can’t be questioned; he’s done the job on countless occasions for the Boks, Bulls and most recently Stade Français, and it appears Meyer needs a “sure thing” in what are likely to be heavy underfoot conditions in England.

If the Boks revert to a conservative, kick-based game, Steyn will be the man to lead it. Pollard has the attacking flair, but his kicking game isn’t quite up to international standard just yet and he’s also missed too many kicks at goal for there to be complete confidence in him to deliver on the big gest stage.

Will Steyn feature, or will he end up carrying tackle bags for the six or so weeks?

Fourie du Preez

IF ever there was a man who’ll have plenty of critical eyes on him in the coming weeks, it’s the veteran scrumhalf.

Du Preez, like Steyn, hasn’t played a single game for the Boks in 2015 and has apparently admitted he’ll only be 100 percent ready to play in the coming weeks.

Meyer’s biggest gamble in his selection is that of the capped No 9. Du Preez was a class act in his younger days, and even looked mightily impressive in his handful of outings last year. But with age catching up with him and injuries setting in, no one quite knows what the 2007 World Cup winner will produce over the next two months.

Meyer is banking big time on Du Preez - he’s made it quite clear he’s the best tactical kicker of his scrumhalves, while his service and reading of the game are also deemed crucial to the Boks’ cause - but will the man himself be able to raise his game to the desired level?

Duane Vermeulen

There is no doubt the powerful No 8 is a key man to the Boks’ game. Vermeulen’s not only the go-to guy to take the ball over the gain line, he’s also a strong defender and, surprisingly, a big winner of breakdown ball. Without him, they just haven’t quite been the same this year.

Like quite a few of his team-mates, Vermeulen will be undercooked when he makes his return to the playing field - whenever that might be - and that must be of some concern to him and the coaching team.

Word from the squad, and the player, is Vermeulen is fitter than ever before but again, it’s his match sharpness that will be under scrutiny. All in the squad will be hoping he’s fully over his neck problems.

Victor Matfield

Another player Meyer is relying heavily on in the coming weeks. The 38-year-old was probably the only player the Bok boss might have promised a place in his team when he convinced him to come out of retirement two years ago.

But Matfield too, has had the odd injury in recent times so, again, it’s a little risky to be banking on a veteran - one who’d given up the game four years ago. However, with 121 Tests behind him, the lock forward has plenty of experience, not only on the field but off it as well, and he could just prove the difference when it matters in the knockout rounds. He’ll be under massive pressure, though, to justify his selection.

Pieter-Steph du Toit

NOW considered a utility forward who can play at No 5 and blindside flank, Du Toit has been beset by injuries but like De Villiers, he went to extraordinary lengths to be fit to feature at the tournament.

There will be no lack of desire and commitment, but will he last long enough to make a telling contribution?

He was in the form of his life during the Super Rugby competition - before tearing his knee ligaments - and it’ll be hoped he finds that form again.

Certainly another squad member who’ll have many fans’ eyes on his every move.

Coenie Oosthuizen

Forget the selections of Du Preez, Siya Kolisi, Rudy Paige or Zane Kirchner... The biggest surprise in the squad is Oosthuizen.

There is no question that when the front-row forward is fit and healthy he’s an asset.

But the prop will arrive in England with very little game time behind him and questions being asked about the strength of his neck. It’s a part of his body that’s let him down before, and Meyer will hope it doesn’t fail him again.

Picked ahead of men like Vincent Koch, Steven Kitchoff, and Marcel van der Merwe, Oosthuizen’s got to produce the goods if Meyer’s going to get away with picking him.

Weekend Argus