Rugby World Cup 2015: The Springboks' best back rowers

If there is one area where Heyneke Meyer should have no concerns it would be the Springbok back row. Such is the strength in depth they have there, you could argue a Springbok team made up of back rowers would be a rather formidable team.

At the end of this article you can see a potential Sprinboks side that’s made up entirely of back row players.

The first thing you may notice is that the modern day back rower in South Africa is more mobile, lighter and yet still very physical. The majority of these players weigh in under 110 kilograms, so it is entirely possible that the myth about South African packs being overweight and not mobile enough is just that, a myth born out of perceptions generated over the past century.

Be that as it may, the big challenge for Meyer is to find a balanced back row of five players that will complement each other. The breakdown battle is of crucial importance so a fetcher is an absolute must.

Francois Louw, Bismack du Plessis and Duane Vermeulen are arguably one of the best, if not the best breakdown combination in world rugby. Having three players who have the ability of being immovable over the ruck and able to slow down or steal opposition ball is something that can benefit the Springboks greatly during this year’s World Cup.

There is no doubt that the first player Meyer will have inked into a starting position will be Vermeulen. Standing 1.93 metres tall, and weighing in at 108 kilograms, capped 29 times and having been one of five nominees for player of the year last year, Vermeulen is essential to the Springbok cause.

It is true that Duane is mostly utilised in the tight loose, fighting for every scrap of possession at the breakdown, but there is more to his game than just being a hard grafter. He does have sublime aerial skills, is a good lineout option, and has the ability to offload in the tackle. For the style of play Heyneke Meyer is expecting from his number eight, Duane Vermeulen fits like a glove.

If Duane Vermeulen is a shoe in, then Francois Louw (34 caps, five tries) is not far behind, as far as his selection is concerned, when available he is always Meyer’s first choice number six.

Louw is very much in the mould of Vermeulen, a hard grafter at the breakdown, effective with ball in hand and rarely misses a tackle, he does have the ability to offload, but is utilised close to the breakdown and often runs channel-one ball. Louw does have a tendency for some off-the-ball antics and this would be one area he needs to focus on.

When it comes to the number seven jersey things become interesting and infinitely more debatable. The balance of the Springbok back row comes into question when Willem Alberts is paired with Louw and Vermeulen as there is a distinct lack of pace when he joins the fray.

Weighing in at 120 kilograms and standing 1.92 metres tall, Alberts is a big unit and has been capped 32 times and crossed the whitewash seven times. His detractors will tell you that his days are numbered, and that he’s too slow, misses too many tackles and limits the potential of the back row of the Springboks.

There is, however, a place for Alberts in the squad, used in 50-minute bursts, especially as in tight and structured games he is very effective in tiring the opposition pack. The near year-long break Alberts has had off the field would also have reawakened a hunger in him, so expect the re-engineered Alberts to be part of the squad make up.

Once the game opens up Alberts quickly becomes a liability (although watching the YouTube video may quell some of those concerns) and that is when more mobile, more skilled players become necessary to bring more balance to the back row.

Since the long-term injuries and illness Schalk Burger went through during 2011-2013 he focused on evolving much of his game. The bruiser has become the link man, once famous for hurtling into tackles with no concern for his own safety, Burger has matured into a thinking player. His vision and ability to find the unmarked player, getting the ball wide into the hands of a receiving runner will make Schalk Burger the perfect foil to replace Willem Alberts as a super sub.

Whether Schalk Burger can still add value for 80 minutes is debatable, however Schalk Burger is a valuable and experienced player and in my mind the best distributor of a rugby ball among the forwards on offer from South Africa.

Standing 1.93 metres tall and weighing in at 110 kilograms means the physicality is still there, his confidence has returned and although more balanced, still an effective ball carrier and defender. If you want to hear more about Schalk, check out this video, or just watch the highlights below.

The fifth selection in the back row will most likely be Marcel Coetzee. At 23 Coetzee has already been capped 26 times, crossed the whitewash six times for his country and at 1.91 metres and 106 kilograms Coetzee is a live wire, in many ways still learning his craft. Meyer insisted Coetzee improve his ruck work over the ball, and he is learning fast.

Coetzee has a high work rate and is an enthusiastic defender, loves running with ball in hand, but if there is one area he still needs to work on, it will be his ability to distribute. Coetzee never lets his team down, is dependable and hard working and was arguably one of the top performers during Super Rugby in 2014.

From outside of these five players there are a few contenders who will be considered, but ultimately I think the selections have been sown up.

Oupa Mohoje has been capped a number of times in 2014, however his lack of experience at Super Rugby and international level makes his selection a risk. Pierre Spies was the incumbent number eight prior to his lengthy injury and will have to preform mightily to usurp Duane Vermeulen.

Finally, Arno Botha, who sat out most of last season, will be back, and Heyneke Meyer favours him and believes he has the talent to perform at the highest level. However, I doubt Meyer would consider him for a Rugby World Cup tournament.

So in summary, look no further than Duane Vermeulen, Schalk Burger, Francois Louw, Willem Alberts and Marcel Coetzee.

Springboks Back Rowers XV
1. Willem Alberts 1.92m 120kg
2. Oupa Mohoje 1.93m 106kg
3. Jean Deysel 1.91m 112kg
4. Arno Botha 1.90m 103kg
5. Jacques Potgieter 1.94m 115kg
6. Francois Louw 1.90m 114kg
7. Marcel Coetzee 1.91m 106kg
8. Duane Vermeulen 1.93m 108kg
9. Heinrich Brussouw 1.81m 101kg
10. Ryan Kankowski 1.93m 100kg
11. Pierre Spies 1.94m 108kg
12. Schalk Burger 1.93m 110kg
13. Nizaam Carr 1.84m 103kg
14. Siya Kolisi 1.88m 98kg
15. Warren Whitely 1.92m 97kg