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Forget dwindling openside flank stocks, whatever happened to bona fide blindside flankers in this country?
South Africa has always been famous for producing big, fast, rugby players with nothing but bad intentions, but looking at the match-day squads put out by the domestic franchises for the opening round of Super Rugby, the traditional blindside flank is becoming as extinct as its openside cousin.
The blindsides listed in the four local franchises’ starting line-ups were Tyler Paul (Sharks), Hacjivah Dayimani (Lions), Hanro Liebenberg (Bulls) and 2018 Pieter-Steph du Toit (Stormers), men who – for various reasons – don’t necessarily answer to the blindside flank tag.
Despite having the right dimensions (1.94m and 110kg), Paul is a converted lock trying to find his inner badass on the closed side of the scrum. While he did well in the Sharks’ run to the Currie Cup title last year, Super Rugby will test whether he has the requisite pace in open play or the steel in the tight-loose.
Dayimani finished last season as a man under the spotlight as an eighthman a little on the light side (around 100kg) with coaches who would love him to play on the wing because of his searing pace.
The off-season was supposed to be an opportunity for him to pack a little muscle on to be able to fend for himself in the dark alley that is the tight-loose against bruisers named Juarno “Trokkie” Augustus.
Imagine our surprise then, when he was named as the head-bruiser in chief at blindside in a Lions loose-trio contesting for lightest in Super Rugby history.
The other two loosies were Marnus Schoeman (all 1.78m and 96kg of him) and Warren Whiteley (1.93m, 108kg).
The reason a blindside flank needs a solidly built citizen in that position – usually a fella measuring around 1.95m and 112kg – is the basic needs of the job.
A seven flank’s main gig is generating momentum in attack and stopping it in defence, which means an iron fist is never far away from how said job is executed.
The Bulls’ Liebenberg, who in the three years he’s been in Pretoria has operated as an eighthman until Duane Vermeulen’s arrival in the off-season, fits the physical dimensions at 1.97m and 110kg.
But, despite a decorated past as an age group player and possessing the requisite physical gifts, he has never looked well-conditioned enough, nor nasty enough to enforce a follow-on in cricket, let alone his bad intentions in a rugby game.
Du Toit’s incredible year for the Springboks last year – when he tackled anything that moved and made an acquaintance with every blade of grass at the stadiums in which he played – has clouded issues somewhat.
As a 2-metre tall and 120kg lock who was embarrassed defensively while deputising at flank against England three years ago, the SA Rugby Player of the Year’s adjustment to playing on the side of the scrum has enabled the Boks to capitalise on a couple of things: his incredible engine and the fact that he can be used as an extra option in the lineout.
But for all of his freakish heroics of late, Du Toit can’t cover the fact that the Boks don’t have designated back-up for him, which is where the injured Sharks’ Jean-Luc du Preez and Cyle Brink (Lions) and anyone else who fancies the job come in.
Thanks to the Ivan Drago look and hairstyle, and a generally unhappy demeanour one suspects originates from sharing a cramped womb with twin brother Daniel, Du Preez looks the part, not least because he has the raw strength, explosive power and ability to offload in the tackle.
But for some reason Du Preez had fallen off the Bok radar by the time he injured his ankle playing for Sale Sharks in the off-season, thanks to some uncharacteristically powder-puff tests early on in the international season.
Long story short, he has to channel his inner Drago when he returns.
Another injured would-be bruiser is Brink, who was robbed of his chance to play for the Boks by a knee injury he is still recovering from. But as things stand, the Boks should be wary of relying too much on the overworked Du Toit’s superpowers.
Follow me on Twitter @Simxabanisa
