Ken Borland

Kwagga Smith has been branded as being too small to be a Springbok loose forward in the past, but his all-round game has won him 19 Test caps and on Saturday he will be coming off the bench and possibly tussling with the player Wales believe is the complete flank – Taine Basham.

The two dynamic loosies are of similar size, with Basham having a slight edge of three centimetres in height and four extra kilograms. The 22-year-old Dragons star has shown his ability to do it all – he is a robust tackler, who doesn’t miss many; he’s effective at hitting the rucks, slowing the ball down or being the ‘Jackal’; and he is a tenacious carrier of the ball too.

Smith, seven years his senior, has seen enough to single Basham out as the Welsh player who has most impressed him.

“I watched a lot of the URC and the Welsh are generally really good at fetching or making turnovers,” Smith said at the Springboks’ Fourways hotel on Wednesday.

“I rate Basham and Josh Navidi very highly and it’s going to be a big challenge at the breakdown.

“Form this year can be different to last year, but Basham is playing really well and he played well at the end of last year too. He’s a guy I recognise as someone to watch.

“But I’m really happy with my own form in Japan too. After our first three matches were cancelled due to Covid, I played the full 80 minutes in every game for Yamaha Jubilo. So that’s 12 matches and I was pleased for the month’s break before this series,” Smith said.

While Basham, who has 10 caps, is still a relative baby when it comes to international experience, Smith has accumulated a wealth of different experiences. He is a Rugby World Cup winner, with an Olympics bronze medal for Sevens, and has played in all three back-row positions. Smith has even played Currie Cup rugby on the wing.

Smith even feels comfortable enough helping the younger loose forwards in the squad to adapt to the pressures of Test rugby. On Saturday he will have debutant Elrigh Louw alongside him on the bench.

“I remember in 2018, when I made my debut, I know how nervous I was and how much pressure I put on myself. So I told Elrigh that Saturday will go really quickly, in the blink of an eye.

“I told him he must just try to express himself and do what he’s been doing for the Bulls. I’m very excited for him.

“I think Wales will come out and give everything they have because to beat the world’s number one team is the best way to restore your name, and they definitely want to put right what happened in the Six Nations.

“But it’s going to be huge for us as well this weekend, Loftus Versfeld will be packed, which will be a big advantage. We play for our supporters and we’re looking forward to delivering a good performance,” Smith said.

Veteran Springbok fullback Willie le Roux may have ceded the No.15 jersey to Damian Willemse for the first Test against Wales in Pretoria on Saturday, but he will still be on the bench, with coach Jacques Nienaber saying he is “crucial to our attacking game-plan”.

The 32-year-old Le Roux, who gets more than his fair share of criticism, could earn his 73^rd cap on Saturday at Loftus Versfeld and statistics prove the value he adds in often being the spark for the South African attack.

Acoording to a tweet released by Opta statistics on Tuesday, Le Roux has made the most offloads (40) and try-assists (35) of any Springbok since making his Test debut in 2013.

“Willie has lots of experience and he brings a lot to the team through the week,” Nienaber said on Tuesday. “He has knowledge to impart for the youngsters.

“I know people have lots to say about Willie, but look at how many times he makes the last pass to allow us to score a try. You must be able to see space and create to do that.

“What Willie does for our attack is outstanding. Sometimes he looks average in other areas and he always gets criticism, but the reality is he does lots and is crucial to our attacking game-plan,” Nienaber said.

While South African fans have been loving the exciting new talent that has exploded on the scene through the United Rugby Championship, Nienaber said youth will have to wait to be given its head.

“It was a tough selection to get to the final 23, but we have a plan in terms of what we want to achieve. We could have selected other players who would not have dropped the team,” Nienaber admitted.

“Hopefully we will see those guys operating in the near future for the Springboks. To get youngsters into the team is always a balancing act. You want to do it when you have momentum, because that makes it easier for them.

“And the only way to get momentum is by winning. It’s not easy to bring new guys into the team when the confidence is low.

“Sure, new faces will bring a bit of energy and renewal to the team, maybe some creativity, but you also want to be able to build that momentum,” Nienaber said.

Potential Springbok new cap Salmaan Moerat has spent a reassuring week training alongside starting locks Eben Etzebeth and Lood de Jager and has just let their experience and wisdom rub off on him ahead of the first Test against Wales at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.

Moerat was named on the bench on Tuesday alongside Elrigh Louw as the only uncapped players in the Springbok squad to tackle Wales in their first Test of 2022.

Franco Mostert, who can also play lock, is starting in the No.7 jersey, while Louw can also provide cover in the middle-row. But Moerat was one of the most consistent players in the Stormers’ triumphant URC campaign, and he will surely get a chance to replace either Etzebeth, who will be playing his 98^th Test, or De Jager, making his 57^th appearance.

“It’s a really comforting factor to have Eben and Lood there and they have been helping me throughout the week,” Moerat said at the Springbok hotel in Fourways on Tuesday.

“I’ve been taking their advice and just trying to let them rub off on me. It’s a real plus to be playing with guys like them and now I must just execute my job.

“And in this environment you know exactly what your job is and you are expected to execute it, nothing more. I just have to do my role, nothing flashy.

“It’s a dream come true and very emotional for me and my family. Hopefully the guys who are starting do well and we all have the opportunity to get on off the bench,” Moerat said.

Given that Moerat has been on the Springboks’ radar since he was chosen for the SA Schools side in 2015 and then captained them the following year, and that he was part of the national squad for the end-of-year tour in 2021, coach Jacques Nienaber was not going to leave him on the window sill for long.

The towering 24-year-old, who weighs 116kg, is one of the brightest talents in South African rugby and likes to get stuck in. Nienaber clearly likes what he sees.

“Since 2015 we’ve operated together and Salmaan has been a leader for both Western Province and the Junior Springboks. He’s a good human being, we should start there,” Nienaber said.

“He’s a hard-worker and he’s coachable. Salmaan brings nice physicality, and we like that. Those are the standout features,” Nienaber said.

Everyone knows the saying about what is behind every successful husband, and the Springboks are really looking forward to having a capacity Loftus Versfeld crowd behind them as they return to action in the first Test against Wales in Pretoria on Saturday.

By late afternoon on Monday there were only a couple of thousand tickets still available for the 52 000-seater stadium that is considered one of the cathedrals of South African rugby. Saturday’s match will be the first time the Springboks have been able to play in front a capacity crowd at home since their 2019 World Cup triumph.

“We are very excited to be playing in front of our home crowd,” assistant coach Deon Davids said on Monday. “It’s also important for us to say thank you for all their support after the World Cup win.

“We want to feed from their energy on Saturday and reward them with the way we play. It’s a special occasion for us.

“Playing at Loftus, altitude is always a factor, but visiting teams have also evolved in terms of coping with it. Wales would have done lots of research on how to deal with it.

“I believe they will be conditioned well enough to hang on in there and that’s what Wales do – they stay in the fight until the last minute,” Davids said.

The Springboks will announce their team on Tuesday and Davids did not want to be drawn on selection matters, while sending a reminder that the Springboks have winning as a priority, along with giving exciting new players the sort of exposure at international level that the fans are clamouring for.

“We are working towards a bigger picture, which is next year’s World Cup,” Davids said. “But it’s also important for us to win our games and give ourselves the best opportunity of doing that.

“So it’s important to get the balance right between the importance of giving young players opportunity, building combinations and ensuring victory.

“We’re under no illusions – it’s going to be a tough series – and we have had some discussions, we’ve looked at what we want to achieve in this Test. We’re looking at a combination we feel can give us a result.

“It’s also about how you prepare the next 23 of players, get them aligned with how we are doing things differently at the Springboks. Success is also measured in how quickly we can get them aligned and get our combinations right,” Davids said.