Just as they are taking a gamble with their seven-one bench split for this weekend's Rugby World Cup clash with Ireland, South Africa are doing likewise with their lineout throwing options for the tournament.
When first choice hooker Malcolm Marx was ruled out of the World Cup due to a knee injury, Jacques Nienaber and Rassie Erasmus chose not to make a like for like replacement and instead called up out-half Handre Pollard.
It leaves Bongi Mbonambi as their new first choice hooker with loose forwards Deon Fourie - who has played at hooker previously - and Marco van Staden as their other lineout throwing options.
Both Fourie and Van Staden threw to the lineout during South Africa's 76-0 victory over Romania last weekend. Following the game, former South Africa and Italy head coach Nick Mallett said he takes a "glass half empty" view on the situation.
22 September 2023; Forwards coach Paul O'Connell during the Ireland rugby squad captain's run at the Stade de France in Saint Denis, Paris, France ahead of the Rugby World Cup clash with South Africa. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
"I don’t know about that," said Ireland forwards coach Paul O'Connell on Friday when asked if the absence of Marx could make the South African lineout more contestable.
"Deon Fourie has always looked very competent to me. I remember when I was down here in France watching him swapping from the back-row into hooker for Lyon and he was absolutely incredible.
"With a coaching staff who have been together a long time, they know their lineouts. There isn’t a whole lot of change. They have a lot of continuity in that regard, they have very good options in the air. I would say they feel pretty confident about it.
"Deon Fourie is a wise campaigner, he’s been around, he’s really experienced. We will be trying to pressure them for sure, but in the same way we would try to pressure any hooker that comes off the bench."
One trait O'Connell admires in this Irish team is their ability to work their way through a challenge.
16 September 2023; Ireland head coach Andy Farrell, back row centre, with his coaching staff, from left, forwards coach Paul O'Connell, defence coach Simon Easterby, high performance analyst Vinny Hammond and assistant coach Mike Catt and, front, analyst John Buckley and IRFU performance director David Nucifora during the 2023 Rugby World Cup Pool B match between Ireland and Tonga at Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes, France. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
"It’s going to take a big performance for sure," O'Connell said about this weekend's clash with South Africa.
"They are an excellent side, they have been together a long time as a group and a coaching group, they understand how they want to play and deal with certain situations in a game.
"They have developed their game since the last World Cup and a lot since last November in particular. Our boys are under no doubt about how big a challenge it is.
"They obviously present a big physical challenge – I think we present a big physical challenge as well – but also a really technical challenge.
"They are a very smart side. That is probably one of the things you admire the most - the smarts they can bring along with their physicality.
"It’s a strength of our side as well. We speak about this Irish team and what they stand for. They have got to bring everything they have brought to big occasions over the last few years – a Test series decider down in in New Zealand in Wellington, a Grand Slam decider, a tough autumn series against some very tricky opposition.
"We have always found a way and figured it out and it is a real strength of theirs. They are going to have play super well tomorrow but also figure things out, which is something I really enjoy watching them do when they have a challenge in front of them.
12 September 2023; Head coach Andy Farrell, right, speaks to national scrum coach John Fogarty and forwards coach Paul O'Connell during an Ireland rugby squad training session at Complexe de la Chambrerie in Tours, France. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
"Obviously we have known our pool opponents for quite some time, so there’s been plenty of chat about it and days where we’ve had a particular focus on teams within the pool, to figure out what they’re about and what we need to be on that day. The fact we’ve known for a little longer means you have more time, but it’s not been massively different.
"One thing you can’t do on these occasions is move away from how you prepare and what you stand for. You have to tweak things a little bit so you are ready for the opposition, for sure, but one of our big strengths is understanding what we’re about and how we go about delivering that. It’s hard enough every week ensuring we deliver what we stand for. We do focus on the opposition but not as much as you might think."
8 September 2023; Antoine Dupont of France during the 2023 Rugby World Cup Pool A match between France and New Zealand at the Stade de France in Paris, France. Photo by Harry Murphy/Sportsfile
French captain Antoine Dupont suffered a facial fracture in his side's victory over Namibia on Thursday. The scrum-half is likely to miss France's final pool game against Italy and is also a doubt for the quarter-finals, which could see Ireland face the tournament hosts.
"I’ve not heard anything if he’s out or not, but I was disappointed for him," said O'Connell about Dupont's injury.
"He’s obviously a brilliant player on unbelievable form. A lot of teams play very similar rugby but he makes them very unpredictable.
"He’s very unorthodox in how he plays the game – the way he runs across the pitch, he kicks off both feet, he’s very strong in the tackle for a scrum-half, so he gives them a real unpredictable edge to their attack.
"If he’s gone, there’s no doubt he will be a loss. It would be a shame if he’s out of the tournament because he’s a brilliant player and he adds to the tournament. I hope he’s OK. We will see what happens in the quarter-finals."
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