(Reuters) – South Africa’s front row are confident makeshift hooker Deon Fourie will make an impact off the bench after his surprise selection among the replacements for Saturday’s Rugby Championship clash against Australia in Sydney.
The 35-year-old is having a fairytale year, returning home after seven years in France to help the Stormers win the United Rugby Championship, followed by a first test cap against Wales in July when he became the oldest Springbok debutant.
This, however, was all off the side of the scrum but he has been picked for Saturday’s test as replacement hooker in a shock move by coach Jacques Nienaber, who has selected Malcolm Marx to start and dropped last week’s first choice hooker Joseph Dwerba.
Fourie was taken on the tour to Australia as the third choice hooker in place of the injured Bongi Mbonambi despite not having played there since March 2019 and having not played a full time role at No. 2 since the 2017-18 season.
Prop Trevor Nyakane told a virtual news conference on Wednesday the Springbok front row had no qualms about Fourie’s ability.
“We’ve only worked with him as a hooker on the training field but Deon is a very experienced player, he’s played in that position before,” Nyakane said.
“I watched him at school level and he was a hooker and it was a surprise to me when he started playing on the flank when we got to provincial level.
“He is in sync, he knows what we are trying to achieve as a pack and has fitted in perfectly. Things are shaping up to be great. I know he will tackle the challenge head on.”
Fourie also received backing from Nienaber, when he named the team on Tuesday as the Boks look to bounce back from a 25-17 loss to the Wallabies in Adelaide last weekend.
“Deon is a player that we are maybe looking ahead to see if he can make the World Cup in France next year,” said the Springbok coach.
“We think he can play a similar role as a utility forward like Schalk Brits did at the previous World Cup. Before the test against the All Blacks in Nelspruit (on Aug. 6), with Bongi Mbonambi’s injury, Deon had been training in both those roles. He had been dividing his time 50-50 on being a hooker and being a loosie.
“Since Bongi’s injury, however, he has been concentrating 100% on being a hooker. He is someone who we trust.”
(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
