Nienaber’s big Bok call at 9 – trusty Faf or rookie Jaden | The Citizen

With the Springboks gearing up to kick-off the 2022 Rugby Championship competition with two huge matches against the All Blacks, the scrumhalf conundrum is set to become an interesting one for coach Jacques Nienaber.

Scrumhalf is not the only selection talking point for the hosts, with Duane Vermeulen possibly coming straight back into the team having recovered from knee surgery, while who takes over from the injured Cheslin Kolbe on the wing is also up in the air.

Frans Steyn also makes a return from injury, and whether he is able to fit into a match 23 featuring both Damian Willemse and Willie le Roux, or if one of the three will have to drop out remains to be seen.

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But with their kicking heavy game plan expected to continue against the All Blacks, who plays in the pivotal role of scrumhalf could become a key decision in how the match turns out.

After the experienced Faf de Klerk seemed to have been passed on the pecking order by young up and comer Jaden Hendrikse during the Welsh series, Nienaber now has to decide whether to stick with him or revert to type.

De Klerk has comfortably been the Boks first choice scrumhalf since 2018 and since 2019 has worked in tandem with Herschel Jantjies as his main back-up.

That still looked to be the case at the start of the Welsh series with De Klerk starting and Jantjies playing off the bench during their 32-29 first Test win.

Hendrikse takes centre stage

However Hendrikse then took centre stage during the second Test, and despite the tight 13-12 loss, impressed the Bok management to let him start the important third Test decider, with him then putting in arguably his best performance of the series.

With the massive challenge of the All Blacks coming up, and with Hendrikse having just four Bok caps to his name and having never faced the visitors, it begs the question.

Will Nienaber continue to back the young upstart to take over as the Boks first choice scrumhalf, or will he take the seemingly safer route and reinstate the experienced De Klerk for the two Tests against the All Blacks.