Boks still searching for Vermeulen's successor

If there is one thing that the Springbok squad selected to go to Australia has proved, it is that a successor for Duane Vermeulen has not been found just yet.

Vermeulen’s influence on the side over the past decade is immense, and there are good clips from Saturday’s game that show just how much he contributes as an assistant coach to the team where he gives instructions to the young bench coming on in Bloemfontein against Argentina.

But the search to find the perfect eight is still ongoing and the selection tends to prove that more than ever.

While Kwagga Smith was given the mantle against Ireland, the general feeling is that it was with mixed success. Smith, however, is a more hybrid loose forward, and not in the classic big ball-carrying mould that South African fans are used to in their eights.

And while Smith offers a jackling option, and does some amazing things out wide, many teams across the world enjoy a big ball-carrying eight that has an amazing work rate and can link seamlessly with the backline.

BATTERING RAM

That same player needs to also be the man who takes the restart and acts as a battering ram running it back at the opposition.

In all of these, Vermeulen was exceptional and his contribution to Springbok sides in the past three World Cups cannot be underestimated.

But while Evan Roos was selected at eight against Wales and Portugal, he has been left out of the squad to travel to Australia, causing a lot of concern among those who are keen to see him anointed as the next big thing in Springbok rugby.

Cameron Hanekom is injured at the moment and hasn’t had a chance to showcase his skills while Phepsi Buthelezi has played at eight but the Boks - by coach Rassie Erasmus’ own reckoning - see him more as a long-term replacement for captain Siya Kolisi at six.

Elrigh Louw missed out on the initial selection but has been included on the back of his barnstorming performance against Portugal, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Boks try him out in one of the tests against Australia at eight.

GREAT AT CHARGING FORWARD

Louw’s ability to tuck the ball under the arm and charge forward has been one of his greatest assets, while his work rate around the field has increased significantly in the past few months.

Along with Smith, Louw is the only other player likely to play eight on tour - with Ben-Jason Dixon seen as a back-up to Pieter-Steph du Toit and Marco van Staden, who has played eight provincially before, more an openside flank and backup to Kolisi.

So does that mean that Roos’ time is up at the Boks? Not at all. On Saturday night Erasmus did say that there were a few players that had put their hands up against Portugal and forced their way into the tour squad to Australia.

It is very likely that on the back of the performance, they decided to give Louw another chance having already seen Roos for two test matches and work with him for two more weeks on tour.

Erasmus also said that there would be new selections ahead of the two vital test matches against the All Blacks when the Boks return and with Jasper Wiese having served his suspension by then, it is expected that he will resume the role for the national side for those games.

EYE ON THE FUTURE

Roos has been incredible in the United Rugby Championship this season, but so has Louw, and while it would be easy to decry the omission of any player in the Bok squad for fans, Erasmus and co are looking further ahead to 2027 and the role that players will play heading into the next World Cup.

They are also looking at which players fit in with the new attacking style that Tony Brown wants to employ and which players grab their chance when they get a shot at a test cap.

So the likelihood is that Roos will be back sooner rather than later and that nobody seen in the first four test matches of the year has played themselves out of contention for future Bok call-ups.

But this is a team with a specific goal and who want to see specific players in specific roles going forward, and the selection for Australia is simply another cog in the wheel for Erasmus as they broaden the depth that Bok rugby has.

And yet, despite all of the above, it is clear that they haven’t found Vermeulen’s heir apparent just yet. And that they are still open to all options going forward.