‘Battle on two fronts’ will stretch South African resources to the limit

Eben Etzebeth of the Cell C Sharks during the United Rugby Championship match between Cell C Sharks and Glasgow Warriors at Hollywoodbets Kings Park on October 15, 2022 in Durban, South Africa. (Photo by Steve Haag/Gallo Images)

By Jon Cardinelli

7 Dec 2022

South African clubs will have their resources stretched thin in the coming weeks as they start their great European adventure in rugby’s equivalent of the Champions League.

These are exciting yet nervous times for South African rugby. Viewed in isolation, the European Champions Cup debut of three local franchises – the Bulls, Sharks and Stormers – is a landmark event that will boost the interests of all involved in the long term. Right now, however, the franchise coaches face the ultimate juggling act in managing players across two major competitions while fulfilling SA Rugby’s mandate to rest key Springboks in the lead-up to the 2023 World Cup.

The latter is particularly necessary, given that many of the Boks are coming off a 13-Test stretch and have enjoyed little to no rest between the end of the club season in June and the beginning of the international programme in July. Until there is a move towards a globally aligned schedule, South Africa’s top players will continue to compete year-round and risk burnout and fatigue-induced injuries.

Stormers coach John Dobson broached the subject this past week when speaking on The Ruck, a popular rugby podcast in the UK. He said all the South African teams have embraced the “battle on two fronts”, namely the challenge of fielding a team in Europe’s elite tournament while competing in the United Rugby Championship (URC).

And yet, Dobson pointed out that South Africa is in a unique position in that the franchises compete in Europe during the northern hemisphere season (September to June) while the Boks play Tests from July to November.

There is no designated off-season, which is why SA Rugby and MyPlayers (the players’ organisation) recently implemented a cap of 32 matches, and struck agreements with the respective franchises to ensure that the Boks are rested at specific stages of the year.

Game time: Where top Boks stand

The 2022 Test season is now a thing of the past, and the Bok players have returned to their respective franchises. It’s worth noting how many Tests they have played, how many games they could potentially play for their franchises over the next seven months, and, of course, how much rugby they endured in the 12 months that preceded the present South African season.

The management of veteran lock Eben Etzebeth has been a talking point for some time. He played 13 matches for South Africa in 2021, and 13 Tests in 2022.

At club level, however, he didn’t feature much in his final season for French side Toulon due to injuries. Nevertheless, the senior statesman will need to be managed carefully by his new side – the Sharks – over the next few months.

Read in Daily Maverick: “SA rugby teams to feel the squeeze on squad resources during marathon European season”

Springbok skipper Siya Kolisi played a total of 27 matches between July 2021 and June 2022. While he maintained a high standard over the course of his next 12 Tests in 2022 – all in a starting capacity – Kolisi may need an extended break soon, possibly after the first set of Champions Cup matches.

As many as 17 players featured in nine or more Tests in 2022. Apart from Kolisi and Etzebeth, the Bok coaches leaned heavily on Frans Malherbe (12 Tests), Steven Kitshoff (12) and Damian Willemse (12). Makazole Mapimpi (11), Ox Nche (10) and Jaden Hendrikse (10) were also among the South Africa-based contingent that was used extensively.

Eben Etzebeth of the Sharks during their United Rugby Championship clash with the Glasgow Warriors at Kings Park in Durban on 15 October 2022. (Photo: Steve Haag / Gallo Images)

From the start of the Champions Cup to the end of the season in June, the South African teams will play a minimum of 14 and a maximum of 21 matches. It’s easy to see how some of the players listed above could exceed the cap of 32 if they feature in every match across the Champions Cup and URC – and how they could risk burnout before reporting for the start of the all-important Test season in 2023, which will culminate in the World Cup in France.

Overseas Boks at the mercy of clubs

At least SA Rugby and MyPlayers will have some input into how these players are managed by the local franchises. The Boks plying their trade in England and France, however, will be at the mercy of their respective clubs.

Jasper Wiese played a whopping 37 matches for club and country between July 2021 and June 2022. The No 8 featured for Leicester in the English Premiership final, and then flew to South Africa a day later to join the Boks ahead of their 2022 Test season opener against Wales.

The Boks attempted to manage Wiese over the course of the 13-Test campaign, yet he still ended up playing nine matches. It will be interesting to see how many games he racks up for Leicester, who will contend for the Champions Cup and Premiership titles.

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Fortunately, there aren’t as many senior Boks playing in England and France as in previous years. Handré Pollard (Leicester) and Cheslin Kolbe (Toulon) have struggled with injuries this season and could use some game time at their respective clubs ahead of the World Cup.

The bulk of the senior Bok contingent is in Japan, where the club game is less taxing and there are fewer matches. Malcolm Marx (13 Tests), Damian de Allende (12), Kwagga Smith (12), Willie le Roux (11), Faf de Klerk (10), Lood de Jager (9) and Jesse Kriel (8) all endured a big Test workload in 2022, but should have a comparatively gentler build-up to the 2023 World Cup.

How the Bulls and Stormers have mitigated challenges

As unfair as it seems, the South African franchises cannot say that they didn’t see this challenge coming.

Indeed, it speaks volumes about the structures and planning of the Bulls and Stormers that they were able to perform in the URC during October and November, when many of their Test players were unavailable. Both teams accumulated valuable log points. As things stand, they are ranked second and third respectively on the URC log.

Read in Daily Maverick: “Never-ending rugby season is the biggest threat to player welfare”

The Bulls and Stormers are expected to field their best players in the Champions Cup fixtures in an attempt to qualify for the playoffs. Thanks to the competitive performances by largely second-string combinations in earlier rounds of the URC, both teams may be in a position to rest key Boks over the next few months without compromising on their quest to qualify for the URC playoffs, and ultimately the next edition of the Champions Cup.

Why the Sharks are playing catch-up

The situation may be very different at the Sharks. They lost a large contingent to Bok and South Africa A duty this past November, and didn’t bank as many log points in the URC as the Bulls and Stormers.

The Sharks' Eben Etzebeth in action during their United Rugby Championship match against the Glasgow Warriors. (Photo: Steve Haag / Gallo Images)

The Sharks are in 10th place on the URC log – in other words, outside the qualification bracket for the 2023/24 Champions Cup. The returning Boks should boost the Sharks in the early rounds of the inaugural Champions Cup. Beyond those games, the Boks may be recruited for more URC fixtures in an attempt to improve the franchise’s log position in that competition.

If the results don’t come, the Sharks coaches may find it harder to rest top Boks, since the team will be under pressure to clinch a position in the top eight of the URC, and to retain their place in the Champions Cup. DM

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Sport

Game time: Where top Boks stand

Overseas Boks at the mercy of clubs

How the Bulls and Stormers have mitigated challenges

Why the Sharks are playing catch-up