First published in the Daily Maverick 168 weekly newspaper.

Openness and fairness are hallmarks of the current Bok era and head coach Jacques Nienaber would like to keep it that way. But he is going to be tested in balancing fairness, opportunity and winning in the coming six weeks while the team is ensconced in Queensland, Australia.

That is because Nienaber simply won’t be able to give every squad member of a bloated touring party a chance to play in the four scheduled Tests.

Nienaber took 42 players on tour, surpassing the 34 that Jake White selected at the end of 2004. That year, the Boks not only played four Tests in Britain and Ireland in November, but then flew home via Argentina to take on the Pumas in Buenos Aires in early December.

Of those who toured in 2004, 33 played matches, with only wing Jongi Nokwe missing out playing a Test. This year, the squad is inflated because of quarantines and Covid protocols.

“It will take about a month to bring a new player into the squad,” Nienaber explained. “It takes almost a week to sort out travel arrangements under Covid to Australia. Then it’s two weeks of quarantine before the player can even start training with the team.

“That is why we have to travel with a minimum of four scrumhalves, for instance. Logistically, if one or two scrumhalves are injured, you simply can’t get a reserve there before the tournament is over.

“You will be able to get someone into Australia, but he would have had to be in a controlled testing regime in South Africa, followed by the protocols on that end. That is why we have to travel with such a big squad.”

Finding harmony

The Boks meet Australia and New Zealand twice each in games spread over Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Townsville in the coming six weeks. There is little doubt that for at least three of those matches – two against the All Blacks and one against the Wallabies – Nienaber will choose his strongest team.

Which means the likes of fourth-choice scrumhalf Grant Williams, who just joined the squad this week, are unlikely to play a match.

Maintaining squad harmony, which is as healthy as it’s ever been in the professional era, is going to be the management’s biggest challenge over the next six weeks.

Players want to play matches – that is a natural trait of being a professional – but they can live with disappointment if there is honesty. And fortunately, before Covid restrictions struck, openness and honesty were already entrenched hallmarks of the Nienaber and Rassie Erasmus eras.

The squad must be so large because of the restrictive bio-bubble protocols that will make it impossible for a player to simply fly into Queensland and join up with the squad in the event of injury. The bureaucratic hurdles that touring parties have to clear are extensive.

As a result, Nienaber has to take several players, possibly as many as seven, who are fundamentally surplus to requirements.

Nienaber has already used 39 players in six Tests in 2021 and only injured scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse and flank Pieter-Steph du Toit will miss the tour.

No 8 Duane Vermeulen rejoined the group before the final Test against the British & Irish Lions, but lock RG Snyman, who was set to tour, misses out owing to burns he sustained in a bizarre “fire pit” incident earlier this year.

That means the likes of flank/lock Jean-Luc du Preez and one of second-rowers Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg and Marvin Orie might not see any action while on a six-week tour.

Fourth-choice hooker Johan Grobbelaar and fifth-choice wing Rosko Specman are in the same situation.

“Ideally, I would have liked to take a maximum of 37 players,” Nienaber said. “Every player above that number is someone who won’t have an opportunity to play, if no one gets injured.

“It’s really tough for six weeks to be there, do all the training, but never have a chance to play. If it had been possible to get players into Australia more quickly than we are currently able to, we would be taking a smaller squad.”

Busy days to alleviate stress

The Boks have never left South Africa with such a huge touring party, which will swell to almost 60 people with management staff ranging from coaches to physios.

It’s a lot of people to manage and keep happy under what are consistently difficult circumstances. The Boks have been locked in one form of bio-secure environment or another since 27 June.

They will only emerge from the bio-bubble, assuming there are no positive Covid cases, on 9 September. That means they will have been in close confines for 11 weeks.

Even the best, most caring and open team cultures will be tested by these circumstances. As a way of alleviating the stress of bio-bubbles and the potential for boredom and anxiety, the Boks’ days are detailed and well planned so that they pass quickly.

“Our days are full. We wake up in the mornings, we have Covid-19 tests and we have meetings,” skipper Siya Kolisi said. “We have a couple of different meetings in a day and I think we spend more time in meetings than we do on the field.

“There’s gym and recovery and by the time you realise it, it’s already in the evening. That’s when you catch up with the family if they’re here, or you call them.

“Guys also play console games with each other and some link with those who are not in camp and play online games with them.”

At least the touring party will have a change of scenery in Australia and will also be able to move freely once their quarantine period is over. It has been an ordeal for the team, but Kolisi revealed that the players don’t see the situation as a chore, but rather as good fortune.

“We’ve missed a whole year of rugby, so we’ll do anything to play and we don’t know what’s going to happen with the virus in the future,” Kolisi said.

“We’re appreciating the time that we have and we’re in a privileged position when people are losing so many things while we’re still able to do our jobs.

“We can see what is happening in the country and we don’t even have to look at what’s happening in the world.

“We know we can’t make excuses, but we also know that people love seeing us play and we try to give them something that’ll make them switch off on a Saturday.” DM168

SPRINGBOK TOURING SQUAD:

Props: Thomas du Toit, Steven Kitshoff, Vincent Koch, Wilco Louw, Frans Malherbe, Ox Nché, Trevor Nyakane.

Hookers: Joseph Dweba, Johan Grobbelaar, Malcolm Marx, Bongi Mbonambi.

Locks: Lood de Jager, Eben Etzebeth, Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg, Franco Mostert, Marvin Orie.

Loose forwards: Siya Kolisi, Kwagga Smith, Marco van Staden, Duane Vermeulen, Jasper Wiese, Dan du Preez.

Utility forwards: Rynhardt Elstadt, Jean-Luc du Preez.

Scrumhalves: Faf de Klerk, Herschel Jantjies, Cobus Reinach, Grant Williams.

Flyhalves: Elton Jantjies, Handré Pollard, Morné Steyn.

Midfielders: Lukhanyo Am, Damian de Allende, Jesse Kriel.

Outside backs: Aphelele Fassi, Cheslin Kolbe, Willie le Roux, Makazole Mapimpi, Sbu Nkosi, Rosko Specman.

Utility backs: Damian Willemse, Frans Steyn.

This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper which is available for R25 at Pick n Pay, Exclusive Books and airport bookstores. For your nearest stockist, please click here.