On your Marx: Boks call up Lion
| Leicester players in the driving seat ahead of the new Premier League season Coetzee turns to old hands for Rugby Championship squad
FRANCE-based flyhalf Johan Goosen and Lions hooker Malcolm Marx were surprising and deserved inclusions in the 31-man Springbok squad for the Rugby Championship announced yesterday.
Bryan Habana, Francois Hougaard and Juan de Jongh were other eyebrow-raising selections as Springbok coach Allister Coetzee tapped into overseas resources in search of backline depth and experience.
Despite underwhelming returns in the Ireland series, Coetzee kept faith in overseasbased loose-forwards Francois Louw and Duane Vermeulen.
Siya Kolisi’s ankle injury in the Stormers’ 60-21 Super Rugby quarterfinal loss to the Chiefs may have pushed Coetzee’s hand.
Cheetahs captain Teboho Mohoje returns after captaining the South Africa “A” side against the England Saxons two months ago.
With Patrick Lambie failing to recover from concussion sustained in the first test against Ireland, Goosen had to be picked on the back of outstanding club performances.
The Racing 92 utility back may have played most of his rugby at outside centre due to All Black legend Dan Carter’s presence at flyhalf but the former Cheetahs prodigy played a large part in his club’s excellent season.
They were losing finalists to Saracens in the European Rugby Champions Cup in Lyon but won the French Top 14 Championship.
Coetzee resisted calls to draft in Goosen during the Ireland series, even though that would have been difficult due to Racing’s European and domestic exploits stretching throughout the June international break.
Marx’s inclusion as the third hooker could be Coetzee’s way of serving notice to current captain Adriaan Strauss and Stormers hooker Bongi Mbonambi. The latter got only two minutes play in the Ireland series, but Strauss was unconvincing and it seemed the captaincy weighed heavily on him.
Marx has been at the heart of a hardworking Lions pack that put the squeeze on almost all their opponents during the Super Rugby tournament. Besides an adherence to lineout basics, Marx’s mobility and work-rate makes an extra loose-forward in the Bismarck du Plessis mould.
De Jongh’s selection adds to a midfield conundrum with Lionel Mapoe and the talented Damian de Allende also in the mix.
De Jongh will join the squad at the conclusion of the Rugby Seven programme at the Olympics and his ability to play inside centre could put De Allende’s place in jeopardy if his current slump is not arrested.
De Jongh was Coetzee’s captain at the Stormers last season and played his best rugby even though consistently ignored by former Bok coach Heyneke Meyer.
With mercurial Wasps-bound fullback Willie le Roux jettisoned, Bulls utility back Jesse Kriel may find himself first-choice fullback. He is the only specialist in the position but Morne Steyn's presence as back-up flyhalf may also necessitate Goosen’s use at 15.