[WATCH] Fill my cup: I want to go to the World Cup in France says Springbok pivot Libbok
|Published
Franse kans: Manie Libbok
Manie Libbok is desperate to go to his first World Cup with the Springboks and will give his all in the final Rugby Championship clash against Argentina and the warm-ups to book his ticket to France.
South Africa have only four matches left to play before facing Scotland at the Stade Velodrome, Marseilles on September 10 in the first match of their World Cup defence.
And with just five caps to his name, the 26-year-old Libbok is a shoo-in to be one of the playmakers to make the 33-man squad.
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With Handre Pollard out injured and Damian Willemse not really taking his opportunity against the All Blacks last weekend, Libbok could wear the No.10 jumper when SA face Argentina in their final Rugby Championship match at Ellis Park this week.
Trailing New Zealand by four log points heading into the final round, Libbok has one eye on the World Cup and is quoted by Planet Rugby as saying: “I just want to give it my all, put my best foot forward and try and make the World Cup squad.
“Everyone knows only 33 players will make the final squad and we are getting closer to the selection.
“I haven’t been to a World Cup, but it is something that we work towards as a group. That is the end goal. We can all just prepare for it.”
The Boks are likely to take a chance on Pollard, who is nursing a calf injury and could only take two specialist 10s to the tournament, with fullback Willie le Roux doubling up as a possible third option.
There is a chance that Pollard could not be ready in time, in which case Libbok and Willemse will be the two 10s.
Coach Jacques Nienaber says of Le Roux as a third option: “The funny thing is, if you go back and look at Willie’s matches in Japan, he played more 10 than 15 for Toyota.
“When we reassemble our focus will be purely on Argentina, so we’ll hit the ground running from Monday” - more here: https://t.co/EPLfi9OHku 💢#Springboks #StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/BhK3Tilsb6
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“Willie is definitely an option.”
“He’s an option much like what we did with Frans Steyn in the previous World Cup. We only went with two No 10s then in Elton [Jantjies] and Handre, and then Frans was always our third-choice to stand in if there were injuries.
“It will depend on if we go with two or three 10s – it is then that Willie becomes an excellent option to take over there.”