Rob Houwing

Springbok aspirations often aren’t helped when a Vodacom Super 14 franchise loses its lustre – and is the subject of some disharmony rumours, too -- in the manner the Sharks have in early season.

I can’t help feeling that John Smit and Bismarck du Plessis, basically the Test-squad incumbents as far as the No 2 jersey is concerned, are both suffering dangerously amidst the decline.

The unfailingly awkward dynamic of how to employ Du Plessis and the Bok captain, who is also the semi-convincing sometimes-tighthead prop, in the front row means continuity is a major bugbear in that department for the Sharks and possibly even one of the core reasons they have started 2010 so poorly.

And the deployment headache over these two may well extend once again into the international season: I suspect that matters are going to come to a head sooner or later and some harsh and courageous decisions will need to be made, whether they come from Sharks guru John Plumtree or are later left in the hands of national coach Peter de Villiers and his lieutenants.

Veteran Smit, especially, seems rather in no man’s land, having ended the 2009 international campaign back where he started – at No 2 and significantly stabilising the Bok scrum from that spot as a result, though also carrying the extra bulk required of a tighthead which hampers his Super 14 stealth when he plays at hooker.

Meanwhile Du Plessis could be said to be having another of his own iffy spells, not playing with quite the zest, visibility and (importantly) discipline which was an admirable hallmark of much of his home-leg Tri-Nations service for the Boks last year.

All the while, as the Sharks grapple with how precisely to get the best out of this pair, a couple of other street-smart No 2s – the Stormers’ Tiaan Liebenberg and Bulls’ Gary Botha -- are profiting from the disarray and strongly advancing their own fresh Bok claims.

Here, after all, are two men who know exactly where they stand: first-choice hookers at their franchises and only that, allowing them to focus on their specialist trade “24/7”.

Each of the 28-year-olds has had a taste of the Springbok environment before: especially Botha, who boasts 11 caps and a presence in the 2007 World Cup-winning squad, although Liebenberg has been a Bok “tourist” if not Test cap yet.

Another important string to their bows is that each has arguably returned wiser and better after stints with Harlequins (Botha) and Toulon (Liebenberg) – the northern hemisphere may take some stick from warmer climes for its perceived “sterile” rugby, but it remains an excellent finishing school for tight forwards.

They have made a tangible difference to their respective teams in the early stages of the Super 14, both of them robust, purposeful and polished and especially willing to “bash it up” strongly with ball tucked beneath elbow.

Also in common is their contribution to better respective scrummaging efforts thus far in 2010 by the Stormers and Bulls, as both are meatier customers than Schalk Brits and Derick Kuun, last season’s rather more “run-around” first choices in Cape Town and Pretoria.

The good thing about Liebenberg and Botha, however, is that they tick most boxes in terms of key hooker criteria – their high work-rates and visibility have suggested they are hardly slouches in open play as the Super 14 cranks up its tempo a tad again after tweaks to the policing of games by referees.

Liebenberg possibly leads Botha by a short head for personal impact after three rounds of games: TV pundit and 1995 World Cup-winning lock Kobus Wiese doesn’t hand out praise to tight-five pretenders willy-nilly, but he used that beloved Afrikaans word “yster” recently to describe the Grey College product.

Perhaps a wee bit more finesse in the hand-skills department would enhance the Stormers No 2’s package still further, but he looks increasingly like a candidate for the uncompromising world of Test rugby.

He is also not the sort to take comfort in the unease of counterparts at hooker.

When I chatted to him after the agonising defeat to the Brumbies at Newlands on Friday, he made the point that he was friendly with both Smit and Du Plessis (the only two presently-contracted Bok No 2s) and sympathised with their Sharks plight.

“It can’t be easy for them, thinking ‘Am I on the bench for two games?’ or ‘Am I at tighthead prop for a couple of them?’

“At least in my case (the starting) hooker is sole focus – I’m sure I’d get eaten at prop, although I fancy I might be able to cover loose forward if required.”

For the moment, Liebenberg is simply relishing being part of a keenly-sought Stormers renaissance in the Super 14.

“I came back from France knowing I was always going to be happiest back at Newlands. And if you are happy in your environment, maybe a challenge for (higher honours) will eventually take care of itself.”

Indeed … and there may be a right old Bok predicament ahead.

Rob is Sport24's chief writer

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