Five pointers the Boks can take from their first four matches this season

The Springboks' first four matches of the season served the important role of introducing more depth and refreshing where needed, plus crucially identifying what needs working on ahead of the defence of their Rugby Championship title.

The Boks cantered to relatively easy wins — 54-7 win against the Barbarians, 42-24 and 45-0 against Italy and 55-10 against Georgia. That no match turned into a cricket score also reveals that Bok combinations selected with a premium on experimentation were well enough tested too, and all the games posed questions and exposed flaws.

TimesLIVE Premium looks at five pointers the Boks can take from their completed games ahead of their Rugby Championship kickoff against Australia at Ellis Park on August 16.

Breakdowns

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus admitted after the Georgia Test that teams “are coming for the Springboks” at the breakdown.

Bone-rattling physicality and carefully-honed technique have been hallmarks in the way the Boks have set themselves apart at the breakdown, but they are occasionally knocked out of their stride by teams who beat them to the punch. It partly explains why Ireland have won four of their last five Tests against the Boks stretching back to 2017. They create chaos at the ruck, often blurring the pictures for referees.

Other teams have cottoned on that disruption of that supply line greatly stunts the Springboks' momentum. Not having to tackle a seeming endless supply of rampaging Hulks as first receiver runners keeps you in the game.

Scrum

Similarly the Springbok scrum hasn't showed the consistent grunt one has come to associate with it. That perhaps is understandable given Steven Kitshoff's retirement, Frans Malherbe's long-term injury and Trevor Nyakane's proximity to pasture. Ox Nche and Wilco Louw are formidable scrummagers, while Vincent Koch remains one of the game's most decorated benchmen, but the loss of 227 caps between the aforementioned trio has had the Boks carefully assessing their supply chain. The renewal process is underway and the continued squad inclusion of tight head prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye and loose head Boan Venter for the two home Tests against Australia is a clear indication head coach Erasmus wants to ramp up their Test exposure.

Mauls

It is almost as rarely seen as Big Foot and as disconcerting as grandpa tumbling down the stairs. Opponents mauling the Springbok pack en route to the try line elicits emotion. Sure, against the some of their fiercest rivals, the Boks at times take a backward step when they have to defend a line-out five metres from their try line. This season however Italy and Georgia have deployed their human caterpillar to great effect against the Boks. Not that it should be an area of grave concern. The Boks have mixed and matched their team across their first four engagements this season and with it they've lost continuity and cohesion. By way of example lock Eben Etzebeth was the only survivor of the starting pack of the first Test against Italy and the forward mass assembled to have first dibs at Georgia. Cohesion is a commodity required in copious supply in maul defence and the Boks should be a tighter knit forward unit in the Rugby Championship.

Who will play at flyhalf?

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, though a generational talent, has some way to go before 'real deal' status is bestowed on him at Test level. He plays with admirable exuberance but not always to the benefit of himself or those around him. His close association with physical misadventure is starting to haunt.

He is an absolute marvel when his execution brings his imagination to full fruition, but his proclivity for force often leads to fumble.

There is little doubt though he will be part of the Bok furniture for some time to come. In the meantime though Handré Pollard remains Mr Reliable with a low error rate with ball in hand or at his feet. Manie Libbok, however, remains the flyhalf most likely to get the Bok back division firing. If Feinberg-Mngomezulu is to get a starting position against the All Blacks like he did last year, he will have to bring greater maturity to the flyhalf berth in the two Tests against the Wallabies.

The second row

The Boks' second row stocks have been significantly boosted with the return of Lood de Jager. His time on the sidelines due to a rare heart condition and injury have been well documented, but his return this season after a two-year absence has left no-one in doubt that he has more to offer the Bok cause. De Jager missed the last Rugby World Cup, but he was instrumental in the team's success in the 2019 edition. He has shown glimpses of that form this season and will likely need to take it a notch up by the time the Boks play in New Zealand. De Jager brings calm authority to the Bok second row, cutting a towering presence in the lineout and, as his name suggests, weight to the scrum. His leg drives invariably gain metres and he can be a handful in broken play. De Jager may well be the most compelling addition to the Boks this season.