Springboks name four halfbacks for Rugby World Cup match

Faf de Klerk is a halfback but will be the reserve first-five for South Africa's Rugby World Cup game against Romania.

Grant Williams is also a halfback but will start the match as a wing, and then there are the two actual halfbacks in the team for Monday in starting No. 9 Cobus Reinach and Jaden Hendrikse on the bench.

For all their invention over the last five years – and there has been quite a bit – playing all four halfbacks in their squad in the same game seemed unlikely.

Four halfbacks in the squad even seemed too many, yet here we are.

Springboks coach Jacques Nienaber says from the start, people were wondering why they were taking four halfbacks but if you look at the versatility within that, that’s what they saw.”

Williams' versatility and inclusion in a position he last played regularly in at school means the Boks can rest front-line wings Cheslin Kolbe and Kurt-Lee Arendse.

They will be needed when South Africa faces top-ranked Ireland after Romania in a big test of its ability to retain the Rugby World Cup.

Nienaber says it’s not a risk for them, it is well calculated.

He says they are comfortable with what they saw in training.

In last weekend's Rugby World Cup win over Scotland, Erasmus used a series of coloured lights in the coaching box to seemingly send messages to players and coaching staff on the sidelines. In a game against the All Blacks last month, South Africa went with an unprecedented seven forwards and just one back on the bench.

Meanwhile, Romania coach Eugen Apjok says they expect a very physical game in the pack and they don’t want to take any risks, so they have six forwards on the bench.

Prop Alexandru Gordas is looking forward to a good battle in the scrum, he said, no matter what South Africa's four halfbacks do.

Gordas says they are there to show their strength in the scrum, too and it is a great opportunity for them because they have a lot of young players in the scrum and they want to take this opportunity and show they are also strong like they have been in the past.

The Springboks play Romania at 1am Monday.

South Africa: Willie le Roux, Grant Williams, Canan Moodie, Andre Esterhuizen, Makazole Mapimpi, Damian Willemse, Cobus Reinach; Duane Vermeulen, Kwagga Smith, Marco van Staden, Marvin Orie, Jean Kleyn, Vincent Koch, Bongi Mbonambi (captain), Ox Nche. Reserves: Deon Fourie, Steven Kitshoff, Trevor Nyakane, RG Snyman, Jasper Wiese, Jaden Hendrikse, Faf de Klerk, Jesse Kriel.