PITY the poor Springboks. Three years after arming themselves with the most potent quartet of second row forwards ever seen at a World Cup and winning the thing as a consequence, they suddenly find themselves scratching around for an engine-room combination capable of powering something bigger than a moped.
Eben Etzebeth? Struggling for fitness. Lood de Jager? Crocked. RG Snyman? Orthopaedically challenged. Franco Mostert, the last lock standing, may have to play like two men, which he managed to do during his Premiership spell with Gloucester but will find a little more difficult against...