Manie Libbok: ‘Playing in Japan has been good for me’
· Citizen
A season in Japan and some coaching from former Australian star Quade Cooper has helped Manie Libbok up his game, and he is ready to show it on the international front in the Springboks’ Nations Championship opener against England at Ellis Park on Saturday.
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Libbok has been backed to lead the Bok line in the match, ahead of the experienced Handré Pollard, while first choice flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu is out injured.
It is thus the perfect opportunity for Libbok to show what he has learnt and how his game has improved over a domestic season with Japanese League One division two side Hanazono Kintetsu Liners, where he finished the campaign as the tournament’s leading points scorer.
“We all know what type of player Quade was. He is a legend of the game. He plays an almost similar game style to me. I’ve learnt a lot from him in terms of rugby stuff and fresh ideas,” said Libbok at a Springbok press conference on Wednesday.
“It was awesome to pick his brain as well. It’s been a great first season with him. I think our relationship is just going to grow and grow going into the future.
“All parts of my game have improved. Playing in Japan is more free-flowing, it is more attacking, but that is something that I love and that is how I want to play. So it has been good. I’ve been growing in other parts of my game as well.
“I am playing with a great balance in terms of when to kick, when to run, taking opportunities when it is on, while making sure we play in the right areas when we are under the pump and then turning those pressures back onto the opposition.”
Big year
With 2027 being a World Cup year, Libbok will be eager to impress over the current season and make sure he is one of the top choices going into next year’s showpiece event in Australia.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu if fit and still in form will likely be the Boks first choice starter, which would see Libbok and Pollard battling it out to be the team’s backup option.
At the 2023 tournament in France Libbok started the tournament as the first choice flyhalf, but became backup to Pollard when he returned from injury, and he admitted that was just how things went with the Boks, and that everyone understood and accepted it.
“You’re with the best of the best (in the Springbok system). It’s not the same as your union. It’s a different level. It’s my job to drive the team around the park,” explained Libbok.
“Being in this environment, we always talk about putting the team first. What was best for the team in that critical moment, was obviously for Handré to come on (early in the semifinal against England).
“He was a World Cup winner at that time. So you understand those types of decisions. Him coming on and controlling the game nicely, we got the results at the end of the day.”