"Faf’s the one that I reckon we can get to" - Donald calls for All Blacks to target ‘erratic’ de Klerk

Rugby World Cup winning former All Black Stephen Donald says the recall of Faf de Klerk to the Springboks starting lineup could favour the All Blacks

Donald has questioned the consistency of Faf de Klerk as well as the form of Handre Pollard in the build-up to the All Blacks’ Rugby Championship opener in Nelspruit on Saturday.

De Klerk started the Springboks' first test match against Wales before Jacques Nienaber overhauled his squad for the second test. Jaden Hendrikse was given an opportunity in the second test and took it well enough to earn a start ahead of de Klerk in the third. 

Ahead of the test match against the All Blacks, Nienaber has recalled de Klerk to the starting XV to reunite the 2019 Rugby World Cup winning combination, and this is music to the ears of Donald who believes that he is not in the same league as Fourie du Preez and that his inconsistency will hurt the Boks.

“I’ve got no issue if they pick Faf [de Klerk] because he can have rough days,” Donald said on the SENZ The Run Home radio show.

“He is not the likes of a Fourie du Preez who could put every single box kick on a 10-cent piece.

“This guy can have erratic kicking nights, and if his box kicks are too long, if they’re too short but particularly if they’re too long, it will give Will Jordan, Jordie Barrett, and Sevu Reece time and space.

“As soon as they get time and space, that’s when we’ll worry the South Africans.”

The former Flyhalf added that he wants the All Blacks to pressure both of the South African halfbacks, but it was the Springbok scrumhalf who could self-implode out there.

“So you put pressure on Faf de Klerk, you put pressure on Handré Pollard, who isn’t in vintage form at the moment coming back from a serious injury, but Faf’s the one that I reckon we can get to,” he said.