Manie Libbok welcomes flyhalf rivalry in SA: 'Everyone is stepping up'

The country's flyhalf stocks have been boosted in 2024 with Lions No 10 Sanele Nohamba and Sharks pivot Siya Masuku both knocking on the door for Springbok selection with some outstanding performances in recent months.

It's a far cry from the start of last year's Rugby World Cup in France when Libbok was the only specialist number 10 in South Africa's squad, before Handre Pollard came in as an injury replacement and made a crucial contribution during the latter stages of the global tournament.

Despite there being more competition for the Boks' flyhalf jersey, Libbok is not fazed and is in fact welcoming the challenge. On Saturday, he will go head-to-head with in-form Lions counterpart Nohamba in Saturday's URC derby in Cape Town.

"I'm good friends with quite a few of the guys at the Lions," he said. "Some of them were present at the alignment camps. We had a lot of chats with one another. Sometimes we even 'play' against one another in the alignment camp. It was good fun, there was a chat, basically.

"Sanele is a quality player. I am stoked with how he's going and am happy with him. You can see that he is enjoying his rugby. I am just looking forward to the game and doing the job I have to do.

"I am also very happy for Siya Masuku and with how well he is doing. There is always going to be pressure and that's the same for all the teams.

"Everyone is stepping up and doing their very best in terms of their form for their unions and giving themselves every possible chance to be selected. There is always pressure playing in this competition.

"Across the whole competition, the quality of the rugby is very high, so everyone is pushing hard.

"I am just happy for him and with where he is at with his game and I am wishing him the very best going forward in his career."

There will be plenty at stake when the Stormers and Lions meet this weekend with the men from the Cape keen not to drop down from fifth position in the standings - as Ulster are just a point adrift - while the Lions, who are currently in ninth spot, needing a victory to keep alive their chances of making the quarter-finals.

"We know they will come out all guns blazing," added Libbok. "For us, it's important to keep focusing on ourselves and what we want to achieve and get out of this game, especially going into the playoffs.

"They have threats across the park, from their forward pack to their backline players. They have quality players in their team and they will come out here to give it a proper crack, with it being the last round and a chance for them to get into the playoffs."

Libbok is a vital cog in the Stormers machine and one area of his game which has improved considerably of late is his goal-kicking.

The 26-year-old showed his class off the kicking tee in his team's recent URC victories over the Dragons and Connacht and has missed just two shots at goal in his last three matches.

"I am very happy with where I'm at with my kicking. I've been working extremely hard with [kicking coach] Gareth Wright," he said.

"It's an ongoing thing. My focus was to keep working on it and realise that at some point it would come through again and I will find my groove again.

"I am just happy it happened now, especially going into the playoffs."

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