Handré Pollard has joined the Springbok squad for Rugby World Cup 2023 as a replacement for the injured Malcolm Marx.

The worst-kept secret at Rugby World Cup 2023 - that Handré Pollard would join the Springboks as an injury replacement in France - was confirmed on Sunday night.

Pollard, one of the stars of RWC 2019 when the Boks won the title in Japan, has been included as a replacement for hooker Malcolm Marx.

In another example of the unorthodox thinking of coach Jacques Nienaber and director of rugby Rassie Erasmus, calling up a flyhalf for hooker initially appears like madness.

But RasNaber hinted that they would make this move if: a) Pollard proved his fitness in a match for Leicester on Friday night, and b) if Marco van Staden and Deon Fourie both proved their worth as hookers in the Boks' Pool B match against Romania.

Pollard came through half a game unscathed and Fourie and Van Staden never missed a lineout between them during the 76-0 win over Romania, while both showed they can play hooker. Admittedly the standard of the opponent was questionable.

With Bongi Mbonambi now the undisputed first-choice hooker after Marx's serious knee injury, Fourie is the accepted understudy. Van Staden will fulfil the third hooker berth.

Pollard, who scored 22 points in the...