Patrick Lambie is 25 has accumulated 48 test matches. Yet, there is still very little clarity regarding his role with the Springboks. A prodigious talent, he broke through the Sharks ranks giving assured displays before capturing the eye of the national team selectors. It was his calm and assured demeanour that caught the eye early on and coupled with his versatility, this seemed the perfect combination for a successful Springbok career. Yet, there remains a feeling that all that potential remains largely unfulfilled.

What may have initially been a gift may very well turn out to be the curse for a player so obviously talented. One could almost call him too talented for his own good. Lambie can pretty much cover most positions across the backline. He has played fullback in the green and gold, briefly occupied wing, can play centre and seems to be losing the battle to Handre Pollard for the flyhalf berth, his best position. He has had to settle for a backup role, often times making the match 23 as cover for both 10 and 15. Of the 48 test matches 31 have been off the bench and in recent times, he could count himself lucky just to see off the last 8 minutes of each match.

Anywhere else in the world, that would be seen as a waste of talent but this is no new phenomenon for South African rugby. Frans Steyn was once described as having the rugby gods watching over his cot when he was born, Ruan Pienaar, can also tell a tale.

Before the tournament there were lingering questions over the flyhalf birth. Lambie had seen off the Rugby Championship as the incumbent and after a strong tour of the northern hemisphere previously, was talked up as having the necessary tools to thrive in the conditions on offer. He started South Africa’s first World Cup game against Japan, a match that proved a poison chalice. The Springboks lost through no fault of his and Lambie was subsequently dropped for the next match against Samoa and didn’t even make the match day squad for the USA game.

Lambie’s plight mirrors that facing players of colour in South African rugby and much like the issues that face transformation, he is the headache Heyneke Meyer can’t seem to rid himself of. There is no doubting the talent of Pollard, he seems the dream. He has solid boot and is seen as having a more natural kicking game than Lambie. He also owns the body of a centre making line breaks his bread and butter, captained the junior Boks and importantly, came through the Bulls academy and he gets the sort of backing Lambie can only dream of. The sort of backing players of colour can also only dream of.

Lambie has consistently put in some silky displays at provincial level and is a bit of a fan favourite, making it hard for Meyer to ignore until it comes to the team sheet. Each time he has made the team sheet he is often asked to sacrifice his game and the very attributes that got him selected in the first place, for Meyer’s more favoured kick first tactical approach. That sets him up to fail and doubles as the justification Meyer needs to keep him out the team. This is often the predicament black players are often faced with, being set up to fail and those are even the ones that even make selection.

Heyneke Meyer’s era has not been kind to Patrick Lambie. Morne Steyn’s presence in the team and accurate boot meant he was relegated to fullback but even then Jaco Taute was touted as the better option as the future 15 for South Africa. Zane Kirchner was familiar with Meyer and his methods, considered a safer option and thus his complementary call ups every now and then, sending Lambie further down the pecking order. Meyer had not figured out what Lambie’s best position was and preferred to only keep him in the team as a utility back. Morne Steyn’s loss of form presented an opportunity for Lambie and Elton Jantjies to tour with the Boks and an actual chance at game time. He wasn’t really given the platform to succeed as the Boks carried out their conservative approach and Lambie found himself having to harness his goal kicking. The challenge was set for him by Meyer and he has responded, improving yearly, his progress being curtailed by injuries the past two seasons.

Morne Steyn continued to be sidelined by Meyer and a failed season long loan to the Stormers dented Jantjies claims to the number 10 jersey. Lambie could just watch on as Johan Goosen came out of left field and claim pole position for the coveted berth. He possessed the kind of attributes Meyer finds attractive in his flyhalves and could even launch rockets from his own 22 metre line but persistent injury issues put to bed any such dreams. Goosen eventually went to France where he has been used as a fullback and even threatened a Bok comeback with Meyer considering him in his World Cup plans.

Under Brendan Venter and leading to Jake White at the Sharks, Lambie was handed the reigns of pivot and likely played his best spell of rugby. He was thrust into a leadership role and importantly received the backing any player needs to thrive, he shone and admirably led the Sharks backline seemingly unfazed by the pressures of leadership. He showed versatility, knowing when to run the ball and when to get it behind the opposition. His goal kicking improved, he was playing with confidence and swagger and was never scared of taking responsibility and making on field decisions. Steyn continued to find himself on the outs and there seemed a clear path to the Springbok jersey until Pollard happened. That would be the equivalent of any Gio Aplon argument when Willie Le Roux happened, much in the same manner Jesse Kriel has caused amnesia regarding Juan De Jongh.

Pat Lambie is now on the peripheral with Pollard continuing to grow as the pivot and with Meyer rumoured to have signed an extension prior to the World Cup, his future seems a bit obstructed. He will continue to receive call ups, a privilege black players who have faced a position similar to his do not enjoy. A third place playoff match against Argentina would seemingly be an opportunity for Pat to catch a whiff of the World Cup, Meyer however is far likelier to further the cause of Handre Pollard. Meyer is also a rank sentimentalist and could use the game as a swansong for a few of his beloved, especially with Steyn back in from the cold. In the arguments regarding transformation players like Oupa Mahoje, Siya Kolisi and Lionel Mapoe have melanin work against him, Pat Lambie has English lineage work against him, it seems.