In Gqeberha, where the sea wind often carries whispers of resistance and revival, a new Springbok battalion takes to the turf — a side reshaped, reborn, and captained not by the usual centurion generals, but by a young lock forward with the steel of the Cape in his spine. Salmaan Moerat, towering and tireless, steps into the captaincy harness like a seasoned draft horse prepared to pull a chariot of green and gold warriors through the fire once more.
This Saturday, the Bok scrum resets under new pressure, not from opponents alone but from within — a recalibration of rhythm, a test of squad depth, and the symbolic passing of a torch. While stalwarts like Siya Kolisi rest their battered limbs, Moerat wears the armband — not as a placeholder, but as a pioneer steering this Test team into a future shaped by fresh blood and fearless belief.
Alongside Moerat’s quiet authority, Saturday’s clash against Italy also heralds a moment of golden significance for veteran fullback Willie le Roux, who earns his 100th cap in the same arena where it all began — against the Azzurri, back in 2013 in Durban. From debutant to centurion, le Roux has been a lighthouse at the back — steady, often brilliant, occasionally mercurial — but always Springbok to the core.
But if le Roux represents the well-worn leather of Springbok legacy, three others bring the first glimmer of polish on a brand-new shield. On the bench, the uncapped trio of Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Cobus Wiese, and Ethan Hooker wait like matchday matchsticks — full of potential energy, waiting for the spark.
Ntlabakanye, the barrel-chested Lions prop who thundered through the Barbarians two weeks ago, brings brute force to the front row. Wiese, brother of Bok No. 8 Jasper, adds another chapter to a family saga, becoming the 37th set of siblings to don the jersey. And Hooker, the versatile back with a touch of stardust, completes a trio of players Erasmus says have “made a fantastic impression” at both franchise and national level.
