Springboks squad winners and losers: Rassie Erasmus ‘rewards’ five debutants while ‘yo-yo’ forward snubbed again
Following the announcement of Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus’ 37-man squad for their upcoming Rugby Championship Tests against Australia, we select our winners and losers.
South Africa’s squad includes 24 Rugby World Cup-winners while five players who made their international debuts during their recent mid-year internationals against Italy and Georgia are also rewarded.
The world champions’ Rugby Championship campaign gets underway against Australia at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on August 16 before the old foes face off at DHL Stadium in Cape Town seven days later.
There are also seven players who are on standby for the Tests against the Wallabies.
So without further ado, here are our winners and losers.
Winners
Siya Kolisi
The Springboks skipper missed the team’s first three matches of the year – the exhibition game against the Barbarians and the two-Test series against Italy – due to injury before making his return to action during Saturday’s 55-10 victory over Georgia in Nelspruit.
Despite being in the wars in that encounter with the Lelos – he left the field during its early stages for an HIA which he passed – Kolisi came to the fore with a solid display. Despite that brief period off the field, he returned to action and was on the field until the end of that game, which proved that he is back to full fitness and ready to lead the Boks as they kick off their Rugby Championship title defence.
Lood de Jager
After overcoming injuries and a heart condition, the experienced second-row made his return to the international arena, following a two-year absence, and caught the eye with a barnstorming performance during the Springboks’ 54-7 triumph over the Barbarians in Cape Town in the Boks’ first match of the year.
De Jager retained his spot in the world champions’ starting line-up for their next match against Italy in Pretoria and although he was replaced early in the second half of that clash and sat out their next match against the Azzurri and the Georgia Test, he showed that he can still do a job at the highest level and has retained his place in the squad.
Ruan Nortje
Another second-rower on our list, the Bulls stalwart was arguably the Boks’ best player during their recent internationals as he shone with excellent all-round performances in the second Test against Italy in Gqeberha and at the weekend against Georgia in Nelspruit.
Despite being one of the more inexperienced locks in the Boks squad for the mid-year internationals, the 26-year-old took his chances with both hands as he impressed with his lineout work, while he also came to the fore with a high work-rate on either side of the ball. His superb current form means he is now a genuine contender for a spot in the Boks’ first-choice starting line-up.
Jean-Luc du Preez
After last playing for the Boks in a 2023 Rugby World Cup warm-up encounter against Argentina, the Bordeaux-Begles-bound loose forward returned to action for his country in that clash with the Barbarians.
Du Preez only lasted 38 minutes of that encounter as he was forced off the field due to a head knock, which kept him on the sidelines for their next three internationals. Despite being out of action for the past three weeks, due to concussion and paternity leave, he has been included in the Springboks squad and will be keen to repay the faith which Erasmus has shown in him.
Lukhanyo Am
The experienced centre has been battling an ongoing knee injury in recent seasons but has been ruled fit after undergoing a knee procedure last month.
The 31-year-old has not played as many matches as he would’ve liked since initially sustaining his knee injury in the build-up to the 2023 Rugby World Cup but when on song he is one of the world’s best centres and he will be hoping to get some game-time against the Wallabies as he must be keen to show Erasmus that he can still do a job at Test level.
Five newbies
Head coach Erasmus has kept his promise that he will be making changes to his squad in the run-up to South Africa’s trophy defence at the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
He introduced seven debutants during the recent mid-year internationals and retained five of those rookies for the upcoming Rugby Championship clashes against the Wallabies.
They are: Cobus Wiese, Marnus van der Merwe, Boan Venter, Asenathi Ntlabakanye and Ethan Hooker, who have all impressed since making the step up to international level.
Wiese did what was expected of him when coming on at lock against Italy in Gqeberha before delivering a solid display at number eight against Georgia. Meanwhile, Van der Merwe and Venter both made try-scoring debuts in that clash with the Lelos and impressed in the execution of their core duties.
Fellow front-rower Ntlabakanye and Hooker also delivered solid shifts when they came off the bench against the Azzuri in Gqeberha, and all the aforementioned players will be keen to build on those efforts.
Losers
Vincent Tshituka
While the aforementioned debutants have received the call-up to Erasmus’ squad, Tshituka was not so lucky, although he is one of the seven players who have been included on the standby list for the Tests against Australia.
The Sharks back-rower was named the official man of the match in the win over the Barbarians in Cape Town before making his Test debut in the first encounter against Italy in Pretoria.
He delivered a solid performance in that fixture but did not feature in the second Test against the Azzurri or the one against Georgia. However, competition for back-row places in the Boks squad is always intense, and he will be hoping to get a chance at some stage during the Rugby Championship.
Neethling Fouche
The Stormers’ tighthead prop is the seventh player who made his Test debut for the Boks this year, but like Tshituka, he also misses out on the squad for the start of the Rugby Championship.
The 32-year-old delivered a solid display during a 45-minute shift against Georgia, but with the likes of Wilco Louw and Vincent Koch ahead of him in the queue, it was always going to be difficult to make the 37-man squad for the Wallabies Tests.
However, like Tshituka and five other players, there is some consolation for him as he is part of the standby group, and he will be keen to impress if he does get another chance.
Salmaan Moerat
Although the Stormers skipper captained the Boks in their 45-0 victory over the Azzurri in Gqeberha, he hardly set the world alight in that match, and although former Boks coach Nick Mallett recently explained why he is usually in the mix for Boks selection, he didn’t do enough to make Erasmus’ squad to face the Wallabies.
With the likes of the Boks’ most capped player Eben Etzebeth, fellow World Cup winners Franco Mostert and De Jager, as well as a rising star like Nortje ahead of him in the queue, Moerat was always going to struggle to make the first-choice squad, but he has also been included on Erasmus’ standby list.
Evan Roos
The Stormers number eight’s omission is not a surprise, actually, as he has become like the yo-yo of the Springboks squad since making his Test debut against Wales three years ago.
Roos was left out of the Boks’ first 54-man group of the year for the mid-year internationals but was eventually added after Cameron Hanekom and Juarno Augustus dropped out due to injuries.
That presented him with an opportunity to impress Erasmus, but he only received 23 minutes of action off the replacements bench in the second Test against Italy and obviously did not do enough to convince the Boks boss of his ability. Roos will also be on the Boks’ standby list.
Experienced double World Cup-winning duo
Although they are not discarded completely – as they are also among the seven players who are on the standby list – experienced backline duo Faf de Klerk and Makazole Mapimpi are now very much on the periphery of head coach Erasmus’ squad.
The pair have never let their country down in the international arena, but father time is catching up with them with scrum-half De Klerk aged 33 while speedster Mapimpi is 34.
While there are players of similar ages in this latest squad, like Kolisi, Etzebeth and Bongi Mbonambi, the aforementioned trio are forwards who usually have a longer timespan in the international arena than backs.
Gerhard Steenekamp
After making his Test debut in 2022, the Bulls loosehead prop caught the eye with several impressive performances for the Springboks last year and established himself as a regular in the world champions’ matchday squads.
However, things went pear-shaped for him in March when he sustained a knee injury, and he has been sidelined ever since. The 28-year-old had a minor procedure on his knee but had some unfortunate complications. He was said to be close to a full recovery, but that hasn’t been the case and is still on the sidelines for now
