Henco van Wyk is back from a long injury layoff. Picture: Gordon Arons/Gallo Images
The Springboks are back in action in a month’s time when they kick off their three-match tour of Europe with a game against Scotland in Edinburgh. They follow that up with clashes against England and Wales.
The big question ahead of the tour squad being named at the end of this month is, will coach Rassie Erasmus take a full-strength Bok squad to the northern hemisphere or will he look to blood a few youngsters?
Already this year he has handed Tests to the likes of Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Andre-Hugo Venter, Ben-Jason Dixon, Morne van den Berg, Jordan Hendrikse, Edwill van der Merwe, Phepsi Buthelezi, Johan Grobbelaar, Ruan Venter and Quan Horn.
Will these men go up north next month? And who are some of the uncapped players shining in the early stages of the United Rugby Championship who could get a look in?
Here are five Erasmus might be keeping an eye on.
The 23-year-old Lions centre is likely to have worn the green and gold by now had it not been for a string of injuries that halted his progression.
An SA Schools player in 2019 and South Africa’s Junior Bok Player of the Year in 2021, Van Wyk is a specialist outside centre who has featured in Bok alignment camps before.
Erasmus is known to like Van Wyk’s game and with Jesse Kriel and Lukhanyo Am both now 30 and unlikely to play Test rugby beyond the 2027 World Cup, it’s time for someone younger to get a test run, maybe Van Wyk?
The powerfully-built Bulls No 8 (193cm, 110kg) has also picked up injuries at the wrong times and had he not had a setback earlier this year he may well have featured for the Boks already.
But the 23-year-old, who can also play blindside flank, returned to action a few weeks ago as if he’d never been away and showed in the Currie Cup and URC that he is the real deal.
A strong ball-carrier with plenty of pace, Hanekom will hope to get a look-in at the Boks, as Elrigh Louw and Evan Roos did. The Boks are certainly still looking for a back-up for Jasper Wiese.
While the Boks are well-stocked in the wing department, with Suleiman Hartzenberg also pushing hard, the 21-year-old Sharks powerhouse, Hooker, looks to be a player with plenty to offer at a higher level.
Equally comfortable at outside centre, Hooker has already been mentioned at a Bok level as a player to watch, while his performances for the Sharks suggest he will be talked about as a potential future Bok until he receives a call up.
Standing 1.94m tall and tipping the scales at 100kg he’s got a real presence on the field and knows his way to the tryline. He’s a former SA U20 star from 2023.
Here’s another young player who’s just blossomed in the last two seasons and turned into one of the Bulls’ most vital players. Whether he runs out at fullback, wing or centre, Kriel has just got that something that sets him apart from the others.
But it’s at 12 where he’s really prospered and with Damian de Allende now 32 and Andre Esterhuizen 30, Erasmus might be tempted to look at a few options at 12 going forward, including maybe Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
Kriel (195cm and 100kg) though has the skills, power and pace to be a proper Bok option at inside centre; maybe his time will come next month?
South African rugby has never been short of quality loose forwards and there are several doing the rounds here and abroad who could turn out for the Boks. There are, however, just so many spots available.
Horn, 25, has been consistently good for the Lions in the last two to three years, showing his versatility by mixing it with the big boys in tight games, but also by playing an expansive, linking role when the game opens up. He’s a real threat with ball in hand.
Do the Boks need another No 8/blindside flanker? Probably not, but you just never know what Rassie might be thinking.
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