Five Springbok players who have taken their chance this season

It has been a solid start to the season for the Springboks, with them winning five of their first six games, while they have also superbly rotated their squad, giving a number of players a chance to impress.

That decision has been backed up by some top performances from their fringe players, and some good results in almost all of their games.

Here are five players that have taken their Springbok opportunity this season with aplomb:

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu

No one has better taken their chance for the Boks this season than utility back Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu who looks to be a future legend in the making.

From his monster penalty on debut off the bench against Wales, to his brilliant performance as an early injury sub in the second Irish Test, to being picked as the starting flyhalf in both Tests against the Wallabies, Feinberg-Mngomezulu has already racked up some impressive highlights moments.

The future certainly looks very bright for the 22-year-old, and as long as the Boks manage him properly, he could become an incredibly important player for many years to come.

Ben-Jason Dixon

The rise of Ben-Jason Dixon has been incredible, with the player now looking like he could become a regular feature for the Boks in the coming years.

It was only over the past United Rugby Championship (URC) season that the 26-year-old Dixon became a Stormers regular, and his impressive showings and versatility saw him get the nod for the Boks.

Coach Rassie Erasmus will have heaped pressure on him by comparing him to Pieter-Steph du Toit, but Dixon has responded superbly to that and put in some strong performances that should keep him in the mix going forward.

Aphelele Fassi

The return to the Boks for Aphelele Fassi has been brilliant and thanks to the injury woes of Damian Willemse, he has received more opportunities than he probably would have this season.

Fassi was dropped by the Boks back in 2022, apparently mainly due to his poor defence, however he has now sorted out that problem and enjoyed a top URC season for the Sharks that earned his Bok recall.

He has then backed that up with top performances in his three starts for the Boks this season, against Wales, Portugal and Australia, and he seems to have now solidified his place back in the squad for the foreseeable future.

Edwill van der Merwe

It is a huge shame that Edwill van der Merwe picked up an injury playing for the Lions in the Currie Cup, as it may have robbed him of making a play to become a regular in the stacked Boks’ outside back department.

Injuries to a number of players led to Van Der Merwe being a surprise selection to the Bok squad to play Wales, after he wasn’t involved in any of the alignment camps beforehand, and he subsequently was named in the starting lineup.

He took his opportunity superbly with an action packed man-of-the-match display that included try saving tackles and a brilliant solo try, and if not for the injury he may have been given another chance against Portugal or Australia.

Morne van den Berg

Lions Scrumhalf Morne van den Berg was another surprise pick for the Boks, despite him having been involved in the alignment camps before the start of the season.

His fellow halfback Sanele Nohamba enjoyed a brilliant URC campaign and it was expected that he would have been picked ahead of him, but the Bok management apparently weren’t sold on his defensive capabilities.

Van den Berg was still not expected to get much of a chance, but an impressive cameo off the bench in his debut against Portugal, saw him stay in the mix and get a start in the second Test against the Wallabies in tough conditions, with him performing admirably.