When Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus says he is trying to build squad depth ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup, he means it.
Erasmus used 35 players during the recently completed Rugby Championship and 49 in total in the 10 Tests the Boks played thus far in 2024.
Of those players, Erasmus has blooded a number of youngsters, while also backing a few players who had only played a handful of Tests over the last few years.
IOL Sport’s John Goliath takes a look at some of the rookies who have taken their chances in the Springbok jersey in the Rugby Championship.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu from 60m 😮
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) September 2, 2024
The isiXhosa commentators enjoyed that 🚀 pic.twitter.com/CEKR5B4nB4
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu
South African rugby’s new wonderkid slotted in seamlessly after making his debut against Wales at the start of the Test season. He announced himself on the international stage with a brilliant long-range kick, while he also showed his class against Ireland.
But it was in the Rugby Championship where he made his mark, especially in the flyhalf position. Thrown into the deep end against the All Blacks at Ellis Park, Feinberg-Mngomezulu splashed around like a seasoned veteran.
The Stormers’ 22-year-old star stepped up with his skill and vision with ball in hand, and showed his calmness off the kicking tee. He also has a high work-rate for a flyhalf, tackling, cleaning and showing great physicality. He will be a match-winner for his country for many years to come. That is for sure.
Jan-Hendrik Wessels
Oh man, Wessels has a massive future ahead of him after playing at loosehead prop and hooker for the Springboks during the Rugby Championship. The Bulls man has been earmarked as the Boks’ new “Swiss Army knife” by Erasmus, who even compared him to the great Os du Randt.
The Springboks love themselves a versatile player, it’s why a guy like Deon Fourie was such an asset at the previous World Cup. It allowed the Boks to gamble on bringing in a flyhalf when hooker Malcolm Marx got injured in France last year.
Wessels packed down at loosehead against the Wallabies and more than held his own. He then came on at hooker against Los Pumas in Argentina, nailing his only lineout throw. But it’s his work in the tight-loose as a ball carrier that has the Bok coaches salivating, and why they are comparing him to Du Randt.
Phenomenal work from Aphelele Fassi! 🙌
— Jared Wright (@jaredwright17) September 29, 2024
Just takes one step too many with his clearance but still a 15m+ gain from where the lineout would have been. pic.twitter.com/Ymc4q39KNQ
Aphelele Fassi
The “Weekend Special” has made a big impact since his return to the Springboks’ fold this year. Fassi has had to fight his way back into the Bok set-up after making his debut in July 2021 against Georgia and entering this season with only three Test caps.
His first Test back against Wales didn’t quite go to plan, the fullback getting yellow-carded for a high knee because of a few technical issues when he goes for a high ball. But that was quickly ironed out, and he became a mainstay in the No 15 jersey in the Rugby Championship.
The 26-year-old Fassi was a surprise starter against the All Blacks in Johannesburg, but produced a top performance at the back that saw him start the final two Tests against Argentina. Fassi has always been a brilliant strike-runner from the back, but it’s been his ability under the high balls that has really stood out this year.
Elrigh Louw
One of the sub-plots of the 2024 Rugby Championship campaign was who is going to step into Duane Vermeulen’s rather large shoes, following his retirement after the Rugby World Cup. And Louw has seemingly jumped the queue following many strong performances in the green and gold.
After taking his chances in the matches against the Wallabies, the Springboks simply had to find a away to accommodate the Bulls bruiser. The lock crisis saw him given an impact player role at No 8, rotating with Jasper Wiese in that position throughout the Rugby Championship.
Louw is a unit, another massive big player with unbelievable athletic attributes. He carried the ball like few others around the park, while his defensive work is very good. He can still improve his rugby awareness, but no player is more imposing on a rugby field.
WOW! INCREDIBLE SCRUM! 🤯
— Jared Wright (@jaredwright17) July 6, 2024
NUKE SQUAD! 💣 #RSAvIRE pic.twitter.com/Watv5sE41E
Gerhard Steenekamp
The bearded Bulls loosehead is the silent assassin of the Springboks’ team. He is one of those old-school props that just gets on with his work, and does it with a lot of brutality.
Steenekamp has had to fill the void left by the great Steven Kitshoff this year, but he used his opportunities in the Rugby Championship to show that he is a worthy back-up to Ox Nche. Steenekamp hardly ever retreated at scrum time and the Boks never really lost momentum when he took the field.
His work-rate around the park was also very good, as he carried with venom and showed his stopping power on defence. At 27-years-old, Steenekamp is hardly a youngster, but you get the feeling that his rugby career has only just started to kick off.
@JohnGoliath82