How Erasmus can tick both boxes in Gqeberha double-header

OPINION: The availability of the Stormers players, as well as the addition of several junior stars, will boost the Springboks ahead of the fixtures against the Barbarians and Zimbabwe.

Rassie Erasmus has named a 51-man training squad ahead of the international season, which will commence with a double-header in Gqeberha on June 20.

The South African ‘A’ side will face Zimbabwe at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, while the Boks will battle the Barbarians at the same venue later in the day.

While it remains to be seen who exactly will feature across those matches, the Bok selection picture has become a lot clearer in the wake of the United Rugby Championship semifinals.

The Bulls beat Glasgow Warriors 22-21 on Saturday, and will meet Leinster in the final on June 19.

None of those players will be available for the matches staged in Gqeberha a day later.

Meanwhile, 10 of the Stormers who featured in the 11-20 loss to Leinster will link up with the national side for the first official training camp of the season.

One might be inclined to ask why the matches in Gqeberha were scheduled on the same weekend as the URC Final.

Indeed, one might wonder what Erasmus might have done if the Stormers as well as the Bulls were unavailable for national selection.

As things stand, Erasmus is fortunate to have those Stormers players on board, and the current squad is a lot stronger as a result.

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INJURIES AND GAME TIME CONCERNS

It’s impossible to talk about the Boks’ prospects in 2026 without mentioning the long injury list.

The Boks will be without RG Snyman, Kwagga Smith, and Morné van den Berg for the duration of the season.

It remains to be seen whether Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Ethan Hooker will be fit for the all-important Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series against the All Blacks.

Frans Malherbe, Cobus Reinach and the Hendrikse brothers are recovering from serious injuries and have not been included in the current squad.

The severity of Malcolm Marx’s latest injury – sustained while on club duty in Japan – is yet to be confirmed.

Pieter-Steph du Toit, Aphelele Fassi, Grant Williams and Eben Etzebeth have been sidelined for extended periods due to various ailments.

Like Marx, they have been included in the current squad and could well feature in Gqeberha.

From the outset, Erasmus has described this “pre-season” clash as an opportunity for Japan-based players to shake off the rust.

With that statement in mind, one would expect the large Japan-based contingent, as well as others returning from lengthy injury layoffs, to get a run against the Barbarians in the main event on June 20.

Cheslin Kolbe, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Manie Libbok, Jasper Wiese, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Lood de Jager – who made his comeback from injury this past weekend – Franco Mostert, Marx, Faf de Klerk and Lukhanyo Am all fall into this category.

Williams, Fassi and Etzebeth would benefit from a hit-out, given how much rugby they’ve missed over the past few months.

One would expect other Sharks players like Ox Nché, Vincent Tshituka, Siya Kolisi, André Esterhuizen and Edwill van der Merwe to feature as well.

STORMERS INJECTION

The recent result in Dublin has unlocked another set of players and has provided Erasmus with more options across the Bok and SA ‘A’ match 23s.

Given the injury situation, as well as the unavailability of the Bulls and overseas-based players, Erasmus may need some, if not all, of those Stormers forwards to play.

Thomas du Toit is still on duty in the Premiership, while Malherbe and Trevor Nyakane are still recovering from injuries.

Bulls front-rankers such as Wilco Louw, Gerhard Steenekamp, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Marco van Staden (utility forward) and Johan Grobbelaar are focusing on the upcoming URC Final.

Clearly, there is some room for Erasmus to experiment with his combinations.

Zachary Porthern – who made his debut against Japan last November – may receive another chance with the Boks, while Ntuthuko Mchunu and Neethling Fouché could return to the Test fold.

Andre-Hugo Venter and JJ Kotze have previous experience of the Bok set-up – with the former winning a Test cap in 2024 and the latter representing SA A in 2022.

Salmaan Moerat and BJ Dixon should bolster the back-five options, and with Kwagga Smith crocked and Van Staden unavailable, Erasmus may hand Paul de Villiers a role with the Bomb Squad.

Some have questioned the recall of 36-year-old Vincent Koch, but the selection makes sense when one considers the dearth of available tightheads, and the fact that the double World Cup winner will have much to teach the younger front-rankers within the wider group.

BLENDING THE YOUNG AND OLD

The Barbarians fixture will serve as an important warm-up ahead of the Nations Championship – which kicks off with a marquee fixture against England on July 4 – and the subsequent series against the All Blacks.

The SA ‘A’ match could be important for other reasons.

Erasmus will want to see how some of the younger players are tracking, and whether a few Junior Boks deserve further opportunities down the line.

Zekhethelo Siyaya impressed for the Sharks at the back-end of the URC, and looks set for a senior opportunity alongside Junior Bok teammates such as Riley Norton, Markus Muller and Esethu Mnebelele.

The aforementioned players have been on the Bok radar for some time and attended a recent alignment camp.

The current squad includes a few new players in Yaqeen Ahmed and Vusi Moyo, who have been in commanding form for the Junior Boks across the recent internationals staged in South Africa.

Erasmus’ squad also includes a slightly older group of juniors, who have been in the South African system for several years, and in some cases have already played URC and Champions Cup rugby.

Backline players such as Jurenzo Julius, Jaco Williams and Haashim Pead should receive game time in Gqeberha, while Bathobele Hlekani, Siba Mahashe and Olly Reid may add value up front.

While the SA ‘A’ team has been treated as a vehicle for development during Erasmus’ tenure, it has also provided more experienced players who are perhaps second or third choice with a chance to shine.

Veterans such as Esterhuizen and Am may well feature for the SA ‘A’ side in Gqeberha, while No.8 Evan Roos and loosehead Boan Venter are among the fringe players who deserve an extended run.

Sharks tighthead Hanro Jacobs has been included in the Bok squad for the first time, and may move up the pecking order in the event of injuries to other front-row options.

The unavailability of the Bulls and overseas-based stars will force Erasmus and company to consider other options with the short and long-term in mind.

That said, it’s worth considering who will come back into the mix once the club season has concluded.

Apart from the established Boks within the Bulls squad, Cameron Hanekom and Elrigh Louw look set for more game time in the green and gold, after both missed the entire 2025 season due to injuries.

Winger Cheswill Jooste is another youngster who looks set for an opportunity with the Boks later this season.

Versatile prop Thomas du Toit should rejoin the side once his club commitments with Bath have been fulfilled.

Lock JJ van der Mescht (Northampton Saints) and tighthead Carlü Sadie (Bordeaux Bégles) were invited to an alignment camp earlier this year, but may have to wait until the club season has finished before linking up with the Boks, as per World Rugby’s Regulation 9.

Northampton will feature in the upcoming Premiership semifinals, while Bordeaux have failed to qualify for the French Top 14 play-offs.