The 'swingers' that will be key for the Boks

SPOTLIGHT: Jacobus Hermanus Wiese is one of those forwards who fits perfectly into Rassie Erasmus’ Springbok picture.

Erasmus, renowned for his astute of ‘utility’ players, has added the 27-year-old uncapped Bulls player to his 2025 national squad.

Wiese, the younger brother of World Cup-winning loose forward Jasper, joined Premiership Rugby side Sale Sharks from the Stormers ahead of the 2020–21 season.

He returned to South Africa last year and has been a mainstay in the Bulls team that reached the United Rugby Championship Final.

His performances, where he featured on the flank and at lock, grabbed the attention of the national team selectors.

Erasmus called up Cobus Wiese to a training camp back in 2018, but he was never capped and departed for England in 2020.

(Continue below …..)

“The way [Bulls Director of Rugby] Jake [White] use him is brilliant,” Erasmus said.

Wiese is one of several players in the current squad that can fulfil that utility role – swinging between the second and back rows.

Vincent Tshituka (No.7 and No.4), Jean-Luc du Preez (No.4 & No.7), Franco Mostert (No.5 & No.7) and Ruan Nortje (No.5 & No.7) all fall into Erasmus’ utility character.

“Cobus [Wiese] can play No.4, No.7 and sometimes call the line-outs at the Bulls,” the Bok coach explained.

“It opens up the options,” the coach said, adding: “Siya [Kolisi] can play at No.8, Kwagga [Smith] can play No.6, Marco van Staden [mostly a flank] can also play No.8 and we have Jasper [Wiese] who can play at No.8.

“We often have issues with lock injuries towards the end of a season,” he said of having so many swingers.

The specialist locks in the squad are Eben Etzebeth, Jean Kleyn, Lood de Jager, RG Snyman and Salmaan Moerat.

“It certainly helps if we want to experiment with team selection and Cobus [Wiese] falls in that utility group.”

“He is a massive human and the way Jake White uses him to get momentum and stop momentum is great.

“[Prop] Wilco Louw will tell you the value he adds in a scrum.

“He brings that physical edge and the way he plays at the Bulls is how we want him to play at the Boks”

@king365ed
@rugby365com