Springboks team: Winners and losers as prop with ‘huge future’ given the nod while four-try star falls into ‘niche category’
Springbok team: Winners and losers as prop with 'huge future' given the nod while four-try star falls into 'niche category'
The Springboks team has been announced for their opening match of the Nations Championship against England.
Here are our winners and losers from the 23-man squad:
Winners
Manie Libbok: So often in and out of the squad, it’s difficult to predict when you’ll next see him in Springbok kit. But with the absence of Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu through injury, and the recent poor performance of Handre Pollard, the attacking fly-half has been given the starting jersey. He’s recently played well in Japan’s second division for Kintetsu Liners, even scoring 34 points against the Hino Red Dolphins back in April. So, a good showing in South Africa’s opener, and he could be in line for an extended period in the 10 jersey.
Zachary Porthen: The young star is in the perfect position to become a long-term member of the front-row. The 22-year-old has entered the Springbok fold just as the previous generation of front-rowers filter out. Thomas du Toit, Ox Nché, Vincent Koch, Wilco Louw and Frans Malherbe are all in their 30s now, while Steven Kitshoff, Tendai Mtawarira and others of that era have retired. Porthen, however, has three caps under his belt and a huge future ahead of him. A solid showing from the bench on Saturday would go a long way to securing his long-term future.
Eben Etzebeth: After a major hiatus from the game due to suspension, he has returned to the international fold. He was shown a red card by referee Luc Ramos in the final minutes of the Springboks’ 73-0 victory in Cardiff for a controversial eye gouge on Wales’ Alex Mann. He was later issued a 12-week ban by a disciplinary committee that determined that it was intentional and set a mid-range entry point of 18 weeks/matches, but it was reduced by six weeks due to mitigating factors. Only returning for the Sharks in April to face Connacht in the United Rugby Championship (URC), the giant lock has been thrust back into Springboks action with just one game under his belt since the Autumn Nations Series in November.
Cameron Hanekom: His solitary showing in the green and gold came just over a year and a half ago, arriving off the bench early to help South Africa take victory over Wales. After suffering an injury at the start of the 2025/26 season, the 24-year-old has fought back to reclaim his spot at the back of the Bulls scrum, becoming a key member of the squad that reached the URC final. With tough competition from Jasper Wiese for the Springbok number eight shirt, Hanekom will be hoping to make a real impact off the bench on Saturday.
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Cobus Reinach: As an elder statesman of the side, the 36-year-old has every right to take on a mentor role and allow the young lads to fight over the starting shirt. But that’s not the case here. In fact, Reinach is playing arguably the greatest rugby of his career, recently starting in three of the Springboks’ Autumn Nations Series victories, including scoring a brace in their impressive victory over Ireland. In his 12th year as a South Africa international, his inclusion is a testament to his growth and consistency as a player.
Losers
England team: There’s little more that needs to be said, other than the Springboks squad is filled to the brim with world-class talent, and that no team will fancy themselves when facing the world champions. Across the board, the Springboks are stacked in a way that it would be hard to argue that any England players would outperform their opposite numbers. Steve Borthwick has a real challenge in pinpointing a weakness within their squad, because none are currently visible. The visitors will need to carve out a weakness within the South Africa ranks if they’re to cause any sort of threat.
Edwill van der Merwe: Very few players get dropped after scoring four tries in their last match. But when the Springboks have the strength in depth that they do, they can almost justify it. The Sharks winger has fallen into that very niche category after scoring 20 points against the Barbarians at the weekend. His spot has been taken by the talented Kurt-Lee Arendse, who has long established himself as a key Springbok starter. All the same, Van der Merwe’s try-scoring record of nine in six appearances would surely make him wonder what else he needs to do to secure a starting spot in this year’s Nations Championship.
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Handre Pollard: Despite being one of the Springboks’ most successful ever playmakers, Pollard has failed to make the match-day 23 after a recent disappointing performance in the URC final. He’s found his place taken by the young Feinberg-Mngomezulu in the national side, but to find himself not involved even in his absence must really sting, particularly considering Rassie Erasmus has decided not to include a back-up playmaker on the bench. Andre Esterhuizen has stepped into that position in the past, but it’s certainly not his forte.
Johan Grobbelaar: The Bulls hooker played in all five of South Africa’s Autumn Nations Series victories, but has failed to make the matchday 23, with Erasmus instead choosing the hybrid options of Jan-Hendrik Wessels and Marco van Staden, who have both demonstrated their abilities at number two in recent times. Grobbelaar will watch from the sidelines as he sees his opportunity to back up World Rugby Player of the Year, Malcolm Marx, go elsewhere.
Aphelele Fassi: The 28-year-old full-back has struggled with injury this past season, so Damian Willemse once again wears the number 15 shirt after impressing during the Autumn Nations Series. Fassi has never made an appearance from the bench for the Springboks, so he will not be concerned about his lack of action this weekend, but it does indicate that the more experienced Willemse is still the number one choice.