The Springboks have started to phase out a number of veteran players who have contributed to their immense success over the past seven years.
The Springboks could look a very different team from the one that has done business since 2018 when the next Rugby World Cup rolls around in Australia in 2027.
This became apparent after the naming of their end-of-year-tour squad earlier this week, where double World Cup winners Faf de Klerk, Vincent Koch and 100 cap Bok Willie le Roux were left completely out of the mix.
The 36-year-old Le Roux was never really going to be in the running in two years’ time, but De Klerk, currently 34, and Koch, 35, could still have had a chance, although that now looks increasingly unlikely unless there is an injury crisis.
With the Boks naming a 36-man touring squad for their five games in the UK and Europe, they also named a 10-player backup group, who could be called up at short notice in the case of injuries, and with those three not even making that select group, it indicates they are not part of the team’s future plans.
They are unlikely to be the only stalwarts from the Rassie Erasmus reign that will drop out ahead of the next showpiece event, where the Boks will be targeting an unprecedented third straight World Cup title.
Players on the standby list who could be in the firing line include Bongi Mbonambi and Makazole Mapimpi, although the Sharks wing is now unavailable for the tour even as cover due to his five match ban picked up after a red card in the URC.
Lifeline
Mbonambi could, however, receive a lifeline and be called into the group, after the reported nine match suspension set to be handed to Bulls utility forward Jan-Hendrik Wessels, although that is expected to be appealed once made official.
Despite all of that, the 34-year-old Mbonambi and 35-year-old Mapimpi are both unlikely to be in contention come 2027.
Players who haven’t been considered for this Bok tour due to injury who will probably also not make the cut include 36-year-old Trevor Nyakane and 34-year-old Frans Malherbe.
Various injuries have seen Nyakane only make one Bok appearance in the past two years, as a sub against Portugal in July 2024, while a lot of uncertainty surrounds the current injury to Malherbe, and it is unknown if he will even recover to play franchise rugby again.
New Bok players who are coming into the system and are likely to be in the mix for the World Cup include Boan Venter, Ben-Jason Dixon, Cameron Hanekom (currently injured), Marnus van der Merwe, Zachary Porthen, Ethan Hooker, Edwill van der Merwe and Morne van den Berg.
Other up-and-coming players are also expected to stick up their hands over the coming year and force themselves into contention going into 2027.
A number of veterans will also be targeting the 2027 World Cup as likely their last for the Boks, including skipper Siya Kolisi (34), Eben Etzebeth (33), Pieter-Steph du Toit (33), Franco Mostert (34), Damian de Allende (33) and Cobus Reinach (35).
