Springboks squad: Winners and losers as Rassie Erasmus makes clear statement with South Africa greats reaching the ‘end of the road’

Full-back Willie le Roux and Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus (inset). Willie le Roux, full-back, and Rassie Erasmus, head coach of the Springboks. We determine the winners and losers from the Springboks training team that Rassie Erasmus revealed for the year-end tour.

Winners

Zachary Porthen

Although the tighthead only played one game for the Stormers last season—a 23-minute cameo in a resounding victory against the Dragons—his ascension has been relatively quick.

He has already made an impression at the beginning of the 2025–26 United Rugby Championship (URC) season. Before making his debut as a starter in the Cape Town team’s 31–12 victory over Zebre on Saturday, Porthen, a Junior Springbok in 2023 and 2024, excelled off the bench against Leinster and Scarlets. Erasmus recognized the prop’s clear promise and gave him his first call-up as a reward.

Johan Grobbelaar

After being unexpectedly left out of the July Tests and Rugby Championship, one of the Springboks has returned. To his credit, Grobbelaar has remained focused and put in a lot of effort for the Bulls, enjoying a strong start to the season that included a hat-trick against the Ospreys in the URC opener. As a result, the Springboks selection has rewarded him for his perseverance and strong play.

Jean Kleyn

was hurt during the Springboks’ season-opening game against the Barbarians, but he was promptly put back into action after rejoining Munster.

Before being chosen on the bench for the crucial derby against bitter rivals Leinster, Kleyn started the Irish province’s first three games. He had a significant impact when he entered the game in the second half. Kleyn offers them strength and an amazing work ethic in the close exchanges, but quality tighthead locks are hard to come by in the modern game, even if South Africa appears to have more than most.

Ben-Jason Dixon

Has endured his injury issues and only recently returned from a wrist injury he sustained in March, but Erasmus is a fan of the flanker and he has started the season well for the Stormers. Dixon started three Rugby Championship matches in 2024 and he will be pushing for a place in the 23.

Gerhard Steenekamp

The Boks will benefit greatly from the return of another player from injury. Although they have plenty of impressive props, Steenekamp has emerged as one of the URC’s top scrummagers, especially in the last two years.

They have been a strong front-row tandem with Wilco Louw. The Bulls often put the Irishmen in reverse at the scrum, and Steenekamp, who has played four games since his return, was frighteningly brilliant when he on the field against Connacht.

Juarno Augustus and Sebastian de Klerk

Even though they are merely on the standby list, it demonstrates that Erasmus is keeping an eye on them and has noticed their performance. Before moving to Ulster in the off-season, Augustus was a standout player for the Northampton Saints the previous season. The number eight is still dominating on the field, so the change of scenery hasn’t affected his form. De Klerk, who is regularly among the URC’s most dangerous backs, demonstrated his destructive abilities over the weekend. Although there is fierce competition for the Springboks wing slots, he is not far away, and an injury might provide room for him. Losers

Bongi Mbonambi

Like De Klerk and Augustus, the hooker is among the standby list, although his condition is extremely different to those two. Mbonambi, who has been a mainstay for the Boks and won the Rugby World Cup twice in 2019 and 2023, is another indication that things are changing.

The South Africa head coach naturally wants to try out younger players at hooker because he is currently 34 and will be 36 at the next World Cup, but Mbonambi will be available in case of an emergency. But you question if this is the start of the end of his Test career.

Marnus van der Merwe

Van van Merwe performed admirably when given the chance in the July Tests and Rugby Championship, so this is more of a surprise. However, his probable absence from the Japan and Wales matches may work against him.

Even if the Japanese clubs have allowed the Springboks to select players from Asia, it might be more challenging to negotiate with the European teams because those Test matches take place outside of the international window.

Vincent Koch

This demotion feels important, much like Mbonambi’s. Although the 35-year-old played in the July Tests, Wilco Louw and Thomas du Toit have subsequently adapted well to the role of tighthead for the Springboks.

Due to Du Toit and Louw securing two slots in the team, Erasmus has been allowed to try new things by adding Porthen, a younger player. More seasoned members of the group, Asenathi Ntlabakanye and Neethling Fouche, are also available as backups in case they require additional expertise.

Willie le Roux

With the Springboks only having one full-back in the team because of Aphelele Fassi’s injury, it felt like the centurion was being eased out during the Rugby Championship, and this has only reinforced that. Although Le Roux has been playing some fantastic rugby for the Bulls this season and was outstanding in the first half of their victory over Connacht, it appears like the great playmaker’s career is coming to an end at the age of 36.

Quan Horn

Regarding the full-back position, the Lions star is well-liked in Johannesburg, but it is telling that he hasn’t been chosen even though they don’t have many out-and-out 15s available. Horn often ranks among his team’s top players, but it’s clear that he isn’t doing enough to win over the coaches. Although he is an excellent attacker, his lack of height could be a problem given how crucial the aerial game is these days.

Cobus Wiese

The younger brother of Jasper earned kudos from Erasmus for his display at number eight against Georgia but, since his brother’s return, he has drifted the pecking order. There are simply too many quality locks in South Africa and Wiese is the unfortunate one to miss out.

Faf de Klerk

Throughout 2025, De Klerk has remained on the fringes, although he has typically been retained on the standby list in reserve. But now that Cobus Reinach, Morne van den Berg, and Grant Williams are obviously ahead, the 34-year-old scrum-half has been dropped from that list.

Erasmus and attack coach Tony Brown may believe that De Klerk does not fit the current South Africa game plan as well as those three, but it has nothing to do with age per se, as Reinach is actually a year older at 35.