Investment in youth will bolster Boks’ World Cup prospects

Over the past eight years, Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has accused the media and the public of reading too much into pre-season alignment camps.

During these planning sessions, the Springbok coaches relay the broader details of the team’s selection policy and game ­strategy to a large group of players.

There are no guarantees of selection. More than 80 players featured at various alignment camps and training sessions over the course of the 2025 season, yet only 50 were used in the 15 matches.

That said, these alignment camps do serve to show who is on the national radar and what the coaching staff might be thinking ahead of the Test season.

And with Erasmus pushing forward with his development project – particularly in key areas such as the tight five – it would be safe to assume that several more players will be capped before the year is out.

Tight five in focus

Forty-nine local players were recently invited to an alignment camp in Cape Town, and 21 overseas-based stars attended a virtual meeting with the coaches this past week.

The Boks are unlikely to use all 70 players over a period of 14 matches in 2026, but there’s a good chance they will surpass the 50-player benchmark set in 2024 and 2025.

Closer analysis of the wider group reveals how Erasmus has recruited options across the various positions and age profiles.

Although he appears set to give several newcomers their chance to debut, he may give younger players who are already in the system – such as Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Ethan Hooker, Canan Moodie, Jan-Hendrik Wessels and Zachary Porthen – more opportunities to develop in the lead-up to the 2027 World Cup.

Erasmus has added layers of depth in most positions. Where possible, he’s tried to develop several quality options and bear the various age profiles in mind.

This approach has mitigated serious injury setbacks over the past two seasons – with experienced tighthead props Wilco Louw and Thomas du Toit stepping in for World Cup winners Frans Malherbe and Trevor Nyakane, to cite one positional example.

More recently, Erasmus has expressed his concern about a relative dearth of options in the tight five. The Boks are well set for experienced options – as the names above suggest – but could do more to bring younger front-rankers and locks through in the coming months.

With this in mind, a couple of newcomers who were asked to join the virtual alignment camp stand out. The 138kg tighthead Carlü Sadie, who plays for the reigning European champions Bordeaux-Bègles, as well as the 145kg behemoth JJ van der Mescht, who plies his trade for Northampton Saints, both have the potential to bolster the forward contingent on several levels.

Sadie was tipped as the next big thing (no pun intended) when playing for the Stormers, Lions and Sharks between 2018 and 2023, but struggled to get a look-in ahead of Bok stalwarts such as Malherbe. Having burnished his reputation with Bordeaux, Sadie appears ready to join an equally ambitious Bok set-up.

Van der Mescht is another who was tipped for great things as a Junior Bok and as a regular for the Sharks and Stade Français. It’s only through his recent contributions at Northampton that he’s managed to catch the eye of Erasmus – who is on the hunt for a long-term successor to No 4 lock Eben Etzebeth.

Although these overseas-based players can no longer be categorised as youngsters, it’s worth noting that Sadie will be 29 by the time the Bok campaign begins in June, and Van der Mescht will be 27.

They may not be frontline options for the 2026 season and the 2027 World Cup, but they are young enough to feature at the 2031 edition – and it’s worth reiterating that Erasmus will remain in charge of the Boks until the climax of that global tournament.

Short- and long-term options

Looking at the group of 70, and specifically at the tight-five players who are currently on the South African radar, it’s clear how Erasmus is planning to develop options for the short and long term.

Loosehead prop Kai Pratt (18) is another long-term project, as are hooker Esethu Mnebelele (20) and tighthead Porthen (21).

Sixteen front-rankers have been included, including seven tightheads.

Ageing veterans such as Nyakane, Bongi Mbonambi and Vincent Koch are no longer in the mix, but Erasmus has confirmed that he may recall one or two of these veterans if experienced players are injured.

Nine specialist locks are in the group, as well as several other utility players who can play across the second and back rows.

This will be a focal point for the Boks in 2026. Although they’re blessed with four World Cup-winning locks in their ranks, the younger players in this position have relatively little experience.

Salmaan Moerat (11 caps) has led the Boks several times over the past two seasons, but he has sustained a number of injury setbacks.

Junior Bok skipper Riley Norton may only get his chance for the senior side in the next World Cup cycle, given how well Ruan Nortjé has done for the national side, and the availability of other more seasoned options at No 5.

There’s talk of converting Lood de Jager into a No 4 and playing the versatile Lions forward Ruan Venter in the position.

Van der Mescht could provide another physical alternative to Etzebeth, and it may be worth trialling the big man in a Springbok jersey sooner rather than later.

The decision to involve seven scrumhalves in the first two alignment camps has raised a few eyebrows, but again, Erasmus may look to favour a horses-for-courses approach.

If Cobus Reinach (36) goes down with an injury this season, another veteran in Faf de Klerk (34) may step into his place to assume a leadership role in the backline.

Grant Williams, Morné van den Berg and the uncapped Haashim Pead are well suited to the Tony Brown-driven attacking strategy, whereas Jaden Hendrikse provides a more combative, tactical-kicking option.

The recall of Herschel Jantjies has come as a surprise, given that the former Stormers player hasn’t played for the Boks since 2023. He has rediscovered his spark since moving to Bayonne last year, though.

The 29-year-old may also have some information to share regarding the way the game is played in France, where attacking rugby is booming.

Erasmus has made it clear that he will prioritise the upcoming four-Test series against the All Blacks in the short term and will continue to develop his wider squad with the 2027 World Cup in mind.

And yet, as the 2024 and 2025 seasons have shown, it’s possible to tick the boxes of results and development and emerge with a win record in excess of 80%.

Overseas-based players invited to the first virtual Springbok alignment camp:

Forwards: Pieter-Steph du Toit, Lood de Jager, Jean-Luc du Preez, Thomas du Toit, Jean Kleyn, Malcolm Marx, Franco Mostert, Carlü Sadie, Kwagga Smith, RG Snyman, Boan Venter, JJ van der Mescht, Marnus van der Merwe, Jasper Wiese.

Backs: Damian de Allende, Lukhanyo Am, Faf de Klerk, Herschel Jantjies,
Jesse Kriel, Cheslin Kolbe, Manie Libbok. DM

This story first appeared in our weekly DM168 newspaper, available countrywide for R35.