As South Africa builds towards their Rugby World Cup title defence, Rassie Erasmus has pinpointed a position where the Springboks are thin on depth.<\/b><\/p>\n
The head coach made use of around 50 players in 2024 and 2025, with pundits and fans praising the vast quality that the Boks have at their disposal, but Erasmus still has his concerns.<\/p>\n
He has identified lock as a potential issue going forward, taking into account the age of the settled squad members, but also the lack of international<\/a> experience in the tier below.<\/p>\n Fly-half and lock stocks<\/p>\n Double Rugby World Cup-winning locks Eben Etzebeth, Franco Mostert and Lood de Jager are all vastly experienced but are also into their 30s. RG Snyman is 31 years old but is based in the northern hemisphere, meaning that he isn\u2019t always available for selection or for all the alignment camps.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the likes of Ruan Nortje and Salmaan Moerat are relatively inexperienced in terms of caps, with the same true for Jean Kleyn, who is also over 30.<\/p>\n Erasmus<\/a> expressed his concerns over the depth in the second-row after being asked about the fly-half stocks in South Africa<\/a>, which the Bok coaching team is relatively comfortable with at the moment.<\/p>\n \u201cWe saw it with New Zealand [in 2015]; they lost Cruden, Carter, Slade, and they phoned Donald, and they still won,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cMy honest opinion is that we are thin at lock, if you look at our lock depth, age bracket, and the number of caps that we have there. Ruan and Salmaan are the settled, average-aged guys.<\/p>\n \u201cHaving six fly-halves might not be enough sometimes, but currently we have those three [Handre Pollard, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Manie Libbok] plus Jordan Hendrikse and Damian Willemse, who can play there, and you feel safe, but in two weeks, three guys go down, and Damian is your starting guy, and Jordan has to play a big match.\u201d<\/p>\n SA Rugby ref boss \u2018got it wrong so many times\u2019 as officials manipulate games to \u2018hit KPIs\u2019<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Getting players into the squad<\/p>\n The Springboks boss further explained just how important it is to get players into the mix, even when it seems as though caps are just being handed out.<\/p>\n \u201cI think spreading the load like Jaden and Jordan played against Wales two years ago, and then they have that experience. Jaden has played big matches for us against the All Blacks. So getting the guys in sometimes looks like you are just giving caps away, but it gives them confidence in being comfortable in the situation,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n \u201cSo if you really have to push on their button, he isn\u2019t coming into it feeling that it is new and feeling his way. Five fly-halves is probably enough; that\u2019s how we feel currently.<\/p>\n \u201cA guy like Ntuthuko Mchunu hasn\u2019t played a lot, but he has trained with us, he came back from an injury, he is settled, and he scrummed well against Wilco Louw. Sometimes it\u2019s just to know that when you need this guy, he can play at this level. There are guys ahead of him, but if we need him, he can do it.<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes it\u2019s not just a comfort zone; it\u2019s knowing that the guy has been part of your team.\u201d<\/p>\n Springboks: Rassie Erasmus uses \u2018classic example\u2019 of Jacques Nienaber to prove his point on Tony Brown contract situation<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n David Ribbans following Jean Kleyn?<\/p>\n Ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup, SA Rugby made use of World Rugby\u2019s birthright transfer regulation in order to select Kleyn, who had represented Ireland at the tournament four years prior.<\/p>\n There is an opportunity to do so again ahead of Australia 2027 with RC Toulon lock David Ribbans, who represented England in France.<\/p>\n The 30-year-old last featured for England at the tournament and would become eligible to switch international allegiance this year if he wishes to do so, as he is not currently eligible to be selected by Steve Borthwick.<\/p>\n Ribbans has played down the prospect of doing so in an interview with the Telegraph<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWould I consider it? You never say never with these things, and South Africa was my home originally, but England has become my second home, and I was super proud to play for them. I find it a bit strange when players play for two countries,\u201d Ribbans told the publication last April.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is no slight on the\u00a0Springboks, who are an amazing team. It\u2019s just my view, and I\u2019m a bit stubborn in it. I\u2019d put aside the potential glory for that because it wouldn\u2019t be right towards England.\u201d<\/p>\n World Rugby \u2018going in the right direction\u2019 as Springboks coaches celebrate law tweak amid England and Ireland moans<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n When asked about the potential of swooping in for Ribbans, Erasmus said that the thought \u2018definitely\u2019 crossed the coaches\u2019 minds, but explained that the \u2018practicality\u2019 doesn\u2019t always make it worthwhile.<\/p>\n He added that the Springboks also don\u2019t want to limit players\u2019 future opportunities, referencing Bristol Bears centre Benhard Janse van Rensburg, who has been given special compensation to switch his international allegiance to England.<\/p>\n \u201cA guy like Benhard Janse van Rensburg, I think he is awesome. If he were currently in South Africa? Would you just cap him to stop him from not playing for England? Do we really need him? Or are we just blocking a guy\u2019s future, or just being weird by picking him?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Want more from Planet Rugby? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for world-class coverage you can trust.<\/p>\n Adding that if the Springboks were \u2018really in trouble\u2019, they might make a plan for a player like Ribbans, but pointed to another player that they could turn to.<\/p>\n \u201cAlso, JJ van der Mescht will he have enough time [before the World Cup], and will we have enough hands-on time with him to get him into the Springbok culture and shape,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n \u201cWith every player we bring in, we let him understand how we do things and see how he handles the training sessions. I think JJ is a monster of a guy, 150kgs, 27 years old. Will we have enough time with him? Will he understand our culture? Do we really need him? At this stage, we look at our locks; it\u2019s RG on that side, Eben is suspended, and all of them are past 30.\u201d<\/p>\n