Rassie’s latest training squad selections reveal present and future planning

With five weeks to go before the Springboks’ international season begins against the Barbarians on 20 June, the latest locally based training squad chosen by coach Rassie Erasmus suggests he is still sifting through his options when it comes to squad depth.

This is in no way a final squad, and as always with these groups, several players will not see Test action despite being included.

But the alignment camp groups give an insight into who is catching the Bok coach’s attention in the United Rugby Championship (URC) and other competitions. It’s also a measure of how the management are balancing both immediate needs and long-term future planning.

It’s not a surprise then that Erasmus has pulled in dynamic Lions flank Sibabalwe Mahashe along with No 8 Francke Horne. The duo have been sensational for the Lions on their recent run of wins in the URC.

Lions centre Henco van Wyk, flank Bathobele Hlekani, fullback Quan Horn and scrumhalf Haashim Pead will also attend the camp in Cape Town from 19-21 May.

There is also a return for in-form Bulls scrumhalf Embrose Papier, who played seven Tests under Erasmus in 2018 and was not selected again. Papier’s form has been impossible to ignore this season, but considering he has been surplus to requirements for almost eight years, has Erasmus really had a change of heart?

Cobus Reinach is on the long-term injury list, so Papier’s inclusion is a logical short-term step, especially when set against Pead’s inexperience.

Another name in the group that raises a smile when you consider his potential is Sharks utility back Zekhethelo Siyaya. The 18-year-old former Junior Bok star played flyhalf for the Sharks last week, following his URC debut a few weeks earlier at fullback.

Fellow Shark outside back Jaco Williams, another from the successful 2025 Junior Bok group, is also in the mix.

Current Junior Bok captain Riley Norton is also included, as he was in the first alignment camp of the year in February, suggesting he might be in line for higher honours sooner rather than later.

Lock stocks

Norton, who captained the Junior Boks to the U20 Rugby Championship title last week, is obviously viewed as a future Springbok lock. That future might come a little sooner than expected.

With Eben Etzebeth, RG Snyman and Lood de Jager all currently injured, the second row stocks are thinning rapidly. And those aforementioned players are the wrong side of 30, suggesting that Norton might be needed in 2026.

Given how the Bok management treats development pathways, they would ideally like Norton to lead the Junior Boks in defence of their world title in Georgia in June and July. But the senior Boks are one injury away from a real lock crisis, so it makes sense to have Norton prepped and ready in case he is needed.

Older heads such as Salmaan Moerat and Ruan Nortjé are around, but Norton represents the long-term future.

“It’s important to be clear about the objective of this alignment camp, and that is to expose these players to our environment, our standards, and the way we operate,” Erasmus said. “The players who will not be present, whether through injury or workload, remain in our plans, and each one of them is on his own path with his own set of timelines.

“This week will give us the chance to align those who are fit and firing now with the way we want to operate, so that when an opportunity arises either this year or further down the line, they are ready to step up and deliver at international level.”

Exciting talent

The squad for the camp – which comprises 25 forwards and 15 backline players – includes 10 uncapped players in Paul de Villiers (flank), Hlekani, Francke Horn, Mahashe, Norton, Pead, Siyaya, Emmanuel Tshituka (flank), Van Wyk and Williams, six of whom were invited to the first alignment camp in March.

“This is an exciting group of players, and it’s been pleasing to see them make their presence felt in the United Rugby Championship and during their teams’ Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup campaigns this season,” said Erasmus. “This camp will be a good opportunity to expose those invited to our setup and the standards expected of the national coaches.

“We’re looking forward to involving Sibabalwe, Zekhethelo, Andre-Hugo (Venter), Embrose, Francke, and Henco at this camp as we continue to build our squad depth.

“There are several players who are not currently fit to play, and we look forward to seeing them back in action in the near future, knowing they have a good sense of how the team operates and what will be expected of them when they return.”

The international season will start with a double-header in Gqeberha on Saturday, 20 June, when the Boks face the Barbarians and the SA “A” team take on Zimbabwe.

That’s followed by three home matches in the Nations Championship – against England in Johannesburg (4 July), Scotland in Pretoria (11 July), and Wales in Durban (18 July).

The Boks will then meet Argentina in Buenos Aires (8 August) and the All Blacks in four Tests in the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series in August and September.

An away Test against the Wallabies in Australia (27 September) follows, before the second leg of the Nations Championship kicks off in Europe, with matches against Italy (7 November), France (13 November) and Ireland (21 November) before the Finals Weekend in London (27 to 29 November). DM

Springbok alignment camp group:

Forwards: Paul de Villiers, Ben-Jason Dixon, Neethling Fouché, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Salmaan Moerat, Riley Norton, Zachary Porthen, Evan Roos, Andre-Hugo Venter (all Stormers); Bathobele Hlekani, Francke Horn, Sibabalwe Mahashe, Asenathi Ntlabakanye (all Lions); Johan Grobbelaar, Cameron Hanekom, Elrigh Louw, Wilco Louw, Ruan Nortjé, Gerhard Steenekamp, Marco van Staden, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Cobus Wiese (all Bulls); Siya Kolisi, Ox Nché, Emmanuel Tshituka (all Sharks).

Backs: Kurt-Lee Arendse, Canan Moodie, Embrose Papier, Handré Pollard (all Bulls); André Esterhuizen, Zekhethelo Siyaya, Edwill van der Merwe, Grant Williams, Jaco Williams (all Sharks); Quan Horn, Haashim Pead, Henco van Wyk, Morné van den Berg (all Lions); Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Damian Willemse (both Stormers)