Following Rassie Erasmus’ Springboks selection to face Wales this weekend in their final Test of 2024, we assess the winners and losers.
Winners
Hendrikse brothers
Ox Nche
Elrigh Louw
Johann Grobbelaar
Thomas du Toit
The in-form Bath man returns to the side after a week off last time out, and he should once again have a big effect on the game. He was sensational in the Green and Gold jersey against Scotland, and it was arguably the performance he needed to show he can be the starting tighthead with Frans Malherbe out. Du Toit has a brilliant ability to sniff out a try too, and his scrummaging is also fantastic too, so he should be vital against Wales.
Lock pairing
Cameron Hanekom
Rassie Erasmus
The iconic head coach is once again a huge winner. He has rolled out seven fresh faces into his starting XV and deployed his 51st player of the year in Hanekom, but he still has potentially one of the best teams in the world right now. The Springboks have a wealth of quality in depth, and Erasmus has proved that once again this weekend with his selection, and still leaving the likes of Andre Esterhuizen, Lukhanyo Am, Du Toit, Wilco Louw and Bongi Mbonambi out of the 23 altogether.
Losers
Manie Libbok
Arguably would have been in pole position to start at loosehead if Nche was deemed a risk, but he once again finds himself on the bench. He’s still in the 23, so he’s not fully a loser, but he might have been expecting to make a start for his side.
Old lock pairing
Grant Williams
Rotation centres
Pieter-Steph du Toit
