LONG READ Springboks in need of a rebuild with prop stocks depleted

Steven Kitshoff’s enforced retirement as well as an extensive front-row injury list will force Rassie Erasmus to rebuild the Springbok pack sooner than expected. The Boks will play their first match in over six months when they tackle the Barbarians in Cape Town this Saturday.

After hosting a weakened Italy side in a two-match series, they will face Georgia in a one-off, before turning their attention to the Rugby Championship – and the all-important Freedom Cup battle in New Zealand.

At a glance, it’s a relatively gentle introduction to the Test season for the No 1-ranked side.

Results against other leading sides, namely the All Blacks, France and Ireland, will define South Africa’s overall season, and determine their place in the World Rugby rankings ahead of the 2027 World Cup draw this December.

The Boks have added layers to their game plan since winning the 2023 World Cup in France, while continuing to strengthen their scrum. South Africa’s most devastating weapon averaged three penalties per game over the 13 Tests played last year.

Bok fans will demand more of the same in 2025, as the team builds towards the marquee series in New Zealand this September and the 2027 World Cup.

It may be easier said than done, given that the team is currently navigating a front-row crisis.

Kitshoff, a two-time World Cup winner, was forced to retire in February due to a serious neck injury, while two more veterans in Frans Malherbe (back) and Trevor Nyakane (Achilles) have been ruled out for the rest of 2025,.

Given the nature of those injuries as well as their respective ages – 34 and 36 – there’s a chance that Malherbe and Nyakane may never play for the Boks again.

The situation has been compounded by the loss of Gerhard Steenekamp and Ntuthuko Mchunu, two of South Africa’s most promising loosehead props.

Steenekamp was one of the breakout stars in 2024, playing 10 Tests in his first season of international rugby. When Kitshoff announced his retirement this past February, it seemed that Ox Nché and Steenekamp would strengthen their partnership over the course of the 2025 season, and all the way to the 2027 World Cup.

There’s been a lot of talk about the age profile of the South African squad over the past 18 months, and Erasmus himself has spoken about phasing out a few veterans before the next global tournament in Australia.

Just a month later, Steenekamp broke down with a knee injury, and played no further part in the Bulls’ United Rugby Championship campaign.

Mchunu sustained a knee injury in the Sharks’ semi-final against the Bulls, and like Steenekamp was omitted from the Bok squad for the matches against the Barbarians, Italy and Georgia.

There’s been a lot of talk about the age profile of the South African squad over the past 18 months, and Erasmus himself has spoken about phasing out a few veterans before the next global tournament in Australia.

While many have offered their view on who should retire and who should press on, few would have predicted that the Boks might be without Kitshoff as well as Malherbe at the 2027 World Cup, and possibly Nyakane – who has played Test rugby at loosehead and tighthead.

Their respective skill-sets aside, Kitshoff, Malherbe and Nyakane boast a combined 227 Test caps, and have been central to Erasmus’ team during a golden era for South African rugby.

Some might view these setbacks as a blessing in disguise, and point out that younger, less experienced players will receive more exposure as a result.

Erasmus, however, may lament the fact that his team will be 227 caps lighter than before. What’s more, replacing these veterans in the long term may be easier said than done.

Following the update regarding Steenekamp and Mchunu’s injuries, many in the South African fraternity wondered who might fill the gap at loosehead – given Kitshoff’s retirement and the Nyakane’s injury status.

Thomas du Toit packed down at No 1 in the Boks’ most recent Test against Wales last November, and appears to be an ideal candidate. Like Nyakane, Du Toit is highly valued within the South African set-up due to his ability to play on both sides of the front-row.

Thomas du Toit packed down at No 1 in the Boks’ most recent Test against Wales last November, and appears to be an ideal candidate. Like Nyakane, Du Toit is highly valued within the South African set-up due to his ability to play on both sides of the front-row.

The challenge for Erasmus, of course, is that Du Toit and others involved in recent club finals have reported for international duty later than expected. He may miss the first and possible second Bok fixture as a result.

Jan-Hendrik Wessels, the versatile front-ranker who has made a massive impact for the Boks and Bulls over the past 18 months, is another who has been earmarked to play loosehead in the coming weeks. As a result of Kitshoff’s retirement and the injuries to Steenekamp, Nyakane and Mchunu, the 24-year-old should may receive more game time than initially expected.

Nevertheless, the Boks will go into the mid-year Tests light on looseheads – and could be in real trouble if Nché, Wessels or Du Toit suffer an injury ahead of the Rugby Championship.

In an attempt to bolster the Boks’ front-row ranks, Erasmus has brought Edinburgh’s Boan Venter into the squad for the first time in five years.

This selection has raised more than a few eyebrows in South African rugby circles, with some asking why Erasmus didn’t look to the local franchises before casting his eye abroad.

Venter has been on the Bok radar since competing in a national trial game back in 2020. The 124kg loosehead left the Cheetahs in 2021 to further his career with Edinburgh, before receiving a call from Erasmus on the eve of the 2025 Test season.

The 28-year-old has taken his game to the next level over the past five years, and clearly Erasmus and Bok scrum coach Daan Human feel that he can add value.

On the other hand, Venter’s selection suggests that South Africa-based looseheads such as Juan Schoeman (Lions), Simpiwe Matanzima and Alulutho Tshwakeni (both Bulls) and Sti Sithole (Stormers) still have a way to go. Vernon Matongo (23) made his Stormers debut earlier this season, and according to front-row specialists on the ground, may be an option for the Boks down the line.

The loss of Malherbe and Nyakane is a blow, and Vincent Koch isn’t getting any younger. While plans are in place to manage the ageing stars in the current squad, one wonders if Koch will receive much of a reprieve in the coming Test season.

While loosehead is the priority in light of recent injuries, Erasmus has to think about increasing his hooker and tighthead options in the long term.

The loss of Malherbe and Nyakane is a blow, and Vincent Koch (35) isn’t getting any younger. While plans are in place to manage the ageing stars in the current squad, one wonders if Koch will receive much of a reprieve in the coming Test season. The veteran has already played 30 games for club and country over the past 12 months, and will require a break at some point.

Again, some will argue that this is a blessing in disguise, and that two of South African rugby’s most underutilised weapons may finally get an opportunity to fire.

Since making his Test debut in 2018, Thomas du Toit has only managed to accumulate 23 caps.

While Du Toit is a fantastic team man by all accounts, and one of the squad leaders – captaining the South Africa A side on the tour to the north in 2022 – he has languished behind Beast Mtawarira, Kitshoff, Nché and now Steenekamp in the loosehead pecking order, and Malherbe, Koch and Nyakane in the tighthead queue.

In 2025, Du Toit may finally get an extended opportunity – and if his recent form with Bath is any indicator, the timing couldn’t be better.

Wilco Louw has made 16 Test appearances for South Africa since 2017, and only became a regular feature in Erasmus’ squad toward the end of 2024. While not as mobile as Du Toit, the 144kg behemoth is one of the most destructive scrummagers in the world.

The absence of the aforementioned veterans could well present an opportunity for Louw and Du Toit (both 30) to hone their craft on the international stage and to take some momentum into the Rugby Championship.

What’s more, uncapped tightheads Neethling Fouché and Asenathi Ntlabakanye may well be unleashed over the next few weeks, as Erasmus looks to expose more players with an eye to the future.

Fouché (31) is an experienced campaigner at club level, and Erasmus may opt to harness those skills at the next World Cup, if other senior players are unavailable. Ntlabakanye (26) could add value from the outset, but may only reach the peak of his powers in the next World Cup cycle.

Marx has been in outstanding form for club and country over the past 18 months, and should travel with the Boks to the next World Cup. Meanwhile, Mbonambi hasn’t been at his best for the Sharks in recent months, and at 34, his powers are starting to wane.

Rebuilding and development has been on Erasmus’ mind for some time. Earlier this year, he named a squad of some 80 players for the initial alignment camps, including seven tightheads and eight hookers.

The Bok coaches have favoured Bongi Mbonambi and Malcolm Marx in their match 23 more often than not over the past seven seasons, with seven other specialist hookers slotting in as needed at Test level, and several more getting a run for the South Africa A side.

Marx (30) has been in outstanding form for club and country over the past 18 months, and should travel with the Boks to the next World Cup. Meanwhile, Mbonambi hasn’t been at his best for the Sharks in recent months, and at 34, his powers are starting to wane.

The combative No 2 has proved people wrong before, but if he doesn’t regain his form soon, we may well see a changing of the guard over the next few months.

Scarlets hooker Marnus van der Merwe appears to have Mbonambi’s appetite for physicality as well as Marx’s impeccable timing over the loose ball. Only JC Pretorius and Sam Lousi won more turnovers than Van der Merwe over the course of the the recent URC tournament.

The fact that Erasmus has named just three specialist hookers in his squad of 45 suggests that Wessels may be deployed in that position at some point over the mid-year Tests.

Either way, Wessels and Van der Merwe will receive a lot more exposure before packing down against more challenging opponents from Australia, New Zealand and Argentina in the Rugby Championship.

These are uncertain yet exciting times for the Boks.

While Erasmus has added layers to the team’s depth over the years, he could not have foreseen a situation where as many as five props would be unavailable for the start of the international season.

As things stand, the Boks will could field front-row combinations such as Nché-Mbonambi-Louw, Wessels-Marx-Koch, and Du Toit-Van der Merwe-Fouché over the course of the coming games.

The matches against the Barbarians, Italy and Georgia may not be as challenging as the Rugby Championship and Autumn Series Tests that follow, but they will provide the Bok coach with ample opportunity to rebuild his pack.