Rising stars who could make their Bok debuts this year

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has said that the June home Test matches against Italy (two) and Georgia will allow him to blood more players as he deepens his plans for the 2027 World Cup in Australia.

Erasmus added that the squad he announces for the Rugby Championship will be close to the squad he will take to the World Cup.

Mike Greenaway looks at five players who could make their Test debuts for South Africa in 2025.

Cobus Wiese

Bulls coach Jake White has compared the massive blindside flank to Springbok greats Andre Venter and Juan Smith. The 27-old certainly has the engine at 116kg and almost two metres in height and his tenure at the Sale Sharks has polished his skills. He is a much improved player since his days at the Stormers thanks to his four years in the English Premiership. He has made a huge impact at the Bulls and his versatility — he can play flank, No 8 and lock — makes him an attractive option for Erasmus.

David Kriel

The Boks do not have the depth Erasmus would like at outside centre and the lanky Kriel has put his hand up with some match-winning performances for the Bulls in the United Rugby Championship. He is comfortable on the wing, at inside centre and is an excellent goal-kicker, so he ticks a number of boxes for the Bok coach. Kriel’s ability to slip through gaps and offload would appeal to Bok attack coach Tony Brown. At age 25, Kriel is blossoming and will be at his peak in 2027.

Ethan Hooker

Looking again at the fragile depth at 13, the 21-year-old Hooker has been outstanding for the Sharks at 12, 13 and 11. We know Erasmus loves players who can cover several positions and Hooker’s invitation to a Bok alignment camp suggest he is the broader plan. Hooker, one of the few Sharks to be schooled in Durban (Westville Boys’ High), reminds me of Clyde Rathbone, the explosive Wallaby wing who was originally from Amanzimtoti. The hard-working Hooker has big match temperament and was excellent in the Sharks’ victories in the finals of the Challenge Cup and Currie Cup.

JD Schickerling

The towering lock (2.03m, 120kg) was a schoolboy star for Paarl Gimnasium and played for Western Province straight out of school in 2014. He played SA Schools and SA Under20 and it would be a surprise if he doesn’t go all the way to the top. Schickerling left the Stormers in 2016 and has just returned to the Cape team after a lengthy spell in Japan. At 29, he has matured as a player and his biggest impact on return has been sorting out the team’s creaking lineout. This has been a significant part of the Stormers’ turnaround in form. His ability to play either No 4 or No 5 lock will have been noted by Erasmus.

Henco van Wyk

In 2021, Van Wyk was awarded the Junior Springbok Player of the Year Award after his starring role in the SA Under20 team. The produce of Monument High School in Krugersdorp went immediately from school into the Lions team and there was much excitement about his ability to break the line at outside centre. The 23-year-old is also devastating on defence. Unfortunately, injuries have derailed him for long periods. In 2022, he played for the SA A team coached by Bok assistant Mzanwdile Stick(23), so he is in the Boks’ greater plans. If he can keep the injuries at bay, he has a good chance of playing for the Boks sooner rather than later.