As the international season approaches, we take a look at the Springboks’ hopefuls in search of honours, and provide an update on the key players who will be on the radar of Rassie Erasmus.
In the fourth edition of Boklometer, we delve into the performances of URC, Premiership and Top 14 players, as well as the Springboks’ injury concerns.
Siya Mask
Reports this weekend suggest that the Sharks centre-back is on Erasmus’ radar after knocking down the selection door and being invited to the latest conditioning camp. The Sharks will be disappointed with the disappointing loss to Benetton, but Siya Masuku played a pivotal role in getting the team to a winning position. It was when he left that the collapse really happened, and this is no coincidence.
Sharks savior Siya Masuku is reportedly on Rassie Erasmus’ Springboks radar following his influential form.
Jean-Luc du Preez
The du Preez brothers have always been on the Springboks’ radar despite their plans to ply their trade in the Premiership, and this weekend Jean-Luc put his hand up again.
He went head-to-head with Jasper Wiese in the intense clash between Sale Sharks and Leicester Tigers. His versatility has always been a huge asset for the Boks, and perhaps he and his brother Dan could become more regular contributors this World Cup cycle.
thomas du toit
The following week, Bath-based prop Thomas du Toit took his tally to 11 with a charge from Johann van Graan, scoring another try. There is no doubt that the 2019 Rugby World Cup winner will be an important member of the Springboks’ future squad, and while he continues to rack up try-scoring records, he also performs at an incredibly high standard from set-pieces and set-pieces. I’m showing it. park.
Juano Augustus
The Saints star man made another strong shift this weekend as Northampton thrashed Gloucester 90-0 at Franklin’s Gardens. It was more of a training run for Saints on Saturday, but Augustus did not let his standards drop with another performance that will pique the interest of selectors.
tyron green
Harlequins endured a second-half collapse in defeat to Exeter Chiefs in the final game of the Premiership weekend, but the full-back still impressed, beating six defenders and scoring a try in the Famous Quarters. . Green has qualified for the England squad this year and has effectively said he would consider the Red Rose if the Boks do not call him up.
Sasha Fenberg-Mgomezulu
I’m back with a strong impact! Fenberg-Mgomezulu marked his return from injury with two fast-break goals, capping off an outstanding scoring run as the Stormers secured a difficult bonus-point win over the Dragons. The 22-year-old only played for the final 10 minutes of the game but made a huge impact. He is bound to pull on a Springbok jersey at some point in his career and if he can put together some strong performances from now on, he could be called upon sooner rather than later.
Warwick Geraint
Geraint, who was named man of the match in the Stormers’ win over the Dragons at Rodney Parade, bounced back from a poor start to lead John Dobson’s side to victory. That kind of mentality is a great asset at the international level. After moving to France, his popularity waned, but he is on the rise at the perfect time to receive a recall.
Evan Ruth
The retirement of Duane Vermeulen has left a void in the Springbok squad, and Roos is well placed to fill that void if he continues his form. He has been criticized for his indiscipline this season, but this weekend he stayed on the right side of the referee and scored the crucial try in the win over the Dragons.
Neethling Fouche
The turning point in the Stormers’ win over the Dragons was their ability to win scrums in the second half, and that coincided with the introduction of Fouche in place of Frans Malherbe. Sometimes referees need to see things differently than front-row players, and Fouche did just that with his performance, achieving his desire to do the Springboks a world of good.
Kurt Lee Arense
Arendse was already a key member of the Springbok squad last year, leaving Makazole Mapimpi out of the starting XI. He continued to produce match- and tournament-clinching performances at the Rugby World Cup, but his form this season suggests he has not yet reached his limit.
He did a great job of setting up Elli Rowe’s (more on him later) try this weekend and has arguably been the best player on the park in the last five or so games for the Bulls. The former Butcher is possibly the most in-form backline player in the world right now and Tony Brown must be licking his tongue as he plans to get the most out of this sublime talent.
WATCH: Kurt-Lee Arendse runs through Glasgow and scores outrageous try
Luan Vermark
Vermaak remains under the radar at the Bulls but was praised for his player-of-the-match performance against leaders Glasgow Warriors this weekend. Hard-working second-rowers are always highly regarded by Test teams and may catch the eye of the sidelines, but that is not the case for Erasmus and his comrades.
Ellie Rowe
The strong back-rower is looking more and more like the Springboks’ loose forward with each passing week, with Lue making a statement change against the URC league leaders, leading in running meters, carries and finishing in the Bulls’ top five tacklers. He showed great performance. win.
Roux has been tipped as a potential replacement for Peter-Steph du Toit in the future, but is already pressing for more time with the Springbok team in the near future.
Afelele Fassi
As this season’s strong performance continues, the usual tricks were shown on the weekend special. The Sharks had issues with high balls against Benetton, but that didn’t apply to Fasci, who impressed in that regard, scoring a try from a great pass from Masuku. He was named player of the match despite the Sharks’ defeat, becoming another star in the Springboks’ hotly contested back three position.
Concerns about shark injuries
There have been positives and negatives this weekend, and coach Erasmus will have been left scratching his head on Saturday when three of Springbok’s key players trudged off the pitch before the half-time whistle. . Vincent Koch was the first to leave as tightheads suffered setbacks after an injury-plagued season, followed shortly after by star lock Eben Ezebeth with a head contusion. Ezebeth’s head contusion would be especially concerning considering his history of head injuries. Finally, center Ruhanyo Am was also sent off before the break. The trio are all set to feature in the Test match against Wales and Erasmus will be hoping the injuries are short-term.
Sharks sweat over three Springboks injured in Challenge Cup final loss to Benetton
Hanro Jacobs
With Koch off the field with an injury, Sharks rising star Jacobs was tasked with playing over an hour in this game, but rose to the challenge once again. The 24-year-old is also reportedly part of the Springboks’ plans, and although the Sharks suffered a defeat in the final 20 minutes, it was not Jacobs’ fault. Jacobs kept his defense in with heavy carries. set play.
JC Pretorius
On Saturday, South African social media was buzzing with Lions flanker Pretorius putting in a performance reminiscent of Springbok back-row Kwaga Smith, committing two turnovers and gaining more than 30 meters to beat three defenders. It became a hot topic for breaking the . Few would have expected Smith to have the kind of impact he had on the Springbok team in 2018, but he has quickly become an important member of the team and Pretorius is likely on a similar trajectory. It is possible to trace
Luan Ventel
This weekend was a good one for Johannesburgers. Strong flanker Venter was also one to benefit from a strong shift against Cardiff. He scored a try and also took some impressive hits in defence.
morn van den berg
The Lions’ success this season has largely hinged on the performance of their half-backs, with van den Bergh and Sanele Nohamba pushing their way into the play-offs. The former impressed once again this weekend, assisting the Lions in a try and running a brilliant attack alongside Nohamba. He took part in the first alignment camp of the year and could well make his Test debut at Twickenham even if the Lions don’t make it to the URC final.
emmanuel sitzka
Erasmus has urged SA rugby bigwigs to resolve the Tituka brothers’ passport and eligibility situation as soon as possible, as both the Democratic Republic of Congo-born back-rowers have shone for the Lions and Sharks this season. Maybe it’s encouraging.
Emmanuel Sitka made a sensational super-sub shift this weekend, scoring two tries and sealing a bonus point win for the Lions. Whether at No. 8 or on the scrum side, Sitzka has been a shining light for the Lions.
Siya’s 8 challenges
In France, Siya Kolisi returned from injury and started as number 8 for Racing 92 in their loss against Bayonne. It was a rather subdued performance from the World Cup-winning captain, but Erasmus will be pleased that he fought through the 80 minutes without suffering another setback.
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