OPINION: Interesting picks in the Springbok virtual alignment camp

2026-03-19 - 09:20

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus hosted the first Bok virtual alignment camp of the year on Tuesday, featuring players who don’t ply their trade in South Africa. There were some interesting names included in the group, and a surprise omission, along with two uncapped players, namely former Lions and Sharks, and current Bordeaux Begles prop Carlu Sadie, and former Sharks and current Northampton Saints lock JJ van der Mescht. Both are understandable invites, with Erasmus admitting that he feels the Boks are short at lock, while they could also have a problem at tighthead if Asenathi Ntlabakanye is banned for his doping violations, and if Frans Malherbe is unable to come back from injury. But it was a surprise not to see Ulster eighthman Juarno Augustus on the list, after he was invited last year and looked destined to finally make his Bok debut, only for a clerical error to see him miss the camp, followed by injury. Those injury problems have plagued him this season, which has seen him not feature as much for Ulster as he probably would have liked, but when he’s been on the field he has continued to dominate, which makes his omission from the camp somewhat surprising. Bok old guard Also surprising, for other reasons, was the “call-up” of old guard players Faf de Klerk, Franco Mostert and Lukhanyo Am. Am at 32 is the youngest of the three so could still feature, but hasn’t played for the Boks since 2024, and is in an incredibly competitive department that along with stalwarts Damian de Allende, Jesse Kriel and Andre Esterhuizen now features brilliant youngsters like Canan Moodie and Ethan Hooker. Mostert is the oldest at 35, but his versatility and the Boks being light at lock probably kept him in the mix, despite most players in those positions being ahead of him in the pecking order. At 34 De Klerk probably has a few years left, but he has fallen well down the scrumhalf list, and it is a surprise that Erasmus didn’t rather include Embrose Papier in the normal alignment camp, rather than De Klerk in the virtual one.