By the time you read this feature article, the Springboks will have concluded their Castle Lager Incoming Series against antagonists Ireland and coach Rassie Erasmus will be already planning for the week ahead in a one-off Test match against Portugal on Saturday.
South Africa will be hosting a Portugal rugby national team side that is not known as world beaters or as a powerhouse, unlike their football counterparts, in one of the hubs of rugby at the Free State Stadium.
Portugal is ranked number 16 on the world rugby rankings. The Portuguese are miles behind the Boks regarding various aspects of the game, which means Erasmus is likely to give an opportunity to the future Boks and field a similar team to the one that annihilated Wales 41-13 in Twickenham, London, late last month.
Erasmus has already expressed how pleased he was with the performances of the younger players in the squad last week, such as Gerhard Steenekamp, Salmaan Moerat and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
“They all made a strong impact off the bench, and they have immense potential as individuals.
“They will become more confident and settled the more they play,” Erasmus said.
Sunday World looks at some of the upcoming Springbok stars that will likely feature against Portugal as the technical team look to widen their pool of
players for the future:
Aphelele Fassi (Sharks)
Fassi is a player that one could say forced his way back into the national team with his stellar performances in the United Rugby Championship with the Sharks.
Erasmus and his technical team could not not notice Fassi after a two-year exile and called him back into the Boks squad when they demolished Wales 41-13.
He earned his first cap in 2021 against Georgia and his last appearance in 2022 against Wales.
The 26-year-old is competing with World Cup-winning medallists Damian Willemse and Willie le Roux in the fullback position.
Salmaan Moerat (Stormers)
The Stormers captain was among the players that left coach Erasmus in awe after their hard-fought win against number two-ranked Ireland at Loftus last week.
Moerat came through the Elite Player Development system and is also a former Junior Springbok captain.
Phepsi Buthelezi (Sharks)
Dubbed the next Siya Kolisi by former Sharks coach John Plumtree, Buthelezi is an explosive and tireless workaholic around the park.
The 25-year-old loose forward is known for his resilience and versatility and certainly has a bright future with the Springboks.
Edwill van der Merwe (Lions)
Van der Merwe was one of the four debutants alongside Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, that raised their hands for another shot of wearing the green and gold after their performance against Wales.
Van der Merwe scored his first Test try and made headlines after his impressive display that earned him the man of the match accolade after the Wales game.
The exciting winger is only 28 years old and has proven to Erasmus that he definitely deserves another national team call-up.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (Stormers)
Another youngster who has made headlines in recent weeks, Mngomezulu is a -prodigy and generational talent that has brought a lot of excitement and just cannot be ignored.
Mngomezulu caught the attention of many when he scored a 50-metre-plus penalty kick in his debut against Wales.
He is cool, calm, and collected – an attribute not many players have, especially at his age.
The 22-year-old is also versatile and extremely talented as he can do almost everything inside the field of play.
Gerhard Steenekamp (Bulls)
It goes without even saying that Steenekamp poses a formidable presence on the field as a prop and will certainly be a good addition to the Boks’ bomb squad in the future.
Steenekamp made his Bok debut against Argentina, in Buenos Aires, in the build-up to the Rugby World Cup last year.
The 26-year-old is only on his third cap for the Boks and is tipped to get many more under his belt if he continues to impress Erasmus.
