Ken Borland

With the victory in the big game against England safely tucked away in the Done folder, Rassie Erasmus has been able to make the raft of changes that was clearly the desire of the Springbok coach for this Saturday’s Nations Championship Test against Scotland at Loftus Versfeld.

Ten of the 23-man squad that saw off England in impressive fashion at Ellis Park have been retained for the Pretoria match, but only five of them remain in the starting line-up. One of the more interesting selections is the shifting of Damian Willemse, the correct choice for man of the match against England after his outstanding display at fullback, to inside centre.

Jesse Kriel will be alongside him as he retains the No.13 jersey, while Pieter-Steph du Toit, as captain and blindside flank, and Paul de Villiers on the openside, continue to stand in for Siya Kolisi as he recovers from a hamstring injury.

Lock Ruan Nortje, whose work-rate was typically admirable at Ellis Park, is the other player to keep their starting place.

Canan Moodie moves from the bench to starting on the left wing, while scrumhalf Grant Williams, also brilliant at Ellis Park, goes in the other direction. That provides the opportunity for the long-awaited return of Embrose Papier to the Springbok fold. The form scrumhalf of the United Rugby Championship last appeared in Test rugby on November 24, 2018, as a 21-year-old against Wales at the Millenium Stadium.

Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Zachary Porthen and Ben-Jason Dixon retain their places among the substitutes.

Erasmus said Kolisi should be all right to play next week, as should Lood de Jager and Ethan Hooker. The news on Eben Etzebeth and Ox Nche is not so good.

“We want to give Eben proper time because he has had history with concussion. I don’t think he’ll play in the Nations Championship, we should target Argentina [August 8) for his return. Ox, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Morne van den Berg should be fit three weeks before the New Zealand series.

“Scotland winning in Argentina did not have any role in our selection. We picked this team for us to make sure we go to the World Cup next year knowing who can do what, where and when under pressure. Scotland played really well, they are a good team and they beat England in the Six Nations. So it could be a tougher game this weekend.

“We didn’t necessarily look at franchise combinations, it was just who is fit to play and players we would like to see what they can do. We don’t have a lot of caps and we will be much less experienced than Scotland. But these players wouldn’t be here if we didn’t think they can do the job.

“The wear and tear on players is tough, although we’re fairly fresh now because we have lots of Japan-based players. But then someone like Siya, who didn’t play for six weeks because his franchise was out of the URC, is well-rested but then got injured.

“So this selection is more about rotation, which is not easy because you always want to win. It’s difficult if you lose because then you lose momentum and belief as well. If Saturday had gone badly, then we would have held some guys back and been more conservative in this selection, making just one or two changes,” Erasmus said.

Given how impressive Papier has been for the Bulls over several successful URC campaigns, his continued absence from the Springbok picture baffled many; there were even (inevitably?) whispers about Erasmus and him having some sort of fallout.

But the coach said he was happy the 29-year-old had forced his way back into contention through sheer performance.

“Embrose has played very well this season,” Erasmus said on Monday when asked what had changed his mind about Papier. “2018 was my first year as coach and he earned his caps then. But then guys like Faf de Klerk, Cobus Reinach and Jaden Hendrikse established themselves, even Herschel Jantjies was involved in winning a World Cup.

“So we had a bunch of really good 9s; sometimes you don’t get selected not because you’re not playing well or because you’re not Springbok class. But you could not look past the way he has played this year, there have been some injuries and some guys have lost form. I am very happy for him personally and we wanted him to play with Handre Pollard, who he is familiar with at flyhalf, which will help him,” Erasmus said.

Speaking of Pollard, there are concerns over the 32-year-old’s form and his return to the starting flyhalf position marks a crucial opportunity for him to dispel any talk of him not being on board for next year’s World Cup. In some circles, Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Manie Libbok and Willemse would be considered ahead of him in the flyhalf pecking order.

Willemse starting at inside centre last happened on September 13 last year – that landmark day when the Springboks handed the All Blacks a record defeat in Wellington. The double World Cup winner had been influential in the No.12 jersey, but then, in the 38^th minute, with the Springboks trailing 7-10, Aphelele Fassi was injured and Willemse shifted to fullback.

His performance was a revelation and one of the great individual displays in Springbok history, and Willemse has been in the No.15 jersey for the next seven Tests he played in. But with the unfortunate Fassi back in the Springbok mix for the first time since then, Erasmus wants to get him back up and running. With Andre Esterhuizen concussed, Willemse has the chance to remind everyone how good he is at inside centre as well.

Other players looking to re-state their ability are Edwill van der Merwe, fresh off a hat-trick against the Barbarians, on the wing, Evan Roos at eighthman, Cobus Wiese at lock and Johan Grobbelaar and Boan Venter in the front row. Ntuthuko Mchunu, another standout star in the URC, and Porthen are extremely mobile props on the bench and they will be well-suited to an attacking Scottish side playing at altitude.

Ben-Jason Dixon did well as a replacement lock against England and will surely fill that role again at Loftus Versfeld, with Vincent Tshituka and late inclusion Elrigh Louw providing loose forward cover on the bench. Having originally been left out of the Nations Championship squad following a major knee injury that saw him miss most of 2025, Louw has more to gain than most if he can put up a barnstorming performance on his home ground.

Lions star Quan Horn will provide cover for both the fullback and flyhalf positions, Erasmus confirmed.

“Damian Willemse has done helluva well at 15 and now he has a different role at inside centre, he probably won’t have to catch a lot of box-kicks … But we wanted to give Damian de Allende a rest and we wanted to see Aphelele Fassi at fullback. Quan Horn will cover 10 and 15,” Erasmus said.

Team: Aphelele Fassi; Edwill van de Merwe, Jesse Kriel, Damian Willemse, Canan Moodie; Handre Pollard, Embrose Papier; Evan Roos, Pieter-Steph du Toit (capt), Paul de Villiers, Ruan Nortje, Cobus Wiese, Wilco Louw, Johan Grobbelaar, Boan Venter. Replacements– Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Zachary Porthen, Ben-Jason Dixon, Vincent Tshituka, Elrigh Louw, Grant Williams, Quan Horn.

The DP World Lions men’s team have had their times of heartache this season, which is why when the CSA 4-Day Series final looked like being a grave disappointment for them, they had the desire, composure and ability to turn things around, according to captain Dominic Hendricks.

Having been 35 for five on the first morning and 113 for six in their second innings, leading by just 26, it was an absolutely remarkable effort for our #PrideOfJozi to beat Western Province by 99 runs and claim their first four-day title since 2019/20.

“Talk about a game turning 180 degrees,” Hendricks said, “We had to dig in super-deep and really fight. Our backs were against the wall for 80% of that game, so I’m massively proud of the team for winning.

“But there have been numerous times this season when we’ve had to really dig in, there’ve been lots of difficult situations we’ve been put in: Like having to bowl for 225 overs against the Rocks, going to Newlands and losing the toss and having to bat first on a spicy pitch against Western Province, and going to St George’s Park and having to play on a very tricky wicket.

“It’s testament to what we’ve created as a team. We get stuck in and if it’s your day, then you must make it spectacular,” the ecstatic Hendricks said.

The Lions skipper praised head coach Russell Domingo for the wonderful environment he has forged for our Pride to prosper. The former Proteas and Bangladesh coach never throws his toys out of the cot, but there is immense respect for him and the rest of the star-studded coaching line-up.

“Russell has a phenomenal approach. The game is so high-pressured anyway, so he always tries to take the pressure off us. He cracks jokes in the changeroom, but when he speaks we really do listen and he is the first to point out any nonsense and put us back in line.

“Hashim Amla has a very calm aura, he also always speaks to us in a good tone and with understanding. If a player makes a mistake, then the coaches never give you an uitkak, but they talk about what we ought to have done to execute better,” Hendricks said.

The opening batsman also highlighted the top-class batting of Delano Potgieter in setting up the heady triumph with phenomenal rearguard innings of 81 and 155 not out.

“Delano’s innings and all the lower-order chipping in, particularly Codi Yusuf (46), took the sting out of Western Province, you could see how frustrated they were and they fielded for each of the first four days.

“It says a lot about Delano that he was super-nervous before the final, he’s an anxious guy before matches. But once he settled, he looked right at home. We were in a world of trouble, but he dug in and batted and batted and batted,” Hendricks said.

Winning the prestige four-day title was a tremendous team effort by everyone at the DP World Wanderers Stadium though, a fact highlighted by a delighted Domingo.

“Hashim, Allan Donald and myself are all experienced enough to know that it’s not just the coaches that win trophies. We are just a small part of the puzzle; you need great players, a great CEO and support staff; the selectors, groundsmen, directors – everyone plays an important tole,” Domingo said.

The Bulls may have scraped into the Currie Cup semi-finals, but the passion and desire they showed in going down 27-31 to the Free State Cheetahs in a match of high drama at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, securing two vital bonus points despite suffering a red card in a moment of temporary madness, means they cannot be considered temps in this competition but genuine contenders.

The Bulls nearly won the match, the final whistle going with their maul four metres from the Cheetahs’ tryline. But by scoring four tries and finishing within seven points of the Free Staters, they earned two invaluable log points that left them on 38 points, two ahead of the Lions and out of reach of Western Province (37pts), despite their thrashing of the Sharks.

Considering they played the entire second half with 14 men after eighthman Elrigh Louw was red-carded in the 38^th minute, it was the stoutest of efforts, showing that the Bulls do have that never-say-die quality that will make them very dangerous semi-final opponents. They will play the Cheetahs again this weekend in Bloemfontein, but if the Free Staters underestimate the Bulls based on how they reached the last four, they will tempt fate most foolishly.

Louw was sent from the field after his shoulder made contact with the head of Cheetahs flank Siba Qoma, as he rushed into a ruck and made a clumsy attempt to clean.

By that stage, the Cheetahs had already turned around the momentum after the Bulls made a flying start, rushing into a 19-0 lead in the first quarter. With halftime beckoning, the visitors had closed to 14-19 and had lifted themselves from a lethargic start, really making their presence felt in defence and at the breakdown.

Although flyhalf Morne Steyn, in his farewell game at Loftus Versfeld, kicked a 42^nd-minute penalty to stretch the lead to 22-14, the Cheetahs took control of the match as they scored two tries in five minutes to open up a 28-22 lead.

Excellent flyhalf Siya Masuku, who will be in Sharks’ colours next season, seemed to be clothing himself in either a cloak of invisibility or the most slippery substance known to man as he weaved his way through the heart of the Bulls team to score an exceptional try. Masuku succeeded with the conversion too, as he did with all four of his other kicks at goal.

In the 49^th minute, hooker Marnus van der Merwe, who was like a bull in a china shop, produced another storming run that left him just short of the line, but scrumhalf Rewan Kruger picked up the ball and dived over to score.

It was not as if the Cheetahs closed up shop then either, but the Bulls just upped their game with sheer desperation. They too scrambled in defence against a team that is always so dangerous with ball-in-hand.

Masuku had the final say with a 71^st-minute penalty won at a ruck, but the Bulls were up close in their rearview mirrors throughout the final quarter.

Replacement flyhalf Chris Smith was brought into action in the 54^th minute as Steyn departed his home ground for the last time. The Springbok flyhalf had been more inspirational in his running of the backline than with the boot, missing three of his six kicks at goal.

It was Smith’s boot that ultimately put the Bulls into the semi-finals as, with the ferocious Cheetahs defence in his face and cutting him off from his centres, he put the deftest of crosskicks into the corner for wing Cornal Hendricks to score his second try. It was also the fourth for his team, bringing the first bonus point, and it dragged the home side back to within one point of the Free Staters, setting up a second log point.

The other legend being farewelled, hooker Bismarck du Plessis, came off the bench and had a big impact in the closing stages, both in the set-pieces and in bringing some added presence at the rucks.

The Bulls had begun the match in inspired fashion with three tries in the first 14 minutes.

Fullback Johan Goosen’s prowess in the air allowed the Bulls to attack the blindside and, with the Cheetahs defence slow to react, outside centre Stedman Gans was able to put Hendricks away for the opening try.

Two minutes later, Free State dropped the ball in their backline and wing David Kriel pounced, swivelling out of a tackle and then passing to centre Harold Vorster, who was quickly up in support and raced away for the second try.

The third try went to scrumhalf Embrose Papier, who is in such great form at the moment, but it is doubtful whether he will be able to play in the semi-final due to a hamstring injury. He sidestepped a defender and streaked away for a try after Ruan Vermaak’s super offload, the lock having burst clear after Steyn put him in a hole with a skip-pass.

The Cheetahs were very competitive in the scrums and they opened their account after getting a penalty there and going for a lineout deep in Bulls’ territory. Van der Merwe burst clear from the maul and then the similarly-built centre David Brits muscled over for the try.

Their second try also came off a lineout, but this time with a slick backline move, fullback Tapiwa Mafura dummying and then breaking the line, wing Daniel Kasende then providing a strong finish.

Given the quality the Cheetahs showed, the 14-man Bulls were just relieved to still be in the running for the Currie Cup crown.

“The team showed a lot of character and desire because the game could really have got away from us,” assistant coach Hugo van As said after the game. “We still had two or three opportunities to win right at the end, a great chance with our maul.

“But you’ve got to give the Cheetahs great credit for the way they stopped our maul and the breakdown was a big concern for us as well. We were beaten there, they came really hard at us and disrupted a lot of our plays.

“We’ve got to adapt on the day and make sure we look after our ball better. We saw in the first 20 minutes that when we get it right then we can score tries, it was a huge positive to see the interplay between forwards and backs.

“The team desperately want to send Morne and Bismarck off with a win and there is still a lot to play for. The hunger and desire is there to go further, we just need to be more clinical and make better decisions,” Van As said.

Scorers

Bulls: Tries – Cornal Hendricks (2), Harold Vorster, Embrose Papier. Conversions – Morne Steyn (2). Penalty – Steyn.

Free State Cheetahs: Tries – David Brits, Daniel Kasende, Siya Masuku, Rewan Kruger. Conversions – Masuku (4). Penalty – Masuku.

Wandisile Simelane has a burning desire to improve his game in all facets and his time with the extended Springbok squad last year and his move to the Bulls for the 2022/23 season have been used as a means to gather as much proficiency as he can.

Simelane has long been considered as one of the country’s brightest young talents and his selection for the initial 46-man squad for the British and Irish Lions series raised hopes of him making his Springbok debut.

In the end the established and world-class pairing of Lukhanyo Am and Damian de Allende did South Africa proud, but Simelane soaked up the atmosphere and the learnings to be gained at elite level.

“I learnt a lot, and I realised I need to get better in every aspect of my game, including things like work-rate, training and just being in that environment,” Simelane told The Citizen.

“It really helped me both as an individual and as a rugby player. Just being around Lukhanyo Am, who is one of the best No.13s in the world, you put yourself at a disadvantage if you don’t learn from him.

“He is an inspiration and a role-model to me, and there were others too like Jesse Kriel, Frans Steyn and Damian de Allende, who are great centres. You take bits and pieces from everyone and add it to your own game.

“I’ve always believed every rugby player in South Africa should aspire to play for the Springboks, and hopefully I’ll be back there sooner rather than later. It’s definitely my number one goal,” Simelane said.

While the 24-year-old did not want to go into the reasons why he left the Gauteng Lions this year, there was a sense among neutral observers that his game did not grow at Ellis Park, the Lions did not make the best use of him, over the last year, and playing in an exciting Bulls backline featuring Springboks in Embrose Papier, Morne Steyn, Lionel Mapoe, Cornal Hendricks, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Sbu Nkosi, Johan Goosen and now Canan Moodie, could see Simelane fulfil his potential in the coming season.

Apart from all that star quality and wise old heads, Simelane, as a Jeppe High old boy, was also delighted to come under the wing of school legend Jake White, and also get the chance to play alongside Nkosi, Jeppe’s most recent Springbok.

“Jake winning the World Cup in 2007 was a massive achievement and knowing he’s a Jeppe old boy, he’s a great hero at the school and in South African rugby generally,” Simelane said.

“When the opportunity came to be coached by him at the Bulls, I didn’t think twice. I can gain so much knowledge from him.

“Unfortunately, when Sbu played first XV at Jeppe, I was still U16 and I missed playing with him by one year,” Simelane said.

As fate would have it, the Bulls’ opening United Rugby Championship fixture this season is against the Lions at Ellis Park on September 17, but the Johannesburg-born player will not be focusing on the unhappy memories of his previous home.

“I’m definitely excited to start the season and I’m looking at it as my first game for the Bulls and not the first match I will play against the Lions.”

The Lions tended to shift Simelane away from the midfield and play him on the wing, but he said this was not the cause of his unhappiness.

“I don’t mind at all, I don’t care if I play wing, centre or fullback, as long as I am in the team. It doesn’t bother me much. Number 13 is my main position, my number one choice, where I want to be a specialist.”

The defensive nous required to be a world-class outside centre will no doubt come with more experience, but what Simelane already possesses are the feet of a magician.

“I guess it’s just natural instinct, it’s something that gets better and better the more I play, since my school days. But the key is to keep working on it,” Simelane, who first started playing rugby in Grade V at Dalmondeor Primary in Johannesburg South, said.

He is a nightmare to defend against if he’s in space because of his ability to not only beat the man with a late sidestep, but also his passing skills. Many of his team-mates have profited from delayed ball that has put them right through the gap.

“To make the most of space, I like to use the pass also. It depends on how you analyse different players, what you want to achieve as a team and also your feel for the game.

“The more I put myself in those situations in training, the more I will make the right decisions. It’s something I’ve had to work hard on too,” Simelane said.

Simelane will be 25 when the next World Cup is played and then the Springboks will surely enter a new cycle in terms of personnel. Hopefully the selectors don’t leave it too late to introduce him to the international stage that seems to be his destiny.