Johannesburg - The Springboks start their preparation for this season in earnest from Sunday when head coach Jacques Nienaber assembles his first Bok alignment camp of 2022, following it up next month with another camp in Cape Town.
The Springbok management team were recently at Emirates Airline Park to give a few tips and pointers to the Emirates Lions and their coaching staff, so will have already been exposed to, and interacted with, players of interest.
The first alignment camp will take place in Durban, starting after this weekend’s United Rugby Championship SA derbies and fortuitously, the Lions will be in KwaZulu-Natal after having played the Sharks on Saturday at Johnsons Kings Park (kick-off 4pm).
Here, Morgan Bolton looks at five Lions players that Nienaber should invite to be a part of his upcoming camps. They don't necessarily have to be a part of the final squad for this year's international season, but they will certainly learn much from the experience.
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Carlu Sadie
There is no doubt that Thomas du Toit, Vincent Koch, Frans Malherbe, Trevor Nyakane and Coenie Oosthuizen are the go-to men when it comes to the Bok tighthead position, but they are the immediate No 3s.
After the World Cup in France next year, Koch will be 33, Malherbe 32, Nyakane 34 and Oosthuizen 32; so Nienaber and Co must surely consider building depth there. Sadie is a powerful scrummiger, and has sustained himself on a weekly diet of loosehead props far more experienced than he is. At 24-years old, he is at the correct maturity level to begin his journey as an international player.
Vincent Tshituka
The biggest problem here has nothing to do with the quality of Tshituka, or the embarrassment of riches South Africa has in the loose-forward department, but rather whether the DRC-born 23-year-old is eligible to play for the Springboks.
By all accounts, Tshituka was in the process of becoming an SA citizen, only for Covid-19 to halt his application. As recently as the Lions game against Leinster, it was apparently a problem as he and brother Emmaneul were denied entry into Ireland.
Nevertheless, Tshituka has been in brilliant form recently, and his work-rate on and off the ball has been immense. He is a real team player, one that adds value both on-and-off the field and will add value to the Bok setup, even if it is just for these camps.
Francke Horn
This might seem like a left-field call, but the former Baby Bok should also get an invite; and he should be considered a more long-term project.
Since making his senior professional debut last year, the 22-year-old has grown in leaps and bounds at the back of the scrum for the Lions. He is not your typical SA No 8 in that he doesn't rely purely on brute force to bludgeon the opposition, but is rather a more agile player that has a bit of pace to back it up.
That is not to say, Horn doesn’t enjoy getting his hands dirty – he can certainly be physical – but he also offers a different skill set other than bashing his way up the field. A Bok alignment camp could deposit some serious knowledge and confidence into his arsenal.
Morne van den Berg
This is another area where a player has to be exceptional at the moment to even get a look in. Faf de Klerk is the incumbent Bok 9 and behind him there is a line of young scrumhalves, which includes Jaden Hendrikse, Grant Williams and Keagan Johannes.
Then there are also the veterans Herscel Jantjies, Embrose Papier and Cobus Reinarch who can lay claim to the No 9 jumper.
‘Krappie’, however, has some undeniable De Klerk idiosyncrasies about him; from the way he moves, his frenetic service at the breakdowns, his ability to spot a gap and fearlessness in tacking on defences when the opportunity arises.
The 24-year-old has seemingly wrestled the No 9 jersey away from Andre Warner at the Lions, and is currently enjoying a purple patch, so why not have a look-see at what he can bring at an alignment camp.
Jordan Hendrikse
The younger brother of Jaden, Jordan has made all the right moves recently to get supporters and pundits talking him up.
The 20-year-old has a mature head on him, and has found his feet at senior level without fuss and quite quickly at that. When the Lions were in shambles in the flyhalf channel earlier this year, a returning Hendrikse stood up to take control.
He has marshalled players much more his senior with aplomb recently, driving the Lions forward with an ever-improving kicking game and decision-making ability. He is one for the future.
Honourable mention
Wandisile Simelane: He hasn’t yet reached the heights of previous seasons, but if Nienaber and Co are consistent, he should be at both Bok camps.