The Springboks’ crisis at lock could be eased ahead of their November tour of the United Kingdom with the timely return of two Rugby World Cup winners.
RG Snyman and Jean Kleyn are back playing in the United Rugby Championship with Leinster and Munster respectively, getting some valuable time in the legs ahead of the Springboks’ matches against Scotland, England and Wales.
However, Salmaan Moerat has is now a doubt with a knee injury, while Franco Mostert may also still be on the sidelines after having not played any rugby since breaking his leg in the second Test against Ireland in July.
In the back division, the Springboks should welcome back utility player Damian Willemse, who has started in all three of the Stormers’ URC matches following a finger injury that kept him out of the Ireland series as well as the Rugby Championship.
Another backline player who is back and has had a top start to the season is inside centre Andre Esterhuizen, who has shone bright in a Sharks team that have yet to hit the ground running in the URC.
IOL Sport’s John Goliath looks at the Springboks who could be back for the November tour and those who may only feature again in the green and gold in 2025.
Who is currently available?
RG Snyman
The big lock has recovered from a foot injury that kept him out of the Rugby Championship. He put in a good shift this weekend for Leinster against Munster and looked like he was never on the sidelines.
Jean Kleyn
The 31-year-old Kleyn played his first match of 2024 for Munster on Saturday after recovering from a career-threatening eye injury. He is also in the squad travelling to South Africa this week.
Grant Williams
The quicksilver scrumhalf had enjoyed a fine Rugby Championship before he was withdrawn for the last two matches against Argentina with an arm injury. It’s likely that he will be back sooner rather than later.
Damian Willemse
Willemse has had a proper break after months on the sidelines with a fractured finger. Gametime in the URC will help him get his sharpness back after dropping a few high balls in the previous Stormers match against Edinburgh.
Andre Esterhuizen
It’s been a tough year for Esterhuizen, who was banned for four matches after a high shot against Portugal before picking up a shoulder injury. He has since come back and is playing well for the Sharks.
Who may not available
Franco Mostert
While it’s uncertain if Mostert has fully recovered from the broken leg suffered against Ireland, he is likely to miss out on the tour because of a lack of gametime, as the Japanese season only kicks off in December.
Salmaan Moerat
Moerat is another player who has had a stop-start international campaign this year. After captaining the Boks a couple of times, he suffered concussion against the Wallabies and is now nursing a knee injury.
Lood de Jager
After coming back strongly from a heart condition, that saw him miss the Rugby World Cup, De Jager suffered a serious shoulder injury towards the end of the previous Japanese season which required surgery. He will definitely only be back in 2025.
Faf de Klerk
The back-to-back World Cup-winning scrumhalf De Klerk is fighting his way back from a thigh injury sustained in the Ireland series. He is also likely to get some gametime in Japan before returning to the Bok fold in 2025.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu
It was a breakout international season for the young flyhalf, but he will miss the November tour after suffering a knee injury against the All Blacks. The prognosis was worse than originally feared and he will also only be back in 2025.
Steven Kitshoff
After a long layoff with a knee injury, the Springboks prop suffered a neck ligament injury playing for Western Province in the Currie Cup. The November tour may be a stretch for him, as he has not played a lot of rugby this year.
@JohnGoliath82