Though he is hopeful of a return to fitness in June, plans still have to be forged should Jasper Wiese not recover in time for South Africa’s two-Test series against Italy in July.
The No 8 suffered a neck injury while playing for his Japanese club that required surgery, and the initial prognosis was he’d be out for the rest of the year.
Wiese, the incumbent Bok No 8, started six of the last seven Tests last year, with Kwagga Smith filling that role against Scotland at Murrayfield. It is a role Smith may yet reprise.
Should Wiese not return to fitness in time, the Bok brains trust will have to find a short-term solution.
One such option is the introduction of captain Siya Kolisi to the No 8 position at Test level. Kolisi, who played all 92 of his Tests on the side of the scrum, has done duty at the back for the Sharks this season. It didn’t necessarily meet with success early on but the 33-year-old has gradually warmed to the role he performed at junior level.
Kolisi’s ball skills, and ability to make offloads under pressure and telling cross cover tackles, makes him suited to the position. It is, however, his ability to play to the ball and involving himself in rucks and close-in combat that has helped set him apart.
Some may even view Kolisi moving to No 8 as a means of extending his career.
He is far from the only option, though. There’s Cameron Hanekom, who has been South Africa’s form No 8 in the United Rugby Championship (URC). His performances for the rampaging Bulls have at times been off the charts.
Hanekom’s sheer industry has helped propel the Bulls among the URC’s elites, though occasional visits to the physiotherapist’s bench halted his progress. He seeks battles or mini contests, which is a trait greatly valued by the Bok brains trust.
Hanekom may only have one Test cap but he has been tugging at the leash for some time. Though he has a lack of Test experience in a year the Springboks face a taxing schedule, he has to be a genuine contender to occupy a regular spot in the match day 23.
Wiese, however, is the man in possession. Last year, a ban Wiese copped for reckless play, kept him out of the Bok team for the initial part of the international season. When he returned, he played with far greater authority than in the 2023 Rugby World Cup, where Duane Vermeulen repossessed the No 8 jersey for the business-end of the tournament.
Wiese is a ball carrier of real menace, and his stocky, low centre of gravity frame allows him to plough through would-be defenders. He remains the Bok coach’s go-to No 8 and the form he showed last year suggests he’s repaying that faith with interest.
Marcell Coetzee, Hanekom’s Bulls teammate and often captain, has been a true blue warrior this season. He has made contributions with real meaning, particularly on their recent tour, where he walked off with a couple of man-of-the-match awards.
The strong-willed Coetzee is an experienced hand and has seen it all before. Convincing the Bok brains trust that his best days are not entirely behind him, may prove a tall order.
Though his star dimmed last year, with injury also playing a part in him losing ground in the national pecking order, Evan Roos appears to be back to his best. His penchant to drift off script with moments of hotheadedness has cooled considerably this season.
Last season, injury didn’t help his cause, either, but he’s back up to speed and delivered consistently for the Stormers from the back of the scrum. His ball carrying is a real strength and he appears to relish his battering ram role.
The number of defenders he commits makes Roos a real handful.
Juarno Augustus has delivered some thunderous performances for the resurgent Northampton Saints over the last few seasons. The Ulster-bound No 8’s presence is keenly felt in contact. The broad-shouldered loose-forward is a formidable ball carrier, which partly helped earn him the moniker “Trokkie”, for an ability to keep on trucking, though the path is laden with obstacles.
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