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The perfect platform for Bok wannabees to state their case
The Star
|September 25, 2025
SPRINGBOK coach Rassie Erasmus has used a 35-man squad for the Rugby Championship with mixed success, although the Boks are currently on a high after an emphatic defeat of the All Blacks last week.
He has said that his squad is not a closed shop and that means players outside of the squad know that consistently good performances in the United Rugby Championship could earn them a call-up as the 2027 World Cup appears on the horizon. We look at five players with a case to state.
Evan Roos (Stormers)
The powerful No 8 has an army of fans who wonder why he can't crack the nod for the Springboks.
There is a conspiracy theory that he and Erasmus have had a fallout, but the Bok coach has publicly denied it, and says that Roos is not picked for “rugby” reasons, and is in the queue.
There was a time when Roos discipline was an issue, but he has fixed that. Now he needs to look at what Erasmus enjoys so much about Jasper Wiese and play more to that style, without compromising his individuality.
Gerhard Steenekamp (Bulls)
This story is from the September 25, 2025 edition of The Star.
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