South Africa U/25 form XV.

The URC is in full swing, with mixed results from South African teams, two years from the next edition of the Rugby World Cup in Australia in 2027. There is no better time to look at the next generation of South African players bubbling under the surface to wear the green and gold. Let’s take a look at the form team of players under the age of 25 to see what the next cycle may look like:

1. Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Bulls)

Jan-Hendrik is a physical freak, evident in his schoolboy highlights at Grey College, where he bounced between prop, lock, and eight-man. His power, size, and athleticism make him a dynamic athlete who, if he stays healthy, will have a long, storied Bok career. He will need to continue his tutelage in the dark arts of scrummaging, but his natural ability would have any coach licking their lips. 

2. Angre-Hugo Venter (Stormers)

Andre-Hugo is the son of Sprinbok legend Andre Venter and has inherited his hard-nosed approach to the game. As expected, he is very mobile for his size and has a potent record of throwing during lineup time. He will need to prove himself further at the URC level before he can claim the hooking berth for the Springboks, but hookers do often develop later than most.

3. Asenathi Ntlabakanye (Lions)

There is no missing this gargantuan human on the rugby field tipping the scales at 153kg with an engine to boot. He is a walking, talking highlights machine with barnstorming runs, hard-hitting tackles and soft hands of a backline player. The Springbok style expects a great deal from its props in the loose and in contact, so he needs to trim down to make the number three jersey his own.

4. JF Van Heerden (Bulls)

Measuring in at 2.01m and 115 kg, this impressive specimen has a very high ceiling as an international lock. Van Heerden is a no-nonsense enforcer in the mould of Bakkie Botha/Eben Etzebeth, a dime of a dozen in rugby circles. He is relatively new to the scene, but people in the know have pencilled him in for future glory since his junior days. 

5. JJ van der Mecht (Stade Francais)

JJ first burst into the limelight when he was photographed alongside Victor Matfield at Craven Week in 2017. JJ made Victor look small, and his legend only grew from there. He left the Sharks under a cloud with rumours of his work ethic and conditioning not being up to scratch. He was happily snapped up by Stade Francais, where the French game is a physical style with less emphasis on fitness. He will need to show the selectors he has the engine to be a Springbok lock where competition for places is fierce. 

6. Paul de Villiers

Paul was a junior Springbok captain and has the dynamism of a loose forward that is coveted in the modern game. In contact, he is like a pinball machine, ala Kwagga Smith, and gets over the ball with gusto. He is not the biggest player by any stretch, but with every touch, he makes a difference on the field and more than makes up for his lack of size. 

7. Ruan Venter (Lions)

Ruan was an easy choice; he is a wrecking ball in the mould of Willem Alberts and has a surprising turn of speed for a big man. The Boks love a big seven who can carry, jump in the lineouts, and win collisions in the midfield. He is the quintessential Bok player and will only grow into the game as he matures. His uncompromising nature belies his young age of only 22, which will make him a worthy choice for the Boks.

8. Cameron Hanekom (Bulls)

Cameron feels like he should be North of 25 years old, being a yeoman for the Bulls team, but he is a youngster who will burst onto the international scene. His power and speed make him a difficult opponent with the ball in hand. His acceleration off the back of the scrum means he almost always outstrips the flanker to get a free run at the poor backline player. Imagine Marcus Smith five metres from the try-line trying to stop this freight train. No chance. 

9. Jaden Hendrickse (Sharks)

It feels like cheating to pick a fully-fledged member of the Springbok setup, but Jaden is still only 24 years old. He has all the tools of an international scrumhalf, with a pinpoint kicking game and a rapid pass. He is more powerful than most number nines and has no problem putting his head into a ruck, where he often wins penalties. He doesn’t have the up-tempo style of other scrum halves, but in a chess match at the international level, you need a tactician, not a magician. 

10.  Sacha Feinberg-Mgomezulu (Stomers)

SFM is a once-in-a-generation talent that can do it all and then some. He has the maturity of an older player with the quick feet of an international winger. He will need some time in the saddle to become more of a general at ten than a game-breaker. His ability to turn a game on its head in a split second has never been doubted, but can he command a game in torrid conditions? We shall see. 

11. Suleiman Hartzenberg (Stormers)

Suleiman doesn’t have the electric speed and stepping ability of the current crop of Bok wingers, but his straight-line speed is more than enough. He is tall and solid under the high ball and enjoys putting in the hard work in defence. Some of the best international wingers aren’t always the fastest, but they can pop up at the right time to be on a shoulder. He has this ability, which will only improve over the years.

12. Ethan Hooker (Sharks)

Ethan is a Westville Boys High School product and has flourished this season for the Sharks. He can do no wrong at both centre and wing for the coastal team, and his ability to read the game is a thing to behold. I cannot hide my frustration when a chasing player misses the tackle after a pinpoint kick allows a team to escape the 22m area. Ethan Hooker never, and I do mean never, misses that tackle which in the course of a game might seem pretty insignificant. Still, the hidden metres of territory tell a different story if a team can kick the ball a further 20m downfield each time they are pinned near the try line. The territorial pressure adds up, causing mistakes, penalties, and points.

13. Jurenzo ‘Boogieman’ Julius (Sharks)

Jurenzo has already become a crowd favourite due to his electric acceleration and power through contact. He breaks a tackle almost every time he comes in contact, and one cannot help but compare him to Ma’a Nonu, who showed that power and speed don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Julius will need tutelage to command an international-level defensive, but I have no doubt he will master it. 

14. Quewin Nortje (Blitzbokke)

The Springboks have benefited from the sevens program, with products like Kwagga Smith and Cheslin Kolbe becoming fully fledged Springboks. Nortje is a speed merchant, and with the smallest gap, he can rip open any defence. He is learning the tricks of the trade on the sevens circuit, which will only benefit him in the long run. He must translate that raw ability into the local URC scene to show that he can mix it up with the big boys.

15. Jordan Hendrickse (Sharks)

Before this season, I would only have picked the younger brother of Jaden Hendrickse, Jordan, at flyhalf, but he has been a revelation at fullback for the Sharks. He can kick the ball an absolute mile and is brave under the high ball. You can’t sleep on him for a minute because he has the kind of raw speed that can peel open a team in a heartbeat like he did against the Bulls recently. Teams kick deep on him at their peril with either a laser up and under or a dynamic counterattack lying in wait. 

Let me know what you think about this future Bok team.