Bokrometer: 15 standout performances including a Kriel worldie as battle for Springbok call-ups heat up

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Our build-up to the international season continues as we once again review the performances of several South African players who hope to hear their names called up for the upcoming series against Ireland.

This week, we take a look at the performances in the United Rugby Championship and Gallagher Premiership and see who may have caught Rassie Erasmus’ eye.

Included on this week’s list are some of the players who will not only be pressing for a call-up but more minutes in the Green and Gold jersey as well as a few updates on general form and fitness.

Thomas du Toit

He just can’t stop scoring. Props aren’t usually the men known for notching up double-digit try tallies across the season, but this weekend, Thomas du Toit reached that milestone, grabbing his sixth Premiership try to go with his four in the Investec Championship.

Du Toit has been in stunning form for Bath since his arrival from the Sharks, and after agonisingly missing out on the Rugby World Cup squad last year, he will be hellbent to cement his place in the side during this next cycle and is making a good fist of it through his club form.

He has continued his trend of switching between loosehead and tighthead and this past week, he put in another strong shift off the bench at loosehead in Bath’s narrow loss to Saracens.

Siya Masuku

A player that hasn’t really been spoken about in the Springboks‘ frame but perhaps one that is forcing his way into the conversation as Siya Masuku collected his third-successive Player of the Match award guiding the Sharks to a 27-32 win over the Scarlets.

With the Springboks likely needing a new number ten for the clash against Wales at Twickenham, it would not be out of the question for the Sharks’ pivot to get the nod, particularly after the kind of performance he produced this weekend.

He grabbed two try assists and kicked 12 points from the tee, missing just one shot on the night, orchestrating the Sharks to a hard-fought win. The clash against Clermont will be a massive litmus test for him, but since earning a run of starts with the Sharks, he hasn’t looked back.

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Neethling Fouche

The Stormer is really throwing his name into the mix to earn a Springboks debut and earned yet another Man of the Match award on Saturday.

Neethling Fouche has gone from strength to strength since earning a place in the first Springbok alignment camp and produced another strong scrummaging display in a 60-minute shift.

Frans Malherbe picked up from where he left off in the final 20 minutes of the fixture, but Fouche had done enough by that stage to earn the individual accolade at full-time.

At 31 years old, Fouche perhaps isn’t the ideal age profile tighthead prop that Erasmus would want for the next World Cup, but his current form cannot be denied.

Andre Esterhuizen

Sharks fans will be licking their lips at the prospect of Andre Esterhuizen thundering through defenders in the black jersey next season as he did at Twickenham against Northampton Saints. Harlequins were underdogs heading into the match against the Premiership league leaders but kept their playoff hopes alive with an impressive 41-32 victory with the centre playing a crucial role in the win.

Esterhuizen gained more metres in the match than any other player (93) while beating three defenders from his 15 carriers and made ten passes. Damian de Allende will likely retain the first-choice starting number 12 jumper under Erasmus this year, but Esterhuizen is hammering on the door.

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Warrick Gelant

That offload! It was the highlight of the Stormers fullback’s performance as the Stormers ripped through the Leinster defence in their 42-12 victory but overall, it was a solid outing from the 28-year-old.

He will have plenty of competition for a place in the Springboks back three but he put the right foot forward on Saturday in a well-rounded performance but will now need to back it up as far too often it has been one-off.

Herschel Jantjies

Speaking of building on performances, Herschel Jantjies showed flashes of brilliance against Leinster and scored a try that the Cape Town-faithful has seen time and time again as he sped through a gap in the defence and dived over under the posts.

The 2019 Rugby World Cup-winning number nine was overlooked in 2023 due to a dip in form, but the Bok selectors clearly favour him and he will be hoping he can wiggle his way back into their good books this year.

Outside of his try, he kept the Stormers’ tempo on attack and put in a tidy 70-minute shift to steer the Capetoians around the park in tandem with Manie Libbok.

Ruben van Heerden

Staying with the Capetoians and lock, Ruben van Heerden hammered through a powerhouse 71-minute shift against Leinster as he topped the tackle count in the fixture (14) and also gained 38 metres from his five carries.

A relentless workhorse, Van Heerden also ran the lineout well and completed six passes to go with all his ruck and maul work too.

He, too, was involved in the first Springboks alignment camp, and despite the squad’s talent bottleneck in the second row, he is bound to make his debut soon.

David Kriel

It’s nothing new for David Kriel, who has enjoyed a stellar season, but the Bulls utility back put in a worldie performance as Jake White’s charges put the Ospreys to the sword. He was selected as the URC’s Player of the Round after four try involvements, scoring one and assisting three in the number 13 jersey.

It’s the kind of performance that will do his international aspirations the world of good, particularly with the Springboks selectors favouring players who have shown their versatility, and he has that in spades, featuring in the number 15, 14, 13 and 12 jerseys for the Bulls this season.

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Elrigh Louw

There is no shortage of options available to the Bok selectors in the back-row positions, but Elrigh Louw is making it incredibly difficult not to select him.

While he has starred in the number eight jersey, he looks far more impactful in the blindside flanker role, and it showed against the Ospreys as, once again, he racked up impressive numbers on both sides of the ball. He made over 80 metres from his ten carries, made 13 tackles and was a solid lineout option, as usual.

He is incredibly effective through the middle of the pitch, but we also saw him thrive in the extremities against the Ospreys, a role that Siya Kolisi and Pieter-Steph du Toit have impressed in for the Boks.

Willie Le Roux

After winning back-to-back World Cups, many have thought that Willie Le Roux would be picking up his last few paychecks at the Bulls but Erasmus won’t be removing his name from the Boks payroll system just yet.

The veteran fullback was masterful once again as he guided the Bulls to a comprehensive victory working wonderfully with Chris Smith, having done the same with Johan Goosen recently too.

He didn’t weigh in with an assist this week but produced another superb attacking display, which included an interception try and a wonderful offload that led to Embrose Papier’s try.

Wilco Louw

Another tigthead prop making several strong statements this season as the Wilco Louw continues his bid to his 14 Test caps. It’s no secret that the Springboks value a prop’s ability in the set-piece highly, and he came up against arguably Wales’ best scrummaging looseheads, Gareth Thomas and Nicky Smith, and, buy in large, got the better of both.

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Emile van Heerden

The son of former Springboks’ forward Fritz van Heerden, Emile has thrived in the second row alongside Springbok Eben Etzebeth and put in another big performance against the Scarlets this weekend.

The 23-year-old weighed in with a handy 17 tackles and eight carries against the Welsh outfit and is one to certainly keep an eye on.

Jacques Vermeulen

The powerhouse back-rower featured in the number seven jumper for Exeter Chiefs on Sunday and put in a Player of the Match performance, scoring twice in Exeter Chiefs’ 38-17 victory over Gloucester at Kingsholm.

Vermeulen is lethal from short-range and forced his way from close range in both cases while also winning a turnover, making 11 tackles and making ten carries for 48 metres.

Jean-Luc du Preez

Lastly, from the Premiership, Jean-Luc du Preez put in another abrasive shift for Sale Sharks in a nervy win over Newcastle Falcons. He put in a hefty 18 tackles and ten carries in the number-eight jumper for Sale.

As mentioned above, versatility is a huge bonus for the Bok coaches, and his ability to play 4, 7 and eight could see him earn a more regular place in the squad after a handful of squad inclusions without caps.

Jesse Kriel

The 2023 Rugby World Cup hero marked his return via the bench a fortnight ago in Japan but earned his first start against Pieter-Steph du Toit’s Toyota Verblitz in the Japanese Rugby League One.

Kriel managed to get through a full 80-minute shift and produced a few of his trademark try-saving tackles while being aggressive and abrasive as ever in every contact.

Quiz: Can you name the 1995 Rugby World Cup-winning Springboks?