Rassie Erasmus has dropped a bombshell ahead of next month’s Rugby Championship kick-off, leaving out three double World Cup winners from his Springbok squad to face Australia.
There’s no room for Lukhanyo Am, Faf de Klerk, or Makazola Mapimpi, with the experienced trio only named on standby in case of injury.
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The Springboks will host the Wallabies in Johannesburg on August 16 before locking horns again in Cape Town a week later – and they’ll do it with a fresh-looking 37-man squad.
New faces include exciting utility back Ethan Hooker, front-row duo Asenathi Ntlabakanye and Boan Venter, hooker Marnus van der Merwe, and versatile forward Cobus Wiese.
Bath prop Thomas du Toit will sit out the Tests due to a mandatory two-week rest agreement with Premiership Rugby, while number eight Jasper Wiese misses out through suspension.
Erasmus has already used nearly 50 players in 2025 as he builds depth with an eye firmly on the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
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