The 3 debutants in the Springbok squad

Springbok Head Coach Jacques Nienaber has named a combative squad to take on Georgia on Friday evening. 

Amongst the 23 are three players who are set to make their Springbok debuts. 

Rosko Specman: 

32 year-old Specman finally gets his chance in the Springbok side after hovering around selection for a number of years. Now plying his trade with the Cheetahs, Specman really rose to prominence within the realm of 7s, where he became one of the most valued players in the Blitzbok set-up and the skills he learnt there translated beautifully to his performances in the 15-man game. 

His presence in the team is no surprise as he has proved himself to be a lethal attacking force who can be utilised to great effect. 

Aphelele Fassi: 

Fassi is one of those rare players who has the ability to make something out of nothing – causing panic and doubt in the minds of his opponents every time he touches the ball. In terms of the Springboks, it has always been just a matter of time before Fassi donned the green & gold jersey.  

With his rangy stride yielding blistering pace and his sublime footwork bamboozling the wiliest of defenders, expect excitement when the 23 year-old Fassi touches the ball. 

Jasper Wiese: 

A tough customer with a typically SouthAfrican taste for the physical side of the game, Wiese’s form for Leicester Tigers has made him impossible to ignore.  

When incumbent Springbok number 8 Duane Vermeulen fell to injury, Nienaber and Rassie Erasmus did not have to look hard to find a player in the same mould. His assaults on opposition defensive lines are brutal as his raw strength and never-say-die attitude carry him over one advantage line after another.  

He represented the Cheetahs in South Africa from 2017 – 2020 before Steve Borthwick came knocking and brought him over to Leicester where he has gone from strength to strength.  

While he will be playing second fiddle to Kwagga Smith on Friday, it is almost guaranteed that the 26 year-old Wiese will gain his first Springbok cap as the messrs Nienaber and Erasmus look to give as many players as possible a run before the British & Irish Lions contest begins.