In recent weeks, the Springboks have been rocked by the news that both Jasper Wiese and Elrigh Louw have been ruled out of at least the majority of the 2025 season with serious injuries.
It means that Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus will need to reconsider who will start at No 8, as well as what the reconfiguration of the loose forward combination should be.
There could be an opportunity for youngsters Cameron Hanekom or Ruan Venter, while there could also be an argument for Siya Kolisi to shift to eighthman.
What that could also mean is that another versatile loose forward could be highly valued, and all of a sudden Marcell Coetzee is truly making waves once again.
Fit and on top form in recent times, Coetzee was the star of the show for the Bulls this past weekend, making a whopping 31 tackles in a superb Man of the Match performance against Munster.
Although he is 33-years-old, Coetzee’s experience and battle-hardened expertise has served as a reminder that this is a player who truly understands his game at this stage of his career.
It also shouldn’t be forgotten through what we saw with veterans like Frans Steyn (at the 2019 World Cup), and Deon Fourie (in 2023), is the fact that Erasmus is always willing to consider one or two older players if they can add the necessary leadership, on-field impact and mentorship.
With some injuries opening an opportunity for some new players to come into the mix, Coetzee could very easily knock down the door to add to his 31 Test caps, and complete a remarkable comeback considering he has only played three internationals in the last decade.
SPRINGBOKS’ 2025 TEST SCHEDULE:
TBC: vs Barbarians, TBC, TBC
5 July: vs Italy, Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
12 July: vs Italy, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Gqeberha
19 July: vs Georgia, Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit
16 August: vs Australia, Ellis Park, Johannesburg
23 August: vs Australia, DHL Stadium, Cape Town
6 September: vs New Zealand, Auckland
13 September: vs New Zealand, Wellington
27 September: vs Argentina, Kings Park, Durban
4 October: vs Argentina, London
1 November: vs Wales, Cardiff
8 November: vs France, Paris
15 November: vs Italy, Turin
22 November: vs Ireland, Dublin
*SA Rugby are working on adding two more Tests for the Springboks, likely to be against Japan and Portugal
WILL YOU BE ATTENDING ANY OF THESE GAMES?
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Meanwhile, here is an important reminder on ticket sales for the Springbok men’s game against Argentina in the Rugby Championship at Twickenham in October.
Ticket sales
Tickets are on sale via Ticketmaster.co.uk and England Rugby, starting from just £55* for adults and £28* for Under-16s.
Hospitality packages are also available on www.allianzstadiumtwickenham.com
(*booking fees apply)
