Could 150kg prop work his way onto Springboks’ radar?

The Springboks will return to action in the middle of this year, with Tests against Wales, Ireland and Portugal set to precede the highly anticipated Rugby Championship.

It’s already been confirmed that the Springboks will welcome a couple of new coaches into their management, and undoubtedly there will be a few new players also introduced into the team over the next four-year World Cup cycle.

The Springboks are blessed with depth at prop, but one local player who has been catching the eye is Lions prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye, who rougly weighs in at a hulking 150kg.

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Despite his bulk, Ntlabakanye boasts impressive mobility and a high work rate, while he is a physical ball carrier who poses a major defensive challenge for would-be tacklers.

The 24-year-old has increasingly been receiving more game-time for the Lions, and while his primary role as a scrummager remains a work in progress, he has youth on his side.

His physical dimensions set him apart from the pack, and it would be interesting to see whether the Springbok conditioning coaches could see an opportunity to mould the youngster into an even more formidable weapon.

This may be viewed as more of a long-term project, but it could be a timely one considering that the likes of Frans Malherbe, Trevor Nyakane and Vincent Koch will all be on the other side of 35 by the time the next World Cup rolls around in 2027.

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*Let us know your thoughts on this Lions prospect by adding a comment at the end of this article

COULD Asenathi Ntlabakanye BE A CONSIDERATION FOR THE SPRINGBOKS’ TEST AGAINST PORTUGAL?

INCOMING SERIES:

Saturday, 6 July: SA vs Ireland (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)
Saturday, 13 July: SA vs Ireland (Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban)
Saturday, 20 July: SA vs Portugal (Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein)

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RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP:

Saturday, 10 August: Australia vs SA (Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane)
Saturday, 17 August: Australia vs SA (Optus Stadium, Perth)
Saturday, 31 August: SA vs New Zealand (Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg)
Saturday, 7 September: SA v New Zealand (DHL Stadium, Cape Town)
Saturday, 21 September: Argentina v SA (venue TBC)
Saturday, 28 September: SA v Argentina (Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit)

CONFIRMED: Rassie Erasmus NO LONGER director of rugby

URC FIXTURES (SA TIMES) THIS WEEKEND

Friday, 16 February:
21h35: Zebre v Edinburgh (Parma)
21h35: Scarlets v Munster (Llanelli)

Saturday, 17 February:
15h00: Lions v Bulls (Johannesburg)
17h00: Leinster v Benetton (Dublin)
17h05: Sharks v Stormers (Durban)
19h15: Cardiff Rugby v Connacht (Cardiff)
21h35: Glasgow Warriors v Dragons (Glasgow)

Sunday, 18 February:
17h00: Ospreys v Ulster (Swansea)

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