Springboks: URC stand-outs that simply can’t be ignored!

The United Rugby Championship has seen The Stormers, Sharks, Bulls and Lions flourish in the South African leg – with several players putting their hand up for Springbok selection.

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Evan Roos was the first player to be publicly acknowledged by Rassie Erasmus as a future Springbok.

Given the rich run of form shown by our franchises since the URC came to SA, there are several more players who will have Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber glued to their screens and scratching their heads.

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FANTASTIC FASSI AND GOLDEN GELANT

Fassi has been exceptional this season, his performance against Connacht this past weekend may have been his best yet.

Emphasize on the word ‘yet’, he continues to get better as the season progresses and he will certainly have the Bok coaches considering giving him a real go if this form continues. He had a brief stint with the Boks facing Georgia before getting a rare start against Argentina in The Rugby Championship.

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In both games he flourished, with tries in both matches thanks to two individual moments of brilliance (one in each match). This was on the wing however, well Fassi has been fantastic in his preferred position at fullback this season.

Gelant on the other hand seems to just have the magic touch, everything he touches turns to gold. When he decides to run, he often makes magical line breaks and when he decides to kick he works wonder kicks. He is the complete package at fullback and a true asset to SA Rugby. Both players deserve a chance against Wales even with regular starter Willie le Roux fit.

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MARCELL COETZEE AND VINCENT TSHITUKA

Coetzee and Tshituka have a fair bit in common. Both players have a never-say-die attitude and they give 110% every single time they run onto the pitch! Coetzee has been inspirational since being signed by Jake White, arriving from Ulster last year. Coetzee was unlucky to not earn a call up to the Boks end of year tour last year.

However, he has been monstrous since then, making several huge carries and big hits every single match. He is also a nuisance at the breakdown. Coetzee embodies the Bulls mentality – grit and dominance at the collision point. This is an area the Springboks place a huge emphasis on.

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Tshitshuka has been one of the finds of the season. He is elusive, agile, strong and extremely talented.

He has burst to life in the same way the Lions have since the URC landed in SA. He will be hard to ignore despite the plethora of talent and depth amongst the loose trio’s in SA. Coetzee and Tshituka have to contend with the likes of Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Kwagga Smith, Marco van Staden, as well as Roos!

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