JJ van der Mescht is emerging as a serious Springbok option for 2026, with former Bok stars urging Rassie Erasmus to utilise the giant lock.
The call comes as the world champions battle mounting concerns in the second row following injuries to key veterans Eben Etzebeth and RG Snyman.
Snyman is facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines after tearing knee ligaments while playing for Leinster, while Etzebeth is also expected to miss significant time with a hip injury.
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That has sparked growing debate around South Africa’s lock depth, and Van der Mescht’s name is now gaining serious momentum.
Speaking on the Boks Unpacked podcast, former Springboks Hanyani Shimange, Jean de Villiers and Schalk Burger all backed the towering Northampton Saints forward as a possible solution.
“Our options at lock are looking a bit thin and then you also have to consider the age of some of our locks,” Shimange said. “I think they will now start looking a bit deeper at the available options.”
Van der Mescht’s growing reputation was underlined when he was invited to a recent virtual Bok alignment camp.
De Villiers believes the powerful lock could even force his way into contention for July’s Tests.
“Then there is also Jean Kleyn at Munster. The question is whether he is still part of the Bok plans,” said De Villiers, before also mentioning the Lions’ Ruan Venter and the Stormers’ JD Schickerling as possible options.
Schickerling, though, suffered an injury last weekend that will sideline him for six months.
Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images
The post Ex-Boks: JJ ready to step up appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
JJ van der Mescht is emerging as a serious Springbok option for 2026, with former Bok stars urging Rassie Erasmus to utilise the giant lock.
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