All Blacks and South Africa are not worlds apart on selection as big-name Springboks head home
Thursday, 4 June 2026
ANALYSIS: The biggest irony about the demand that the All Blacks mirror the Springboks’ overseas selection policy is that South Africa is slowly starting to look more like New Zealand.
Last week, the Stormers announced that Cheslin Kolbe would be leaving Japan to return to South Africa next season, adding to a trend that has emerged in recent years.
Consider this team that Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus can pick from domestic-based players and players already committed to returning to South Africa next year.
Aphelele Fassi (Sharks), Cheslin Kolbe (Stormers), Canan Moodie (Bulls), Damian Willemse (Stormers), Ethan Hooker (Sharks), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (Stormers), Cobus Reinach (Stormers); Siya Kolisi (Stormers), Elrigh Louw (Bulls), Marco van Staden (Bulls), Cobus Wiese (Bulls), Eben Etzebeth (Sharks), Thomas du Toit (Sharks), Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Bulls), Ox Nche (Sharks): Replacements: Bongo Mbonambi (Sharks), Gerhard Steenekamp (Bulls), Wilco Louw (Bulls), Ruan Venter (Lions), Ben-Jason Dixon (Stormers), Morne van den Berg (Lions), Andre Esterhuizen (Sharks), Handre Pollard (Bulls).
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That’s a formidable 23-man squad, stacked with Rugby World Cup winners. In fact, the starting backline is identical to the one that took the field against the All Blacks during the Springboks’ 41-13 win in Wellington last year.
Market forces and players’ individual preferences are at play, but the return to South Africa of world-class stars such as Kolbe and tighthead prop du Toit also come with SA Rugby support, as the national body contributes to their salaries.
Erasmus stated policy on selection also plays a role. The coach has explicitly told younger, uncapped South African players that he will not pick them from overseas.
Erasmus is on record as saying that he wants Springboks hopefuls to prove themselves in South Africa first, against their peers, before selecting them.
So, in a very real way, the only pathway into the Springboks for new players is by staying in South Africa.
Of course, Erasmus retains the ability to pick older players from overseas.
Malcolm Marx and Pieter-Steph du Toit are the poster boys for this policy, although you wonder how much longer Toyota Verblitz in Japan will continue to shell out for the latter.
The big flanker has played 14 times for his club since the Rugby World Cup and 19 tests for the Springboks, according to Rugby Database - and that gap will grow this year with du Toit due to return from injury just in time for the Springboks’ test campaign.
As for Marx, he’s such a special talent that any national union in the world would rewrite the rules in such a way to make him available.
Still, there’s no doubt that the Springboks still pick a handful of players from overseas, especially from Japan.
As do New Zealand. Ardie Savea has played the majority of his club rugby in Japan since the Rugby World Cup, and none for a New Zealand Rugby-aligned Super Rugby club.
If selected for the July tests, Rieko Ioane (Leinster) and Anton Lienert-Brown (Kobe) will join Jordie Barrett (Leinster) in joining up with the All Blacks having played no part in Super Rugby Pacific.
And despite the hysteria, Richie Mo’unga is just one injury away from joining the All Blacks and playing a part on that tour of South Africa.
So, NZ Rugby’s eligibility policy has demonstrated plenty of elasticity over the years.
But that flexibility is still based on the fundamental belief that having as many All Blacks as possible playing in New Zealand is good for the game.
Judging by recent player movements, plenty of South Africans adhere to the same philosophy.