Makazole Mapimpi, 2 Springboks Legends Whose Careers Are Coming to an End and Their Replacements
The Springboks are preparing to transition into a fresh chapter under the guidance of Rassie Erasmus, with several established campaigners gradually making way for emerging talent.
Meaningful shifts are already underway within the squad structure.
By the time South Africa travels to Australia to defend their Rugby World Cup crown in 2027, the team is expected to have a noticeably altered look.
Attention now turns to the seasoned stalwarts approaching the twilight of their Test careers, alongside the rising prospects poised to become the next generation of Springbok mainstays.
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SPRINGBOKS VETERANS NEARING THE END OF THE ROAD
Willie le Roux, Makazole Mapimpi and Faf de Klerk appear to be entering the final phases of their distinguished international journeys.
Collectively, the trio have amassed 208 Test appearances — Le Roux (101), Mapimpi (47) and De Klerk (60) — underlining their longstanding influence in green and gold.
Throughout 2025, there were unmistakable signals from Erasmus and the selection panel that a gradual succession plan was being implemented. Despite being fully fit, these experienced figures were overlooked for several major fixtures.
Le Roux, for instance, was omitted from the home leg of the Rugby Championship following an underwhelming display in the Springboks’ 24–17 defeat to the All Blacks at Eden Park. He subsequently missed both home Tests against Argentina and was excluded from the end-of-year tour squad to the United Kingdom. Notably, he was not recalled even when Aphelele Fassi was sidelined through injury.
With Fassi in impressive touch and incumbent fullback Damien Willemse firmly established, Le Roux’s involvement in 2026 appears limited — and a place in the 2027 Rugby World Cup squad looks increasingly unlikely.
Willemse’s ascent has been emphatic, culminating in a statement performance against New Zealand national rugby union team during South Africa’s record 45–10 demolition in Wellington.
Mapimpi, meanwhile, featured in just a single Test in 2025, making him one of the lowest-utilised senior players in the squad that year. He started the second Test against Italy in a commanding 45–0 victory at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, but surprisingly did not feature again during the season.
Even after Kurt-Lee Arendse sustained an injury, Mapimpi was not recalled. Instead, Erasmus handed an opportunity to emerging winger Ethan Hooker.
Hooker marked his surprise start against the All Blacks in Wellington with a standout debut that set the tone for his Test career. The selectors’ confidence in him was evident thereafter, as he accumulated eight appearances in 2025 — six as a starter and two from the bench.
At the same time, Kurt-Lee Arendse has accelerated to the forefront of the Springboks’ wing hierarchy, consistently delivering match-winning contributions. He is widely regarded as one of the premier finishers in world rugby and remains a leading contender to start marquee Tests in 2026.
FAF's replacement in the Springboks team
De Klerk is the third member of this experienced core edging toward the conclusion of his international tenure. The two-time World Cup winner made just two substitute appearances in 2025 — against Italy at Loftus Versfeld and Georgia at Mbombela Stadium.
Despite remaining injury-free, he did not log a single minute during the Rugby Championship and was omitted from the end-of-year touring squad.
In his absence, Cobus Reinach assumed the starting role in most Tests, with Grant Williams serving as the primary impact option from the bench. Morne van den Berg provided depth and rotational cover across the campaign.
The evidence suggests that South Africa’s coaching staff have already initiated a calculated generational shift — ensuring that by 2027, the Springboks will be shaped as much by emerging talent as by the legacy of their departing icons.
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Source: Briefly News
