Rassie Erasmus Reveals Springboks Star’s Return Plan and Jan-Hendrik Wessels’ New Role

• Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus addressed the futures of injured hooker Bongi Mbonambi and utility forward Jan-Hendrik Wessels in the national setup
• Mbonambi, 35, has been sidelined by a knee and lower-back injury and last featured for South Africa during the 2025 Rugby Championship
• Erasmus revealed what Mbonambi must do before earning a Springbok recall and outlined a new long-term position for Wessels in the squad

Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus has confirmed that Bongi Mbonambi remains part of his hooker plans but will need to prove his fitness through competitive club rugby before being considered for a Test recall.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday ahead of Saturday's Rugby's Greatest Rivalry fixture against the All Blacks at Cape Town Stadium, Erasmus shed light on Mbonambi's prolonged absence and what a return to the green and gold would require.

Mbonambi's road back to the Springboks

The 35-year-old last represented the Springboks against Argentina in the 2025 Rugby Championship and has since spent much of the 2025-26 season on the sidelines with the Sharks because of a knee injury followed by a lower-back problem.

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Erasmus confirmed that he has remained in contact with the experienced hooker but admitted that he is not entirely sure how far along Mbonambi is in his recovery. Erasmus explained that Mbonambi initially suffered a knee injury before developing a lower-back issue. The player has continued to provide updates, while Erasmus has also checked in with him periodically. However, Mbonambi must first receive clearance from the Sharks' medical team before returning to action.

Erasmus also stressed that Mbonambi will need to regain match fitness before being considered for a Springbok return. The coach indicated that the hooker could first feature in a few Currie Cup matches to rebuild his sharpness before the national team considers selecting him again.

Although Erasmus believes Mbonambi is close to making his comeback, he emphasised that the hooker needs to play competitive matches and regain sufficient game time before he can be brought back into the Springbok setup.

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Wessels earmarked as future specialist reserve hooker

Fourie, 39, taking Jan-Hendrik Wessels’ place on the bench for the second match of the series, Rassie Erasmus explained that the 25-year-old is being developed primarily as a specialist reserve hooker rather than a prop.

Erasmus said Wessels is being gradually prepared for the role, with regular match and training time helping him gain experience. He also pointed to the intense competition at loosehead prop, with Ox Nché, Boan Venter, Gerhard Steenekamp and Thomas du Toit all competing for opportunities, as a reason for the positional shift.

Erasmus also identified André-Hugo Venter as another option available to the Springboks at hooker, while jokingly acknowledging the attention that could come from the player being his son-in-law.

Erasmus breaks silence on Springboks loss

Briefly News previously reported that Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus spoke candidly after his side suffered a heavy defeat to the All Blacks in the first Test of the Greatest Rivalry series

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South Africa led 13-12 at half-time but were outscored five tries to one in the second half as New Zealand dominated the Ellis Park clash.

Source: Briefly News