Ahead of the return of SA ‘A’, Planet Rugby takes a look at where the players who last represented South Africa’s second team are now.
Mzwandile Stick will take charge of South Africa ‘A’ once again when the side faces off against the Zimbabwe Sables at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha on Saturday before the Springboks clash against the Barbarians.
The former Blitzboks star was also the head coach of the team that faced off against Munster and Bristol Bears back in 2022. South Africa lost both fixtures, but Springboks boss Rassie Erasmus has repeatedly hailed the importance of the matches since.
It allows several players the opportunity to perform in the Springboks structures and work closely with the national team’s coaching staff. Ahead of SA ‘A’ ending their four-year hiatus, we take a look at where the players who featured in the 26-18 defeat to Bristol at Ashton Gate are now.
Where are they now? The 2022 South Africa A team
15 Gianni Lombard
A regular starter for the Lions at the time of his selection, Gianni Lombard has since fallen down the pecking order in Johannesburg and is one of the few SA ‘A’ players who haven’t made the step to the national team yet.
The 28-year-old will be eager to rekindle his international ambitions when he makes the move to the Sharks ahead of the 2026/27 season after featuring just five times, starting just once, for the Lions this campaign.
14 Suleiman Hartzenberg
Suleiman Hartzenberg was just 19 years old when he got his shot for the SA ‘A’ team, and while he has yet to make his debut for the Springboks, he has attended multiple alignment camps and remains on the coaching team’s radar.
He has quickly become a regular for the Stormers, earning his 50th cap for the Cape-based side last year, hitting the milestone before his 22nd birthday.
13 Henco van Wyk
Tipped to make the step up to the Springboks squad, Henco van Wyk’s Test debut has been delayed due to untimely injuries. The 25-year-old has been a standout performer for the Lions in the URC and has caught the eye of the national team coaches.
Bok boss Erasmus repeatedly namedropped him when speaking about the team’s injury list in 2024 and 2025, with recurring knee issues denying him any involvement with the men in Green and Gold. A similar trend is emerging for 2026, with Erasmus stating that he will miss the July international at the very least but could come into contention for selection later in the year.
Van Wyk signed a two-year contract extension with the Lions in 2025 and is set to remain at the Jo’burg club through to the end of the 2026/27 season at least.
12 Cornal Hendricks
In May 2025, former Springbok back Cornal Hendricks sadly suffered a heart attack and passed away at the age of 37. Hendricks began his career at Boland Cavaliers and represented the Cheetahs and the Bulls, with his final match coming against Northampton Saints in the Champions Cup quarter-finals last year.
Back in 2015, Hendricks was diagnosed with a serious heart condition and was told that his rugby career was over. However, he remarkably returned to the pitch in 2019 after being given a chance by the Bulls and played a crucial role in their revival under Jake White.
His performances with the Bulls led many to believe that he would don the Springboks jersey once again, but that never materialised despite his form with the men from Pretoria. Hendricks played 12 Tests for the Springboks between 2014 and 2015, scoring five times in Green and Gold. He was also part of the South Africa Sevens team from 2011 to 2013.
11 Leolin Zas
Leolin Zas continues to represent the Stormers and Western Province, as he has for much of his career, outside a two-year stint at the Sharks. The winger also represented South Africa ‘A’ back in 2016 against the England Saxons.
He played a pivotal role in the Stormers’ 2022 URC title victory, topping the try-scoring charts during the regular season with 11 tries and was subsequently named in the Dream Team of the Season. Zas remains a regular feature on the wing for the Stormers but hasn’t really kicked on and pressed for higher honours.
10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu made his Stormers debut in June 2022, coming off the bench in the URC quarter-final victory over Edinburgh and would subsequently feature in the semi-final and final wins for the men from Cape Town.
He went on to star for the Junior Boks at the World Rugby U20 Championship and was selected in the Springboks senior training squad for the end-of-year tour. He turned out in both of South Africa A’s fixtures but would have to wait until 2024 to make his Test debut.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu made his Test debut off the bench against Wales at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham and enjoyed a stunning first year of international rugby, featuring in both matches against Ireland and the one-off clash against Portugal that July. He then started three consecutive Tests against fly-half twice against Australia and once against New Zealand, coming off the bench in the second match against the All Blacks.
Unfortunately, an injury ended his debut season early, but he did enough to earn a nomination for the World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year, which was ultimately won by Wallace Sititi.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu returned to the Test scene in 2025 with a bang, with his performance against Argentina in Durban that year being one of his standout shifts as he set a new record for the most points scored by a South African in a Test match. He racked up 37 in total to break Percy Montgomery’s record of 35 against Namibia in 2007. His nine tries in 19 Test appearances (as of the end of the 2025 international season) means that he is already the top-try-scoring Springbok fly-half of all-time.
Last year, he signed a contract extension with the Stormers which will see him remain at the club until at least the end of the 2028/29 season. Already regarded as one of the best young talents in the game, Feinberg-Mngomezulu is set to miss the Springboks’ July internationals due to an injury he sustained in the URC quarter-final victory over Cardiff but is expected to return in time for the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series against the All Blacks.
9 Grant Williams
Grant Williams had been capped just once by the Springboks, against Wales earlier that year, before turning out for South Africa ‘A’ against Bristol Bears. The speedy number nine has since racked up 27 further appearances for the Springboks and was part of the 2023 Rugby World Cup-winning squad.
While he didn’t feature in the knockout stages of the tournament for the Boks, Williams has become a key member of the Springboks team since. 20 of his 28 caps for South Africa have come after the victory in France, with the half-back thriving in Tony Brown’s attacking structures, with his blistering pace being a real weapon off the bench too.
Williams broke into the Sharks senior squad back in 2018 and continued to represent the Durban-based side through to the end of the 2025/26 season but will join an unnamed Japanese club ahead of the 2026/27 Japan Rugby League One season.
8 Jean-Luc du Preez
Springboks caps have been hard to come by for Jean-Luc du Preez despite excellent performances for Sale Sharks and regularly being on the cusp of squads. He has racked up just 14 since making his Test debut back in 2016, with stiff competition for caps and untimely injuries limiting his involvement.
Du Preez left the Durban Sharks and joined PREM Rugby’s Sale Sharks back in 2018 and went on to make over 150 appearances for the club before announcing his departure to the Union Bordeaux-Begles ahead of the 2025/26 season.
He was recalled to the Springboks squad in 2025 and started at number eight against the Barbarians, but his bad luck struck again as he missed July Tests and Rugby Championship matches due to injury and illness, the former ending his international season before he was slated to start against the All Blacks at Eden Park.
Du Preez is set to miss the Springboks’ 2026 international season due to his troubles with concussions. The back-rower has recently come out to deny speculation that he is being forced into retirement.
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7 Elrigh Louw
Another player who debuted for the Springboks earlier in 2022 before representing SA ‘A’. Elrigh Louw came off the bench three times for the Springboks during the early stages of the 2022 season, featuring against Wales twice as well as Argentina, but had to wait until 2024 for his next opportunity.
After initially being left out of the Boks’ July international squad, he was called up to feature in the clash against Portugal and took his opportunity with both hands. He earned a further nine appearances for South Africa in 2024, including four starts. However, his career hung in the balance in 2025 after he damaged ligaments in his left knee and also broke his leg in the Bulls’ United Rugby Championship victory over the Lions in late January.
The injury left the Bulls forward bedridden and threatened his career, but he made his return for the Pretoria club in November 2025, nine months on from the injury which denied him the opportunity to build on his fine international season the year prior.
Louw has been invited to Springbok alignment camps this year and is expected to link up with the squad after the Bulls’ United Rugby Championship Final date with Leinster at Croke Park.
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6 Marco van Staden
Marco van Staden had already represented the Springboks on nine occasions when he turned out for South Africa ‘A’ against Bristol Bears, with the back-rower struggling for game time due to the stiff competition in the Green and Gold loose trio.
Like Du Preez, Van Staden had a run of severe concussions which threatened his career between 2021 and 2022, but he overcame those setbacks when he returned to the Bulls from the Leicester Tigers and would ultimately be selected for the Springboks’ Rugby World Cup squad.
The flanker was used as a back-up hooker for the Boks at the tournament, coming off the bench in the position against Tonga in the pool stages after Malcolm Marx’s injury, and has continued to develop his skills in the role since. Van Staden has become a more regular member of Springbok matchday 23s in recent years too and enters the 2026 international season with 33 Test caps under his belt.
5 Ruan Nortje
Like Louw, Ruan Nortje also made his Test debut off the bench in the defeat to Wales back in 2022. The workhorse Bulls lock was overlooked for Test selection over the next two years but answered the team’s SOS in 2024 to ease a lock injury crisis. His performances in the Rugby Championship that year and continued fine form for the Bulls resulted in him becoming a regular starter for the men in Green and Gold in 2025 as he took his Test cap tally to 18.
A leader at the Bulls, Nortje has been a consistent performer for the side, helping them reach four URC finals, including 2026, and has played over 150 times in the blue jersey. However, he will take his talents to Japan next season after signing with an undisclosed team.
4 Jason Jenkins
Jason Jenkins made his Test debut back in 2018, and while he has been included in alignment and training camps since, he has yet to add to his single cap. The second-rower left the Bulls back in 2021, signing a deal with Irish giants Munster, who he represented through to 2022 before making the switch to Leinster. After two seasons at Leinster, he secured a return to South Africa, signing with the Sharks, who he continues to represent.
3 Thomas du Toit
At the time, Thomas du Toit was the only Rugby World Cup-winner in the squad that faced Bristol Bears after he was called up to the 2019 squad to replace the injured Trevor Nyakane. After missing out on World Cup selection in 2023, Du Toit left the Sharks to sign with English club Bath, where he has enjoyed immense success, winning a PREM Rugby title with the side – their first since 1996. In fact, he won the PREM Rugby Cup, PREM Rugby and Challenge Cup triple with Bath that season.
Whilst he missed out on World Cup selection in 2023, Du Toit remained squarely in the Springboks’ plans in 2024 and featured in Tests against Portugal, Australia, Argentina, Scotland and Wales. However, his 2025 international season was perhaps his most memorable as he helped the Boks win the Rugby Championship and go unbeaten on the end-of-year tour, with his performances earning him a place in the 2025 World Rugby Dream Team.
The ‘swing prop’ wrapped up his time with Bath Rugby, falling to a PREM Rugby semi-final defeat to Exeter Chiefs. He will rejoin the Sharks ahead of the new season.
Springboks star cleans up at Bath Rugby awards ahead of return to South Africa
2 Andre-Hugo Venter
The son of former Springboks flanker Andre Venter, Andre-Hugo followed in his father’s footsteps when he made his Test debut for South Africa against Portugal in 2024. Heading into the 2026 international season, he is yet to Test cap tally but has been included in the first training squad of the year.
Since playing for the SA ‘A’ team, Venter has consistently performed for the Stormers and has become the side’s first-choice player in the position.
1 Ntuthuko Mchunu
Another debutant from the clash against Wales in Bloemfontein, Ntuthuko Mchunu went on to win the Challenge Cup with the Sharks in 2024. He earned two caps later that year, coming off the bench against Wales and Portugal. Ahead of the 2025/26 season, Mchunu made the move to Cape Town, signing with the Stormers, and had an impactful first campaign in the Mother City, scoring six tries in the URC as the side reached the semi-finals. He has been included in the Boks’ training squad for the upcoming season.
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Replacements
16 JJ Kotze
Along with Venter, JJ Kotze has been a consistent performer for the Stormers. His form during the 2025/26 season has seen him feature in the Springboks squad for the double header in PE, and he will hope to make his Test debut for his country this year.
17 Simphiwe Matanzima
Simphiwe Matanzima earned SA ‘A’ recognition through his performances with the Bulls, who he helped reach three URC finals. Ahead of the 2025/26 season, he made the move to Durban, signing for the Sharks, but his first campaign with the coastal side was cut short after just four matches.
18 Mornay Smith
A powerful scrummager, Mornay Smith has been stuck behind the plethora of talented props in South Africa, which has denied him the opportunity to make the step up to the Test scene. Still, he remains a solid performer for the Bulls as a back-up to Wilco Louw along with Francois Klopper. Smith was linked with a move to Munster but has opted to remain in Pretoria with the Bulls.
19 Dan du Preez
Like twin brother, Jean-Luc, Dan has been on the outskirts of the Springboks squad since earning his last Test cap for South Africa in 2021. Still, he has been a key cog in the Sale Sharks’ squad throughout his time in England. The back-rower missed a large chunk of the 2025/26 season due to injury and will make the switch to Bath next season.
20 Sikhumbuzo Notshe
After earning six Test caps for the Springboks in 2018, Sikhumbuzo Notshe was never really able to force his way back into Erasmus’ squad, even after making the switch to the Sharks in 2020. The loose forward left Durban in 2024 to join Pro D2 side Montauban, who he helped gain promotion to the Top 14, scoring a try in the Pro D2 final.
However, Montauban drew and won just one Top 14 game all season and were subsequently relegated back to the Pro D2, with the back-rower being released by the club at the end of the campaign. It is yet to be confirmed where his next stop will be.
21 Phepsi Buthelezi
Phepsi Buthelezi scored a stunning try to steer the Sharks to Challenge Cup glory in 2024 with the back-rower going on to make his Springboks Test debut against Portugal a week later. The Durban High School product has re-signed with the Sharks through to the end of the 2028/29 season and has been included in the first Springboks squad of the year to prepare for the double header in PE.
22 Sanele Nohamba
Sanele Nohamba remains uncapped at the highest level despite shining for the Lions in the United Rugby Championship. He was crowned the URC’s Player of the Season for the 2023/24 campaign but left the Joburg side the following season to join the Shizuoka Blue Revs.
Nohamba was named among the Blue Revs’ departees at the end of the 2025/26 and has been linked with a return to the Sharks, who he represented between 2020 and 2022.
23 Johan Goosen
While it looked as if Johan Goosen may add to the 13 Test caps he earned between 2012 and 2016 during Jacques Nienaber’s time as Springboks head coach, that never materialised. Instead, he continued to represent the Bulls up until the 2024/25 season. Injuries denied him the chance to feature for the side in 2025/26 and while he has yet to officially announce his retirement, reports suggest that he won’t return to the field and has been lined up for a coaching role in the Bulls’ youth structures.