Planet Rugby's current top-10 locks list is heavy with Springbok flavour. Etzebeth sits unchallenged at number one, with the piece crediting his size, aggression and technical quality as the defining combination — remarkable at 34 and showing no signs of decline. Nortjé comes in at five, with the piece noting Erasmus's apparent change of heart on the Bulls lock after his Nations Championship performances, and earmarking him as a World Cup cornerstone. Snyman slots in at eight despite limited game time, his Leinster form still enough to hold a top-10 spot on reputation and impact when fit. The rest of the list is dominated by Leinster's Irish pairing of Ryan and McCarthy, Itoje at three (with Lions captaincy adding to an already towering résumé), and a notable inclusion at two: young Hurricanes lock Warner Dearns, flagged as the likely future number one if he stays fit.
Etzebeth tops Planet Rugby's global lock rankings — Nortjé and Snyman also feature
Etzebeth leads Planet Rugby's global lock rankings, with Nortjé and Snyman also featuring — the list doubles as a useful World Cup form guide for Bok second-row depth.
So how deep is the Springbok squad?
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Rich maps the Springbok lock depth picture — persistent injuries, the Barbarians squad call-ups of Van Heerden and Smith, and why this week's fixtures matter for World Cup preparation — while flagging Schickerling's continued absence as an overlooked gap.
Erasmus: winning stays non-negotiable, whatever the World Cup build-up demands
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Norton earns Erasmus praise as Bok lock depth is tested by injuries
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The Barbarians hit-out is a key cog in Rassie's World Cup machine
Nel makes the case that the Barbarians fixture is less about the result and more about Erasmus stress-testing depth, blooding uncapped talent, and keeping the World Cup-winning core fresh — all with 2027 firmly in mind.