Steven Kitshoff used his podcast platform to dig into three separate but connected Springbok topics. On the winger front, he was effusive about both Cheswill Jooste's hat-trick debut for the Bulls and Senatla's electric return for the Stormers, framing both as evidence of an unusually deep South African winger pool right now — names putting genuine pressure on Bok selection.
On Hanekom, Kitshoff pushed back on a listener's claim that he's the best No.8 since Morne du Plessis. He loves what Hanekom brings — the complete skill set, the turnovers, the offloading, the engine — but draws a clear distinction on the physical dominance that Vermeulen and Wiese bring to Test rugby. His read: Hanekom is a genuine future Bok No.8, possibly a World Cup squad player, but the post-2027 window is where you'll see him cement that role. On the Champions Cup openers, Kitshoff was measured — he acknowledged the Bulls and Stormers faced relatively inexperienced European sides, but saw genuine tactical intent in how both teams built scoreboard pressure and managed altitude conditions. For South African franchises desperate to finally make a deep Champions Cup run, securing home knockout fixtures in April is the strategic prize, and last weekend moved both clubs closer to that.