Jean Kleyn made a calculated bet when he joined Gloucester — that reviving his club form would translate into a Springbok recall and a tilt at a third World Cup winners' medal. With Gloucester sitting top of the Premiership and fresh from a statement Champions Cup win over back-to-back holders Bordeaux Bègles, that bet is looking less outlandish by the week. Kleyn points to Erasmus's well-documented indifference to age as his clearest grounds for optimism, noting that Etzebeth and De Jager are both older than him and that Erasmus prioritises mobility and competency above the calendar. The Bok squad for the autumn Nations Championship window is due Monday, and Kleyn — returning from a biceps tendon injury that ruled him out of the southern hemisphere leg — is openly angling for a nod. The piece also captures how settled Kleyn looks at Kingsholm, drawing deliberate parallels between The Shed and Thomond Park's matchday intensity, a cultural fit that suggests this isn't a winding-down move but a genuine re-launch.
Kleyn backs Gloucester revival and Erasmus's age-blind selection to fuel World Cup push
Kleyn outlines why Gloucester's resurgence, combined with Erasmus's form-over-age philosophy, gives him real grounds to target a World Cup squad place — and draws cultural parallels between Kingsholm and his time at Munster.
- Springboks
- Rassie Erasmus
- Eben Etzebeth
- Lood de Jager
So how deep is the Springbok squad?
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The Ruck: Springboks 'running the game on and off the pitch' as England obliterated at Ellis Park
The Ruck panel, reporting from Ellis Park, argued that England were overwhelmed in every department by a Springbok side missing six or seven key forwards — and that Rassie Erasmus's squad depth is now the most ominous thing in world rugby ahead of the 2027 World Cup.
Erasmus flags a Covid-era hole in the Springbok depth chart
Erasmus credits SA Rugby's 2013 development pathway for the Boks' current depth, but warns that a Covid-era gap will create a thin spot in the 22–26 age bracket — and explains why he's less worried about lock depth than the outside world is.
Rassie on Alles Ep 1 | The Barbarians in the Bay
The #Springboks kick off their season against the Barbarians in Gqeberha, a place close to the hearts of Rassie Erasmus, Mzwandile Stick, and Deon Davids. The three Bok coaches discuss why it's special to return to the Eastern Cape and what
Smith called up as Boks manage De Jager's return to full fitness
Stormers lock Adre Smith has been added to the Springbok squad primarily to allow Lood de Jager, returning from hip surgery, to build match fitness gradually ahead of the England Tests, with assistant coach Deon Davids confirming the lock depth has become a squad-planning priority following Salmaan Moerat's release through injury.