A last hurrah? Duane Vermeulen could feature one last time for the Springboks

Vermeulen retired from all rugby following a vintage performance in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final against New Zealand in Paris. But he was quickly roped into the Bok coaching setup and has effectively been travelling with the team ever since.

Saturday's clash falls outside the Test window, meaning a plethora of Springboks have returned to the clubs for duty. As such, coach Rassie Erasmus is drawing from a limited pool of resources. So limited in fact that the 76-cap veteran is listed as Player 25 for the Test, after first standby player Ntuthuko Mchunu.

"The composition of the team has been forced upon us because we want to help our United Rugby Championship teams get off to a good start," Erasmus explained to the press.

"We communicated with the Stormers, Sharks, Bulls, and Lions on who we can use and who we can't.

"So we kind of rolled the dice because we really only have 24 players with us. Ntuthuko Mchunu is the 24th player, and Duane Vermeulen is currently the 25th if we get an injury before Saturday.

"We only have two scrumhalves here, and Damian [Willemse] covers flyhalf.

"We adjusted our programme for the week, and on Monday only had a walk-through and got more clarity. On Tuesday and Wednesday, we had full training days; today [Thursday], we are off, and we train tomorrow [Friday] again."

But these aren't complaints. It's what Erasmus wanted. In pursuit of building squad depth for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, Erasmus wants more Tests to blood his players. The Barbarians match at the beginning of the season and this Wales fixture are examples of that.

"I do think there is a place for games outside the Test window," he continued

"This fixture against Wales - many people might say it's a dead rubber - but it's a cap for Springbok players who sit on the bus.

"[The whole experience] is something for players to treasure. People might say it's a bad Wales team and a second-string South Africa team.

"It's still a Test cap. It's something you, as a team, go through together, and the players learn a bit more. So I think there is a place for games outside the Test window."

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