Rassie Erasmus Adds 54th Man to Springboks Squad — and He’s a Stormers Lock with Something to Prove

The Springboks are quietly assembling an army. With two fixtures looming on June 20 — a clash against the Barbarians and an SA ‘A’ match versus Zimbabwe — head coach Rassie Erasmus has brought the squad to 54 players after calling up Stormers lock Adre Smith.

Smith, who has logged more than 50 caps for the Stormers, joins a rapidly expanding group that already saw Carlu Sadie and Phepsi Buthelezi added earlier in the week. He slots in alongside teammate Ruben van Heerden, who was summoned after Salmaan Moerat went down with an injury. The team has not confirmed the severity of Moerat’s issue.

The 54-man roster — an unusually deep pool for this stage of preparation — signals something bigger than just two weekend matches. Erasmus and SA ‘A’ head coach Mzwandile Stick are using these games as a proving ground ahead of the Nations Championship, which kicks off with a Test against England at Ellis Park.

Double Header in Gqeberha

Both fixtures will be played at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday, June 20. First up is the SA ‘A’ side against Zimbabwe at noon local time, followed by the senior Springboks taking on the Barbarians at 3 p.m. The squad will report for duty Sunday in Johannesburg, resume training Monday after a weekend break, then head to the Eastern Cape on Wednesday.

Stick, who officially took the SA ‘A’ reins this week, will unveil his lineup Tuesday alongside Erasmus for the main Springboks side. Notably absent from selection consideration this week: Bulls players, who are unavailable due to the URC final.

Depth Chart Gets a Refresh

Smith is hardly a household name outside of South Africa, but his inclusion adds bulk to a forward pack that already features the likes of Eben Etzebeth, Pieter-Steph du Toit, and Franco Mostert. The updated 54-man list includes 30 forwards and 24 backs, blending seasoned World Cup winners with younger prospects like Bathobele Hlekani and Jurenzo Julius.

For Erasmus, this is about more than filling jerseys. The Barbarians fixture, in particular, offers a chance to test combinations and evaluate fringe players against a free-running opponent that has historically caused chaos for structured teams. Fans online noted the sheer size of the squad — a move that mirrors Erasmus’s approach in 2018 when he used early-season camps to build depth before the 2019 World Cup.

The Nations Championship looms, and the coach is clearly taking no chances.