Aphelele Fassi has gone under the knife after sustaining an injury in the Springboks’ comprehensive 43-10 victory over the All Blacks in Wellington.
The full-back sustained the injury when he was taken to ground awkwardly by Scott Barrett after making a carry down the touchline.
The 27-year-old attempted to play on but was clearly struggling with his ankle injury and was carted off the pitch not too long after and replaced by Andre Esterhuizen.
Upon the Springboks‘ return to South Africa, Fassi was one of three players omitted from the squad, along with Jean-Luc du Preez and Lood de Jager due to injuries.
On Friday, the full-back went under the knife to repair the damage on his ankle and posted a video on his Instagram story with the caption: “Surgery went well, R&R now. BRB. Thank you for the wishes and kind messages. Much appreciated.”
Fassi has started four of the Boks’ seven matches so far this year, and with Willie le Roux also omitted from the squad, head coach Rassie Erasmus is now tasked with deciding who will fill the number 15 jersey.
Frontrunner: Damian Willemse
The clear frontrunner for the role looks to be Damian Willemse, who shifted into the position during the match in Wellington having started the game at inside centre.
He is no stranger to the role after starting every one of South Africa’s 2023 Rugby World Cup play-off matches in the position. In fact, the vast majority of his appearances in Green and Gold have come at full-back.
Willemse looks to have rediscovered his top form and would offer a dual playmaking threat against Argentina in Durban. That said, he doesn’t lack pace or attacking flair with the ball in hand either and is perhaps the most effective tackler of the full-back options too.
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In the mix: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu
All of Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s starts for the Springboks have come in the number 10 jumper, but like Willemse, he is more than capable of slotting in at full-back. He has regularly filled that role for the Stormers and, in fact, did so for South Africa during one of the 2024 Tests against Ireland.
The youngster was another Springbok who was forced off the pitch during the first half of the victory over the All Blacks, but if fit, he would surely feature in the matchday 23 in some shape or form.
He also covers several positions in the backline, and while fly-half remains his preferred role, he is more than capable of filling in at inside centre and at the back.
Outside bet: Cheslin Kolbe
While Willemse and Feinberg-Mngomezulu will provide playmaking options at full-back, Cheslin Kolbe would give the Boks a somewhat similar running threat if they were to hand the world-class talent just a second start in the number 15 jersey.
It would be a brave, bold call from Erasmus and his coaching staff, but they have never been afraid to take a punt on a player. And it would hardly be a gamble to play Kolbe in the position where he has played much of his club rugby for the likes of the Stormers, Toulouse, Toulon and Suntory.
There is no doubt about Kolbe’s ability, as he continues to be one of the best players in the world, but fielding him at full-back does take away from his brilliance in the wider channels. The question the staff will be asking is whether it is worth moving Kolbe away from where he has been so impactful to test him in another position, or if it is better to stick with the status quo.
It’s worth noting that Los Pumas have a fantastic kicking strategy that could be tricky for Kolbe in the backfield and could be an easier adjustment for the likes of Willemse and Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
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In the mix: Canan Moodie
After a strong outing in the centres against the All Blacks, it would really be a shock to see Canan Moodie shifted to a role that he hasn’t featured in for the Springboks before, but it isn’t outside the realms of possibility.
It’s clear to see that the coaching staff see his future at the highest level in the midfield, even right now, while he is also a safe selection on the wing too.
Like the aforementioned players, Moodie is certainly versatile and has a wide-ranging skill set that allows him to switch between positions, which he has done for the Bulls.
Moodie has slipped into the backfield for the Pretoria-based side on occasion and would provide safety under the high ball and plenty of pace to run the ball back at the Pumas. His kicking game would be the only real concern if he were to start at full-back.
Surely not: Manie Libbok
Again, Erasmus is not shy to throw in a bold selection or 23 when he is feeling up for it and there perhaps wouldn’t be a more shocking call than Manie Libbok in the number 15 jersey.
With Le Roux falling out of favour, the Bok coaching team could test out the playmaker options at the full-back, and Libbok has a history of playing in the position, albeit not recently.
Le Roux was often paired with Handre Pollard to assist the latter with the playmaking duties, and although Libbok has almost exclusively played fly-half for club and country over the past few seasons, he could offer an intriguing option in the number 15 jersey.
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