Rassie Erasmus has rarely been short of answers, but the Springbok director of rugby is confronting one of the few genuine soft spots in his squad: who follows Malcolm Marx and Bongi Mbonambi at hooker.
The issue has been thrown into sharper focus by Marx's recent bicep injury, suffered in a Japan Rugby League One match, and by the simple march of time. Marx, 31, remains one of the world's premier No 2s, while the 34-year-old Mbonambi has been a trusted lieutenant through two World Cup campaigns. Yet with the 2027 World Cup on the horizon, 2026 looms as a critical development year for the men who come next.
It is a vulnerability Erasmus himself has acknowledged in the past, conceding South Africa were "a bit thin at hooker." The challenge now is converting that admission into depth, and a cluster of candidates are pressing their claims.
Bulls versatility man Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 25, is highly regarded by the coaching staff and can cover across the front row. Johan Grobbelaar, 28, earned a Test debut against Portugal and brings serious scrummaging weight. Stormers hooker Andre-Hugo Venter, 24, capped against Portugal, offers sharp lineout accuracy, while Marnus van der Merwe — Munster-bound — impressed on his own debut with his work at the breakdown.
There are wildcards, too. Marco van Staden, 30, the flanker-hooker hybrid with 33 Test caps, gives Erasmus a familiar utility option, and junior Springbok Esethu Mnebelele, heading to the Sharks, is viewed as a longer-term project.
One name with overseas pedigree is Joseph Dweba, the 30-year-old now at Exeter Chiefs. Previously dropped from the Bok picture, he has been tracked closely, and his English club is convinced there is more to come. "I don't see Joseph being any different in his career. I think there's a lot left in him," Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter said.
The wider point is that Erasmus has flagged this concern before yet handed out relatively few opportunities to develop alternatives — until now. With Marx and Mbonambi unlikely to make it through another full World Cup cycle as the undisputed pair, the alignment camps and Test windows of 2026 become the proving ground.
Get it right, and South Africa renew one of their most physically dominant positions. Get it wrong, and a rare gap in the Springbok armour could widen at exactly the wrong time.
