Rising Bulls and Lions stars have good URC opportunities to impress Bok coach Erasmus

There are two rounds to go in the league phase of the United Rugby Championship and opportunities for South African players to impress Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus are dwindling.

This weekend, two fixture on the Highveld — the Lions host the Scarlets and the Bulls, Cardiff —provide a chance for rising stars to accelerate their momentum towards the international season. We look at five players who will want to keep their foot on the accelerator.

Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Bulls)

A rampaging bullock at Grey College in Bloemfontein, it has taken a few seasons for the 23-year-old to live up to the hype that preceded him. It has not helped that he has been something of a jack of all trades as he has moved around the front row at the Bulls.

Still, he was called up to the Boks last year and won two caps. In the Bulls’ last outing, the away victory over Glasgow, it all came together for Wesells as he tackled, scrummed, won turnovers, passed and even kicked like a superstar. He will want to hammer home his point this week.

Renzo Du Plessis (Lions)

Nobody was more surprised than the rookie Lions flank when he saw his name on the list of players for the first Springbok alignment camp held in March.

He had enjoyed a breakthrough Currie Cup season last year where he scored tries almost at will. His exploits in the Currie Cup last season won him the tournament's Player of the Year award at the SA Rugby Awards, and it was clear he had caught the eye of Erasmus.

In the Lions’ drought-breaking victory over Connacht, it was Du Plessis who got the ball rolling when he smashed over the line in the fifth minute. He will want another emphatic performance.

Wilco Louw (Bulls)

The burly tighthead has been the cornerstone of the Bulls imperious match towards a probable second-place finish on the URC log. Louw has been monstrous in the set scrums and has regularly won penalties to give his team chance to kick start momentum.

Late last year, he was recalled to the Boks after a lengthy time in the wilderness, and he seems determined to make his latest stay a long one. He knows he must jack up his discipline after the referee showed him a yellow for a dangerous tackle in the Warriors match.

Henco van Wyk (Lions)

The 2021 Junior Springbok Player of the Year and former SA Schools centre has long been billed a potential Danie Gerber but injuries keep stalling his progress through the senior ranks.

The outside centre position is one of the rare areas where the Springboks don’t have a long queue of quality players, and Van Wyk needs a strong end to the Lions’ URC campaign to remind Erasmus that he is still in the picture.

He needs a big game on Saturday because it is almost certainly the Lions’ second last of the season. That said, he made a telling impact against Connacht, especially with his tackling.

Canan Moodie (Bulls)

The 22-year-old has at times in his short career seemed more in favour at the Springboks than he has been at the Bulls.

It is possible that his occasional relegation from the starting line-up has been Jake White’s way of keeping the youngster from getting complacent. But there was nothing casual about Moodie’s strong performance in his team’s famous defeat of the Warriors.

He repeatedly sped up on defence and halted the ball carriers with his clever reading of the play. Moodie plays with an intelligence beyond his years, is excellent under the high ball and, on attack, has that long loping stride that makes him deceptively quick.