Rugby
John Goliath, Special to ESPN 6y

Springboks have enough locks in reserve to compensate for Etzebeth's injury

Rugby

While a fit Eben Etzebeth will always be one of the first names on a Springbok coach's team sheet, new coach Rassie Erasmus should have no problem fielding a capable replacement if the Bok enforcer is not fit for the June internationals.

South Africa's Super Rugby lock stocks are healthy and the competition to fill the two spots in the run-on team for the one-off Test against Wales and the series against England is fierce. Then there are also a number of young players such as Salmaan Moerat who can keep the fire burning for a long time to come.

With Etzebeth set to miss the Tests against England, KweséESPN looks at five options Erasmus could consider for his first series in charge of the Springboks.

RG Snyman (Bulls)

Snyman is having a breakout season under John Mitchell. The tall lock has added some panache to his abrasive style. He has run some great lines on attack, and managed to get a lot of offloads away. He has already set up a few tries this season with his deft touches. But he has also done the hard yards as a No 4 lock, being a key man in the Bulls' lineout drives.

Lood de Jager (Bulls)

De Jager struggled to find his best form last season after moving to the Bulls from the Cheetahs. But the former South African Player of the Year has arguably been the best lock in the competition, winning lots of lineout balls, tackling everything that moves and carrying strongly. He is one of the players who have benefited from Snyman's offloads.

Pieter-Steph du Toit (Stormers)

The Stormers man has played a lot of matches in the back row for the Stormers, but it's unlikely that he won't feature in Erasmus' starting lineup for the first Test against England. Du Toit has played his heart out for the Stormers and is again right up there with some of the top forwards in the competition. His experience will be crucial against England.

Franco Mostert (Lions)

Mostert has also spent a lot of time on the side of the scrum during this campaign following injuries to Warren Whiteley and Jaco Kriel. But he is still right up there in the stats that matter, while his work rate is still second to none. His successful transition to flank, though, will make a viable option because of his versatility.

Ruan Botha (Sharks)

The Sharks man wasn't invited to the last Springbok alignment camp, which is a sure indication that he won't be in the Bok squad for the England Tests. But Botha would probably make most top international squads, as his athleticism as lineout forward is right on a par with the best in the world. He is certainly a capable backup if one of the other locks breaks down.

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