Age just a number for Rassie's grizzled veterans

Cheslin Kolbe: ‘If you can do the job on the field and you can do that consistently throughout a national period, then... age is not a factor.’ Pic: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

Age, said Andy Farrell, is irrelevant when asked about an Ireland squad with an age profile that has made some uncomfortable. That was last month. On Saturday he will engage with a man who lives and breathes those words.

Rassie Erasmus leaned on the experience of 19 thirtysomethings at the World Cup in France two years ago. That was in a squad of 33. The four oldest — Duane Vermeuelen, Deon Fourie, Willie le Roux, and Trevor Nyakane — all featured in the final.

The Boks have clearly evolved since retaining the Webb Ellis with the likes of Vermeulen, Fourie, Faf de Klerk, Steven Kitshoff, Vincent Koch, Willie le Roux, and Makazole Mapimpi having either retired or faded from the front lines.

Still, eight of South Africa’s XV was aged 30 or over when they lined out against France in Paris two weeks ago. The average age of that starting composition was 30.33. Another three came off the bench. So, some changes, other things stay the same.

Cheslin Kolbe, now 32, was one of the older brigade. “If you’re relevant enough, and you’re doing the job that the coaches want from you, it doesn’t matter your age, whether it’s your first cap, whether it’s your 140th cap.

“If you can do the job on the field and you can do that consistently throughout a national period, then for me, and I’m sure for the coaches as well, age is not a factor.”

The Boks will have played 15 Tests this year by the time they finish up against Wales on Saturday week. Their 2025 started at a leisurely pace with games against the Barbarians, Italy (twice), and Georgia and seven debuts were handed out in the summer.

One was Ethan Hooker, the versatile, 22-year old Sharks back who was this week nominated along with England’s Henry Pollock, New Zealand’s Dutch-born lock Fabian Holland, and Australia’s star centre Joseph Aukuso Suaalii for World breakthrough player of the year.

That’s sterling company to be keeping and Hooker isn’t the only bright young thing. Caanan Moodie, a member of the last World Cup squad, is still just 22, out-half sensation Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu is the same age.

Zachary Porthen is a 20-year former Junior Springbok captain and tighthead who made his debut against Japan in London this month, and there are older men such as Morne van den Berg, Boan Venter, and Ben-Jason Dixon being given belated opportunities too.

Aphelele Fassi started the first two Rugby Championship games at full-back before succumbing to injury. Ruan Nortje is in the high teens in caps after a long run at lock in the same competition. Both are still only 27. On it goes.

All told, Erasmus has used 38 players so far across the Rugby Championship and Northern Tour with the hooker Bongi Mbonambi — another of the veteran’s club — recalled just this week along with prop Ntuthuko Mchunu.

Think, too, how all three of South Africa’s players nominated for the overall World Player of the Year yesterday —Peter Steph du Toit, Malcolm Marx, and Ox Nche — are aged 30 or over and it just feeds into the argument backing experience.

There is a generalisation about players who leave their 20s behind that actually needs to be resisted. Early-thirties is no longer old in pro team sports. Eleven of this Boks squad play their club rugby in the tamer surrounds of Japan. Ten are into their fourth decade Manie Libbok, by the by, is the odd man out there.

There are absolutely players for whom time is becoming precious. Mbonambi, Eben Etzebeth, Franco Mostert, Siya Kolisi, Peter-Steph du Toit, Cobus Reinach, and Damian de Allende will all be aged 35 or over come the next World Cup.

Jean De Villiers, who feels a lot of the older faces will make Australia in 2027, voiced a warning recently over the friction that can come from the replacement of old favourites, but admitted that there has been no sense of that from inside the camp.

“There’s no A or B team here,” said Kolbe. “Everybody is seen as number one, and whoever plays on the weekend we make sure that we prepare them as well as we can, and we respect each and every one of us.

“We just want the best for the player that has the opportunity to wear a special jersey, because it’s not about us as individuals. It’s for the Springboks and for the millions of people back in South Africa and across the world that’s been behind this team.”