Fassi eager to continue growing at 15 for Boks: 'The competition is healthy'
Springbok fullback Aphelele Fassi is eager to continue his impressive rise over the past couple of seasons and produce another strong campaign for the Boks, starting this weekend against the Barbarians.
After making his Springbok debut against Georgia in 2021, Fassi only played twice more for the national team over the next year, against Argentina, and then against Wales in July 2022, following which he was dropped from the squad for various reasons.
This saw him miss out on selection for the 2023 World Cup, and only after a fantastic 2023/24 URC campaign for the Sharks, was he brough back into the Springbok mix last year.
This time he fully took his opportunity, taking advantage of the injury enforced absence of Damian Willemse, to get a run in the Bok No 15 jersey.
Fassi featured eight times over the season, starting off against Wales and Portugal, then impressed in the Rugby Championship in games against Australia, the All Blacks, and Argentina, before he finished off against England and Wales on the end-of-year-tour.
It was essentially a breakout season for the 27-year-old, and he will now want to secure his place in the team, especially with the added competition with Willemse back, while Willie le Roux will be targeting two more games to reach his hundred cap milestone as well.
Healthy competition
'The competition at fullback is healthy. Like Rassie Erasmus always says, we are here for a reason. So if you're not playing on the weekend, you help the other guys, and if you're playing, you play to the best of your ability,' said Fassi.
'The competition is never about bringing someone down or being malicious. The communication between the three of us has been great. We help each other develop our game, and the competition brings the best out of us.'
Fassi admits that he is continuing to learn and has improved a lot over the last year, and he wants to keep developing and growing his game over this year's international campaign.
'My work rate has improved. I've been able to communicate better, and I've also shown a strong willingness to learn,' explained Fassi.
'I approach every week differently. My preparation has changed. My kicking game has improved, and I take each week as it comes. I think that's where I've grown the most.'
This weekend's match against the Barbarians will also be Fassi's biggest challenge since returning from a serious injury he picked up with the Sharks in December, which saw him out for almost four months, although he did have a good end of season run for his franchise.
'I came back from the injury and played six games at club level. Obviously, it's a different ball game when you come to Test level. This game will test what level I'm at. I want to see where I can improve and get better going forward into the season,' said Fassi.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
TimesLIVE
6 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
Southern heavies begin honing their World Cup squads
With two years to go until the Rugby World Cup in Australia, this year's Rugby Championship offers an early glimpse into the plans of the southern hemisphere heavyweights as they start shaping their squads for the 2027 tournament. South Africa and Australia open this year's championship at Ellis Park on Saturday, while Argentina and New Zealand clash in their round-one opener in Cordoba later in the day. The Springboks are the world champions and Rugby Championship holders, and look the team to beat again despite a tough two-Test visit to New Zealand, including Eden Park in Auckland where they have not won since 1937. The All Blacks swept their three-match July series against an understrength France and will have eyes on regaining a title they have won for a record 20 times, boosted by facing their bitter old rivals at home. Australia finished their British & Irish Lions series on a high with a victory in the rain in Sydney as coach Joe Schmidt continues their rebuild until he hands over the reins to Les Kiss in mid-2026.
IOL News
6 hours ago
- IOL News
Bionic man Jesse Kriel says Springboks' conditioning has gone up a level ahead of Wallabies encounter
Ultra-fit Springbok Jesse Kriel has adorned the cover of Men's Health magazine, exhibiting an eight-pack, so when he says the recent Springbok camp was 'extremely tough,' you know it was torturous for the rest. Kriel, who captained the Springboks in the recent series against Italy, reckons the Boks have never been fitter as they enter the Rugby Championship, starting on Saturday against the Wallabies at Ellis Park. The 37-man Bok squad was put through their paces by their head of athletic performance, Andy Edwards. Edwards joined the Boks after 15 years with Saracens, where he powered the English team to five English Premiership league crowns and three European titles. 'A few of the guys wanted to give Andy an uppercut,' Kriel grinned. 'No, it was very tough. We all know the game is getting quicker, more physical. Players are getting bigger, faster and stronger. In parallel with that, the training has to get more intense and more demanding. 'It has been exactly that. We have trained at a level and intensity probably higher than a game. Playing rugby when you are fit is lots of fun. Playing when you are unfit is no fun at all. 'We got a lot of bang out of what we put into the last three weeks of camp. Hopefully, we will reap the benefits on Saturday,' Kriel added. With regular inside centre Damina de Allende recovering from a niggle — he is due to start next week in Cape Town in the return Test against the Wallabies — Kriel will link up with Andre Esterhuizen in the midfield. Kriel is thrilled about the prospect of teaming up with the blockbusting Esterhuizen. 'It comes back to there being so much competition in every position in our squad,' he said. 'Andre has been extremely good in all the Tests he has played. 'He is an asset to this team. I have played with many times, especially against Australia, funnily enough. I am excited that he has an opportunity. Canan Moodie is also involved, and I'm looking forward to seeing what he can do.' Going back to the 1.95m, 114 kg Esterhuizen, Kriel says his size is a unique attribute. 'It's no secret that Andre is devastating with ball in hand, and he also has a great understanding of the game, like Damian has as well,' said Kriel. 'It's been great to see how he and Damian have been working together and trying to help one another become better. 'That is what we are about in this team. How the centres help each other to grow. We have buddied up, and there is constant feedback from the guy in your same position to see where you can get better, where he can sharpen your game, and you can sharpen his game. 'Andre is a great guy to get us moving forward and getting us quick, front-font ball.' Kriel played down suggestions that Australia are more battle hardened than the Springboks and said: 'We will have to see on Saturday who is battle-hardened. Everyone is entitled to their opinions about what battle-hardened is, but for us, it's about how you pitch up at training every day, and your mindset towards everything during the week. 'Ultimately, this is a good opportunity to represent South Africa, and nobody in this environment takes that lightly. We are excited about the match, and I am confident it will go well.'
IOL News
7 hours ago
- IOL News
Boks unleash heavy artillery as they look to defend Rugby Championship
Marco van Staden, right, and Siya Kolisi will both start against Australia as the skipper moves to No 8. | BackpagePix Springbok defence coach Jerry Flannery believes this year's Rugby Championship will be wide open and the most competitive for years. Flannery, who played 45 times at hooker for Ireland in the Six Nations, reckons the Rugby Championship is 'a phenomenal competition.' 'If you look back at last year, Argentina were the dark horses. They came out of nowhere and shocked New Zealand, and beat us as well,' Flannery said in backing up Rassie Erasmus's contention that the Boks will have to be at their best if they are to defend their title. Since 1996, the Boks have never won consecutive Championship titles. 'There are no weak teams in the Championship. That is it!' the 46-year-old said. 'Looking at last year objectively, Joe Schmidt had only just taken over the Wallabies after the World Cup, where they had looked rudderless. 'So the Wallabies started slowly, and we benefited from that because we played them early in the tournament (and beat them twice in Australia). 'That is not the case with the Wallabies now, but we want to play the best teams when they are at their best,' Flannery said ahead of Saturday's Test against the Wallabies at Ellis Park. 'With all due respect to Georgia and the Barbarians, we want to be playing the best teams in the world because that is how you get better.' Flannery said that while he was pleased that the Boks conceded just 40 points in their first four games of the year (they also played Italy twice), the bigger picture is how the team performs in general. 'I'm proud whenever we win, never mind how the defence went,' he said. 'All the coaches contribute across all areas. Rassie (Erasmus) will jump in (with the defence), Tony Brown leans in now and again, Felix Jones, Duane Vermeulen and (Mzwandile ) Stick, all have a say. 'That is how we operate. If you operate in isolation where the defence coach only cares about defence, you are putting all your eggs in one basket, and then you start missing tricks because you are not progressing together.' Flannery said that the four-match warm-up block provided a useful foundation for the Rugby Championship. 'None of us were pleased with how we performed in the first Test against Italy. We conceded a maul try in that game and also against Georgia. That is something teams pick up and go after. So we have invested a lot of time into our maul defence. There is always something to work on. 'Overall, we started well against the Baabaas, were poor against Italy, then good in the second Test against Italy, and a little bit in between against Georgia. 'We have tried in training to replicate the intensity at which Australia have been playing. 'The thing that pleased me the most over the four games was to see how many players got game time. It was great to see how hard they trained and how excited they were to get opportunities. 'For example, you get a young lad like Ethan Hooker competing against Jesse Kriel, and he is fighting, doing his best, and holding his own. Those are the things that make me confident about the team's future.' Springbok team to face Australia in Johannesburg: 15 Aphelele Fassi,14 Edwill van der Merwe,13 Jesse Kriel,12 Andre Esterhuizen,11 Kurt-Lee Arendse,10 Manie Libbok,9 Grant Williams, 8 Siya Kolisi (captain),7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche Replacements:16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 18 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 19 Franco Mostert, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Canan Moodie, 23 Damian Willemse.
