South Africa's scrum coach Daan Human will be looking closely at his tighthead options ahead of the international season.
Image: AFP
The Springboks’ scrum ploughed its way through allcomers in 2025, leaving a path of destruction and scrum penalties in its wake.
It doesn’t seem like they are going to slow down anytime soon, with the tighthead props — the big men who anchor the scrum — in good form throughout the United Rugby Championship. This will no doubt please coach Rassie Erasmus and scrum coach Daan Human, who will be keeping an eye on their progress.
But the players plying their trade in South Africa know there is currently a “Tank” in possession of that Springbok No 3 jersey who is going to take some unseating ahead of the 2026 international season.
However, with a monumental schedule featuring a four-Test "Greatest Rivalry" series against the All Blacks and the inaugural Nations Championship on the horizon, the depth at tighthead will be tested like never before.
Here is how the contenders for the green and gold jersey shape up.
Since returning to Pretoria, Louw has made himself almost indispensable. He is a throwback to the traditional tighthead — a 140kg-plus anchor who simply does not budge. He played mostly off the bench last year, making an immediate impact with his powerful scrummaging.
Having recently celebrated 100 caps for the Stormers, Fouche has matured into a top-tier tighthead. He is a high-energy prop who brings a "scrapper" mentality to the front row. His mobility, work-rate around the park, and underrated ability in the scrum put him firmly in the Bok conversation.
Ntlabakanye is a physical phenomenon. Despite his massive frame, he possesses surprisingly soft hands and an engine that allows him to go deep into matches without compromising his ability to scrum. Having earned his first taste of the Bok environment in 2025, the remainder of the 2026 URC season represents his opportunity to prove he belongs.
"Mr. Incredible" is approaching the twilight of his career and saw his game time in the green and gold cut in 2025. But at 35, his work-rate around the park and technical nous at scrum time remain top-notch. He showed in recent matches against the Stormers that he can still mix it with the youngsters and will be looking for another shot at the Bok No 3 jersey.
Affectionately known as "The Tank," Du Toit has arguably been the form tighthead in world rugby over the last 18 months. He offers elite scrummaging paired with a massive work-rate, regularly completing up to 10 tackles in around 50 minutes of rugby. His versatility to cover loosehead also makes him the ultimate "Bomb Squad" insurance policy.
* John Goliath is an Independent Media regional sports editor and a contributor on The Last Word on Rugby on our YouTube channel The Clutch.
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