Front-rower Ntuthuko Mchunu will be looking to erase memories of a bad Bloemfontein Springbok debut if he gets selected for this weekend’s final game of the incoming tours.
South Africa face Portugal in Saturday’s 5pm one-off Test match at Free State Stadium, with Sharks prop Mchunu one of five players called up by coach Rassie Erasmus for what could be a much-changed team from the one that drew 1-1 with Ireland in a two-match series.
And should the 25-year-old Mchunu get a chance, he would want to wipe away memories of South Africa’s shock 13-12 loss to Wales in 2022.
That match was used by then-director of rugby Erasmus and former coach Jacques Nienaber to blood new players, with 2023 World Cup-winners Kurt-Lee Arendse, Deon Fourie and Grant Williams, as well as Stormers loose-forward Evan Roos all debuting alongside Mchunu.
Now Mchunu, who repped the Boks as a sub in June’s 41-13 win over Wales in London, also wants to make the step up like Arendse, Fourie and Williams in getting to play at a World Cup.
He says: “It’s good to be back in Bloem and back in the squad as well.
“I think if I get selected for this weekend it would be an honour, and anyone that gets the opportunity to play in the Springbok jersey really goes out to make the most of it.
“A lot of [personal] growth has happened over the past two years since my last game here.
“It’s another big game [and] I don’t think regardless of who we play, it stays a big game.”
Mchunu isn’t the only rookie that wants to shine in Bloem, with flank Elrigh Louw, Quan Horn (fullback), Andre-Hugo Venter (hooker) and Ruan Venter (loose-forward) all pushing to play in the Green and Gold.