Rassie's radar | Can anyone dethrone midfield king Jesse Kriel at outside centre?

As the Springboks look toward a marathon 2026 international season, headlined by the inaugural Nations Championship and a historic four-match series against the All Blacks, coach Rassie Erasmus faces a fascinating selection headache at outside centre.

With Tony Brown’s attacking philosophy now fully embedded, the No 13 jersey has evolved into a role requiring defensive steel, playmaking vision, and out-and-out gas.

Here are the four domestic contenders currently lighting up the United Rugby Championship, and a grizzled veteran still setting the standard in Japan.

Wandisile Simelane (Stormers)

Simelane’s move to Cape Town has been the catalyst for his return to form this season. Long considered the most naturally gifted ball-player in the country, the 27-year-old has finally found the consistency to match his ability to cut defences to shreds. He has also featured at fullback this season, which in the long run should help his decision-making and defensive reads. However, in the last two matches, he was overshadowed by the Sharks' rising star.

Ethan Hooker (Sharks)

Hooker burst onto the international scene with a few top performances on the wing for the Boks, none more so than the record-breaking 43-10 win over the All Blacks in Wellington last year. Centre is actually his preferred position, and over the last two matches, he stood out in the No 13 jersey against the Stormers, showcasing his hard-running ability and his work off the ball on defence. Hooker possesses a high rugby IQ and is definitely in the outside centre conversation this year.

Henco van Wyk (Lions)

Affectionately known as "Weapon X" by the Ellis Park faithful, Van Wyk is arguably the best defender in that channel in South African rugby. Van Wyk hits with a lot of force, while his acceleration off the mark allows him to shut down attackers—a trait that perfectly suits the Boks' aggressive style of defending. Van Wyk is also very good with ball in hand, but perhaps lacks the explosive top-end speed of the players he is competing against for the green and gold.

Canan Moodie (Bulls)

The great positional debate continues around the Paarl-born speedster, but Moodie seems set on the 13 jersey. While he has been a world-class wing for the Boks, his schoolboy roots are in the midfield. His performance at 13 against the All Blacks in 2023 remains the blueprint; he also gained more game-time in the midfield last year as veteran Jesse Kriel’s understudy. He certainly has the game to be a top-tier outside centre.

Jesse Kriel (Yokohama Canon Eagles, Japan)

Kriel remains the incumbent and the benchmark. Playing in Japan’s League One—where he was recently named captain of the Eagles—the 31-year-old hasn't lost a yard of pace and has actually refined his playmaking under Brown. With nearly 90 caps, his experience is irreplaceable, especially in organising the complex defensive structures that the Boks rely on. While the URC young guns are snapping at his heels, Kriel’s big-match temperament and incredible conditioning mean he is still the man they all have to catch.