Lukhanyo Am gets another Springboks route back on Saturday, when South Africa ‘A’ face the Zimbabwe Sables and he is set to use the match to push into selection again. The 42-Test centre missed international rugby in 2025 because of injury, so this outing is more than a runout: it is a chance to remind the selectors what he still offers.
Am last played on the international stage in November 2024, when the Boks beat England 29-20 at Twickenham. He has since moved from the Sharks to Mitsubishi Dynaboars, and the change has left him with a fresh platform as he tries to re-enter the Springbok picture.
South Africa ‘A’ Backline
He is expected to line up in a youthful backline alongside Markus Muller, with Zekhethelo Siyaya, Yaqeen Ahmed, Jaco Williams and Luan Giliomee also part of the South Africa ‘A’ group. That gives the side an experienced centre inside a younger attacking unit, and it puts Am in a position where handling pressure and directing play matter as much as any carry or tackle.
Luan Giliomee did not hide the value of having him there. “Lukhanyo is a legend of the game,” he said, adding: “There is always something to learn from him, and this week we’ve learned a lot. Stuff like handling the pressure, what to do where, and I feel like he’s going to be good on Saturday.”
Mzwandile Stick And Tony
The selection also fits a longer idea already in motion. Mzwandile Stick said Tony joined the team in 2024 and one of his first messages was that he would love to see Am at 12, a nod to a position Am played during his formative years and at the Sharks, even if he has often worn the No.13 jersey with Damian de Allende in the Springbok midfield.
That is where the complication sits. Damian de Allende, André Esterhuizen and Jesse Kriel are still ahead of him in the pecking order, so Saturday is not a shortcut back into the Springboks; it is a test against the players already occupying the space he wants. Am’s job is to make the case in one match that his injury-hit 2025 has not closed the door.
World Cup Centre
For a 32-year-old with 42 Test caps and two World Cup titles, the route is clear enough. South Africa ‘A’ gives him a live platform, the Zimbabwe Sables give him the opposition, and the Springboks remain the target. What he does on Saturday will carry the weight of the next selection call, because the midfield hierarchy around him is not moving aside on reputation alone.
