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Aphiwe Dyantyi and Sbu Nkosi were once the toast of the Rassie Erasmus era, but now neither wing is anywhere close to the Springbok pinnacle that once held dynastic promise for the dynamite duo, writes Sibusiso Mjikeliso.
One of the most incredible developments of the Rassie Erasmus Springbok era has been how far his once-promising wing duo of Aphiwe Dyantyi and Sbu Nkosi has fallen.
It’s an admittedly sad development of the last five years, which promised so much for the pair but didn’t exactly deliver according to the Hollywood script.
It seems an age ago that the pair ripped England up during Erasmus’ first home Test series against England in 2018.
Before he was the full-time SA Rugby director of rugby, Erasmus the Bok head coach, came in with a broom so clean that it swept all of South Africa away, especially as he picked two young, promising wings to face a strong England side at Ellis Park to start his tenure.
You probably could still feel goosebumps if you think back to that Springbok comeback from 3-24 down to win 42-39, thanks also in large part to scrumhalf Faf de Klerk and fullback Willie le Roux.
But the champagne went to the two debutant speedsters out wide, Nkosi, who scored twice that day, and Dyantyi, once.
The tries themselves made for many future YouTube highlight reels and skills compilation videos. That Test alone reinvigorated South Africans’ love for rugby again after an indifferent two years under the previous coach, Allister Coetzee.
But back to the former “Destruction Boys”. Each of their finishes capped off an exquisite Springbok move and each hinted at a new dawn.
There was also a rare symbiotic left wing-right wing relationship between No 14 Nkosi and No 11 Dyantyi, with each popping up on the other’s wing. Nkosi scored his second try on the left, assisted by Dyantyi’s final pass.
But enough nostalgia.
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It’s crazy to think that five years later, Dyantyi’s and Nkosi’s rugby fate and careers sit precariously on the edge as the Boks prepare for their Rugby World Cup defence in France later this year.
We all know how Dyantyi’s fall came about the year after he became the 2018 World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year.
Perhaps the highs of 2018 were too irresistible that he was desperate to replicate, so desperate he took banned substances for which he copped a four-year ban.
He was injured in the weeks before the Rugby Championship and was ruled out of that tournament. His World Cup was still hanging by a thread.
Rugby fans and Rassie at the time would have had a hard time choosing who they’d prefer in their squads for Japan if Aphiwe was fit. It was a call between Makazole Mapimpi and Warrick Gelant.
Mapimpi certainly grabbed the opportunity with both hands and has never looked back since. In many ways, he became what Dyantyi and Nkosi promised to be, forming a formidable backline with Cheslin Kolbe at the other wing and his best mate Lukhanyo Am on his inside.
No one can ever take away Gelant’s medal from him, but he never quite fitted the Erasmus-Jacques Nienaber bill. Gelant has only played two Tests since featuring for the Boks against Canada at the World Cup in Kobe.
It’s hard to imagine that space would have dried up for Dyantyi if he hadn’t taken banned substances. His was generational talent and could have transitioned to become an option at No 13 in the event of an Am injury or resting.
He’s returned to the Sharks after the mandatory four-year suspension and everyone is waiting with bated breath to see whether there’s any old Aphiwe Dyantyi left in the tank.
Nkosi, meanwhile, has had his turbulence, too.
He left the Sharks to join the Bulls after going through a tough spell off the field in Durban and looking for a change of environment.
It was thought the rigid Loftus lair would be better for him to focus on his rugby but things did not work out like that.
A whole new off-field storm erupted on the highveld as Nkosi’s playing time and mental health deteriorated fast in Pretoria.
The crazy thing was, though Kolbe is the No 14 incumbent, the Boks still called him up to an alignment camp last year, underlining their regard for him.
But Nkosi had chipped into the Springbok goodwill, too, after having passport issues that hampered his selection for the 2021 end-year tour.
On the field, Nkosi could still produce. But elsewhere, there were a couple of other young wingers ready to push him further to the penumbra: his Bulls teammates Canan Moodie and Kurt-Lee Arendse.
It’s sad to see talents that shone so bright once upon a time fade so far adrift of their promise but it’s a lesson on how fleeting one’s stay can be at the top and how wrong decisions can leave lasting stains on a career.
Follow Sibusiso Mjikeliso on Twitter: @Sbu_Mjikeliso
- Sibusiso Mjikeliso is the 2021 Vodacom Sports Journalist of the Year and author of Being a Black Springbok - The Thando Manana Story. He is also the writer and narrator of MAP1MP1, the award-winning Makazole Mapimpi documentary.
- This column was nominated for the 2023 best column/editorial at the Standard Bank Sivukile Journalism Awards.
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