Erlank has been outstanding since joining the Griquas and was once again at the heart of their dominant 101–7 victory over the Leopards in Kimberley on Saturday. The Peacock Blues boast tremendous depth in their loose-forward stocks, with players such as Erlank, Marco de Witt, Carl Els, and Lourens Oosthuizen all capable of making a big impact. 

Over the past year, however, Erlank has arguably been the most consistent of the lot. Not only has he delivered week after week, but he also appears to be improving with every outing.

Erlank possesses a tremendous engine. He is rock-solid on defence, powerful with ball in hand and brings a relentless work-rate to the field. Many believe he has the potential to reach the very highest level if he gets the opportunity to impress Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus.

Gustav Erlank after the 205 Currie Cup final when they Griquas beat the Lions 27-25 at Ellis Park. Photo: Morgan Piek

In many ways, Erlank combines the brute strength of Duane Vermeulen with the pace and athleticism that once made Pierre Spies such a dangerous number eight.

Griquas forwards coach Franco van der Merwe told OFM Sport that Erlank is a special talent whose professionalism both on and off the field sets the standard for the squad. 

“Gustav is a special player, and there are one or two others in the squad who are also doing really well at the moment,” said Van der Merwe.

“Part of our job at Griquas is that many players don’t always get opportunities at other unions. Some of them are late developers, and as a union, we try to give those players a chance, help them grow, and hopefully give them more game time here.

“In Gustav’s case, he’s incredibly professional. He’s a great player and also a great person off the field. The way he approaches his gym work, his diet and his recovery really stands out. We would obviously love to keep him here for a few more seasons, but realistically, we can’t compete with the chequebooks of the bigger unions.”

The former Springbok and Lions lock added the Griquas are fortunate to have such a competitive and well-balanced loose-forward group.

“At the moment, we are blessed with a lot of quality in that position. Each player brings his own unique ability,” Van der Merwe said.

“Marco de Witt is a very strong ball carrier for us and an excellent lineout option. Players like Vlam (Lourens Oosthuizen) and Gustav are outstanding in defence and can run over opponents. Phumzi (Phumzile Maqondwana) and Carl (Els) offer similar physicality, while Carl can also slot in at lock but is equally effective on the flank.

“So we’re fortunate to have a really strong group of loose-forwards at the moment.”

Marco de Witt during the 2025 Currie Cup final. Photo: Morgan Piek

Meanwhile, De Witt will make his return to action this weekend when Griquas face the Valke in Kempton Park. De Witt recently spent time in Wales with the Ospreys in the United Rugby Championship.

Saturday’s clash between the Valke and the Peacock Blues at the Barnard Stadium kicks off at 15:00.

Valke – TBA

Griquas – 15 Cameron Hufke, 14 Connor Mahoney, 13 Zane Bester, 12 Damian Markus, 11 Sako Makata, 10 Liam Koen, 9 Caleb Abrahams, 8 Gustav Erlank, 7 Carel van der Merwe, 6 Lourens Oosthuizen, 5 Albert Liebenberg (captain), 4 Malembe Mpofu, 3 IG Prinsloo, 2 Tiaan Lange, 1 Leon Lyons.

Replacements – 16 Janco Uys, 17 Corné Lavagna, 18 Ntobelo Shezi, 19 Lungi Mbiko, 20 Marco de Witt, 21 Bobby Alexander, 22 George Whitehead, 23 Mnombo Zwelendaba.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek sm