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Haashim Pead has become a hometown hero, a Junior World Cup winner and has now been called up to the Springboks' Rugby Championship squad - all in the space of a matter of weeks.
Alongside fellow age-grade World Championship winners Bathobele Hlekani and Cheswill Jooste, Pead will be shadowing the senior squad as they gear up for their Rugby Championship title defence.
Why the Boks Should Be Watching — Closely
The Lions scrum-half looks the obvious choice to fill in for the ageing Faf de Klerk, 33, and Cobus Reinach, 35, down the line as the back-to-back world champions' incredible conveyor belt of talent continues to roll on.
De Klerk was a surprise exclusion from their Rugby Championship squad for South Africa's opening games as Lions nine Morne van den Berg, 27, and Sharks playmaker Grant Williams, 29, look to be in pole position for the Springboks' one-two scrum-half punch.
It’s not often you watch a U20s tournament and see a scrum-half boss each contest as much as Pead did this month as the Junior Springboks lifted their first title since 2012. The 20-year-old was the star of the tournament with a devastating step combined with blistering pace as he orchestrated a free-scoring attack that scored a frightening 30 tries in four outings before last weekend's final.
Composure Beyond His Years
The tense final against New Zealand was much more structured without as many opportunities for energetic line breaks, but that didn't stop Pead producing a composed performance to illustrate his all-court game.
Pead's rise has been rapid — but it’s no fluke.
Coming through the ranks at Bishops Diocesan College, he made waves early as a cerebral, tactical nine with crisp service and a deceptive turn of pace. But it’s his mentality that truly separates him. On the biggest stage in age-grade rugby, he hasn't flinched, and his eight tries in six outings this season across the age-grade Rugby Championship and World Cup shows his devastating potency.
What Comes Next
Following an invaluable learning experience with Rassie Erasmus' side, Pead will return to the Lions, and expect him to be knocking on the URC door sooner rather than later as he fights it out with van den Berg, Johan Mulder and Nico Steyn.
Opportunities might be limited at first — but Pead has already shown he doesn’t need years of seasoning to make an impact.
If the Springbok selectors are serious about building for 2027, they need to fast-track talent like this. With the right exposure and development, Pead could very well be starting at scrum-half in Australia in two years time.
Watch this space.