Regular Springbok captain Siya Kolisi, as well as stalwarts Pieter-Steph du Toit and Willie le Roux, who missed last Saturday’s Rugby Championship Test against Australia in Cape Town, have been cleared to tour New Zealand from this week.

Jan-Hendrik Wessels, who has also recently been on the injured list, will also tour Down Under, as will Jean-Luc du Preez, who missed Saturday’s Test due to illness.

Jasper Wiese, who has not played at all in the Rugby Championship because of a suspension, will tour with the Boks, though he will only be available for the second Test on tour, in Wellington on September 13.

In all, Bok boss Rassie Erasmus has opted to tour with 36 players.

The Boks’ first match on tour will be in Auckland next Saturday.

Wings Kurt-Lee Arendse and Edwill van der Merwe will miss the tour because of injuries, meaning Makazole Mapimpi will remain in the side after joining as cover late last week.

Boks to leave for New Zealand on Tuesday

“This group of players have been working hard together since our first training camp in June, and most of them have been playing together for years, while the newer players in the squad showed in the Incoming Series and in the last two matches against Australia that they are ready for this challenge,” said Erasmus.

“Siya (Kolisi), Pieter-Steph (du Toit), Willie (le Roux), and Jan-Hendrik (Wessels) have been medically cleared from their niggles, while all the players who faced Australia in Cape Town have received a clean bill of health and will be ready to face the All Blacks.”

The Boks will get together in Joburg on Tuesday and depart for New Zealand later in the day.

“We will have sufficient time to acclimatise to the time zone, so we believe we will be settled and ready for the task ahead by the time we take the field,” said Erasmus.

The Boks’ matches kick-off at 09:05 (SA time), next Saturday and the following week, September 13.

The Boks got themselves back into Rugby Championship contention with a 30-22 win against the Wallabies in Cape Town on Saturday. They lost the first Test of the competition, at Emirates Airline Park, to the same Wallabies 38-22.

Springbok squad

Forwards: Lood de Jager, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Thomas du Toit, Jean-Luc du Preez, Eben Etzebeth, Vincent Koch, Siya Kolisi (capt), Wilco Louw, Malcolm Marx, Bongi Mbonambi, Franco Mostert, Ox Nche, Ruan Nortje, Kwagga Smith, RG Snyman, Marnus van der Merwe, Marco van Staden, Boan Venter, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Jasper Wiese

Backs: Damian de Allende, Andre Esterhuizen, Aphelele Fassi, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Ethan Hooker, Jesse Kriel, Cheslin Kolbe, Willie le Roux, Manie Libbok, Makazole Mapimpi, Canan Moodie, Handre Pollard, Cobus Reinach, Morne van den Berg, Grant Williams, Damian Willemse

This article first appeared on The Citizen.

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