Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber named three new additions to the national squad on Monday, with Rosko Specman, Dan du Preez and Johan Grobbelaar called up to join the Boks in Cape Town.

The call-up for Johan Grobbelaar (hooker) marks his first to the Springbok side, while Specman (wing) and Du Preez (loose forward) return after being included in the wider squad for the British and Irish Lions Series.

Grobbelaar has been a key figure for the Bulls in the last few seasons, and he also represented the Junior Springboks in the World Rugby u.20 Championship in Georgia in 2017.

However, this year he is brilliantly on form in his third season as a senior player and he has already received more man-of-the-match awards in the Currie Cup series than any of his teammates.

Blue Bulls fans were rightly upset when this brilliant young hooker could not initially find a place in the Springbok training group. Some observers openly stated that the way the 23-year-old Grobbelaar was overlooked was a serious mistake on the part of the selectors.

Grobbelaar, Specman and Du Preez join Duane Vermeulen and Jaden Hendrikse, scrum half from the Sharks, who were the other two additions to the team.

Although the chances are slim that Grobbelaar will be part of the team that will play in the third Test against the British and Irish Lions on Saturday, it is hoped that he may get a chance in green and gold later in the Rugby Championship.

The Springboks will face against the British & Irish Lions in the third and final Test in Cape Town on Saturday and then travel to Nelson Mandela Bay on Sunday for the first two Tests in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship against Argentina on 14 and 21 August respectively.

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