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Rassie Erasmus has included 20 forwards and 17 backline players in the squad.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has named a strong squad for the first two games of the Rugby Championship. Picture: Anton Geyser/Gallo Images
Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus has named 37 players to take on Australia in the national team’s first two Rugby Championship matches.
These take place at Ellis Park on 16 August and at Cape Town Stadium on 23 August.
Erasmus said before the 55–10 win over Georgia last weekend that they would select a more tried and tested squad to face Australia.
This comes after experimenting in the first four games of the season, where seven players also made their debuts.
The Bok coach also invited three young guns, who were members of the triumphant Junior Springbok World Rugby U20 Championship squad – Bathobele Hlekani, Cheswill Jooste, and Haashim Pead – to train with the group during their two-week conditioning camp in Johannesburg starting on Sunday.
Rassie on selections
The five players who earned their first Springbok Test caps in July are Ethan Hooker (utility back), Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Boan Venter (both props), Marnus van der Merwe (hooker), and Cobus Wiese (utility forward).
Meanwhile, Bath prop Thomas du Toit has been granted a compulsory two-week rest as agreed with the Premiership, although he is eligible to be called up at any stage should the need arise, while No 8 Jasper Wiese is currently serving a four-week suspension, ruling him out of this squad.
A handful of players, in turn, have been released to their respective franchises to build up game time in the Currie Cup, although a few of them have been placed on standby for the Wallaby Tests.
The standby players are Lukhanyo Am (centre), who missed the July Tests due to a knee niggle, Faf de Klerk (scrumhalf), Makazole Mapimpi (wing), Salmaan Moerat (lock), Evan Roos (No 8), Neethling Fouche (prop) and Vincent Tshituka (flanker).
“It’s always challenging to reduce the squad, especially given how the expanded group of players put up their hands during the Incoming Series, but we always said we would select a smaller, more manageable squad,” said Erasmus.
“This group includes several experienced players and a few younger guys who grabbed their chances in the last few Tests, so we are pleased with this squad for the first two matches. We probably have three players who can cover each position, which is important in this competition.
Springboks build squad depth
“One of our key pillars as a team is to build squad depth, and there is no better way to see what some of the younger players are capable of than to expose them to some of the top teams in the world.”
Of the young guns invited to train with the squad for the next two weeks, Erasmus said: “We are tremendously proud of the Junior Springboks… so we opted to invite three of them to join us to expose them to our structures and the standards required at top international level. We believe this camp will benefit them significantly.”
Springbok squad to face Australia
Forwards: Lood de Jager (Wild Knights), Pieter-Steph du Toit (Verblitz), Jean-Luc du Preez (Bordeaux Begles), Eben Etzebeth (Sharks), Vincent Koch (Sharks), Siya Kolisi (Sharks), Wilco Louw (Bulls), Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears), Bongi Mbonambi (Sharks), Franco Mostert (Heat), Ox Nche (Sharks), Ruan Nortje (Bulls), Asenathi Ntlabakanye (Lions), Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs), RG Snyman (Leinster), Marnus van der Merwe (Scarlets), Marco van Staden (Bulls), Boan Venter (Edinburgh), Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Bulls), Cobus Wiese (Bulls).
Backs: Kurt-Lee Arendse (Bulls), Damian de Allende (Wild Knights), Andre Esterhuizen (Sharks), Aphelele Fassi (Sharks), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (Stormers), Ethan Hooker (Sharks), Jesse Kriel (Eagles), Cheslin Kolbe (Tokyo Sungoliath), Willie le Roux (Bulls), Manie Libbok (Stormers), Canan Moodie (Bulls), Handre Pollard (Bulls), Cobus Reinach (Stormers), Edwill van der Merwe (Sharks), Morne van den Berg (Lions), Grant Williams (Sharks), Damian Willemse (Stormers).
