Rassie Erasmus has named 21 uncapped players alongside seasoned campaigners in a 51-man Springbok squad for a season-opening double-header in Gqeberha.
Several SA U20 stars feature prominently, among them Junior Boks captain Riley Norton, with the likes of uncapped forwards Emmanuel Tshituka, Paul de Villiers and Sibabalwa Mahashe also included.
Two double World Cup winners bolster the experienced end of the group, with veteran backs Lukhanyo Am and Faf de Klerk returning to the national set-up.
Erasmus named the squad on Saturday night for the team’s first training camp of the season, starting in Johannesburg on Monday, with an eye on the clashes between the Boks and the Barbarians, as well as the meeting between the SA A team against Zimbabwe, on Saturday, 20 June.
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With the Vodacom Bulls players unavailable for selection after booking their place in the URC final against Leinster, Erasmus selected a handful of junior players in his squad.
This group includes youngsters Yaqeen Ahmed (flyhalf/centre), Danie Kruger (prop), Luan Giliomee (utility back), Vusi Moyo (flyhalf), Oliver Reid (prop) and Liam van Wyk (hooker), as well as Siphosethu Mnebelele (hooker), Markus Muller (centre) and Zekhethelo Siyaya (utility back), all of whom were members of the expanded Bok alignment camp squad.
The other uncapped players in the group are utility forward Bathobele Hlekani, prop Hanro Jacobs, centre Jurenzo Julius, scrumhalf Imad Khan, hooker JJ Kotze, utility back Jaco Williams and scrumhalves Haashim Pead and Nico Steyn.
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The Japanese-based players who have completed their club commitments will join their teammates from the outset of the camp, while the UK-based players will report for duty once their season officially concludes in line with World Rugby’s Regulation 9.
The Bok squad for the Nations Championship clashes against England (4 July), Scotland (11 July) and Wales (18 July) will be announced on Sunday, 21 June, following the conclusion of the URC.
Erasmus was thrilled to get their on-field preparations underway with the Barbarians and SA A game, which will play out in a fortnight, and the head coach looked forward to seeing how the younger players adapt to the demands of senior international rugby.
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“We named a large group of players as we will be selecting a Springbok and SA A team for the season-opening double-header in Gqeberha, and this will be beneficial in the long term as we build the squad, looking forward to next year’s Rugby World Cup and beyond,” he said.
“There is also an exciting mix of experienced campaigners and young players in this squad, and this formula has worked well for us in the past to ensure a clear pathway to build depth within the group.”
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Erasmus added: “The coaches have been working around the clock to put the systems in place in the last few months, and the in-person and virtual alignment camps have given most of the players a taste of what to expect, so it’s now a matter of implementing what they learned in the boardroom onto the field.
“We are under no illusions about the challenge ahead this season with two matches against the Barbarians and the SA A team against Zimbabwe playing out on the same day, which will be followed by two new competitions in the Nations Championship and Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series, so it will be important for the group to build cohesion as quickly as possible and make the most of our field sessions and team meetings to be as well prepared as possible when we take the field.”
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Springbok squad:
Forwards: Lood de Jager (Wild Knights), Paul de Villiers (Stormers), Ben-Jason Dixon (Stormers), Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz), Eben Etzebeth (Sharks), Neethling Fouché (Stormers), Bathobele Hlekani (Lions), Hanro Jacobs (Sharks), Vincent Koch (Sharks), Siya Kolisi (Sharks), JJ Kotze (Stormers), Danie Kruger (Stormers), Sibabalwa Mahashe (Lions), Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears), Ntuthuko Mchunu (Stormers), Siphosethu Mnebelele (Bulls), Salmaan Moerat (Stormers), Franco Mostert (Honda Heat), Ox Nche (Sharks), Riley Norton (Stormers), Zachary Porthen (Stormers), Oliver Reid (Stormers), Evan Roos (Stormers), Emmanuel Tshituka (Sharks), Vincent Tshituka (Sharks), Liam van Wyk (Sharks), André-Hugo Venter (Stormers), Boan Venter (Edinburgh), Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks).
Backs: Yaqeen Ahmed (Stormers) Lukhanyo Am (DynaBoars), Damian de Allende (Wild Knights), Faf de Klerk (Canon Eagles), André Esterhuizen (Sharks), Aphelele Fassi (Sharks), Luan Giliomee (Sharks), Quan Horn (Lions), Jurenzo Julius (Sharks), Imad Khan (Stormers), Cheslin Kolbe (Tokyo Sungoliath), Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles), Manie Libbok (Kintetsu Liners), Vusi Moyo (Sharks), Markus Muller (Stormers), Haashim Pead (Lions), Zekhethelo Siyaya (Sharks), Nico Steyn (Lions), Edwill van der Merwe (Sharks), Damian Willemse (Stormers), Grant Williams (Sharks), Jaco Williams (Sharks).
Photo: Steve Haag/Gallo Images
