Boks name powerful squad for Ireland series

The Springboks named a powerful squad to take on Ireland in a two test series next month, bringing back a number of top World Cup winners based overseas while keeping a number of local based players who have impressed.

With the Vodacom Bulls players now available, hookers Johan Grobbelaar and Jan-Hendrik Wessels will join the squad, as will World Cup winner Marco van Staden and prop Gerhard Steenekamp, the latter who was with the Boks and made his debut against Argentina last year.

Among the backs, Willie le Roux and Kurt-Lee Arendse both join the squad from the Bulls but there is no place for the likes of Wilco Louw and Elrigh Louw, both of whom have been named among a group of standby players who could come in because of injury.

There are also recalls for Thomas du Toit, who had an exceptional season with English club Bath, making the Premiership Team of the season, as well as Racing 92 based Trevor Nyakane to further bolster some incredible front row stocks.

Siya Kolisi also returns to the squad with the question mark still over whether he will lead the side into battle after Rassie Erasmus indicated he would prefer a locally based captain.

RG Snyman is back after a good season with Munster, while there is also a recall for Cobus Reinach after a season with Montpellier.

Three players who made their test debuts against Wales at Twickenham on Saturday, which the team won 41-13 – Edwill van der Merwe (wing), Ben-Jason Dixon (utility forward) and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (utility back) – were included in the group.

𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚: Rassie Erasmus names his Springbok squad to face Ireland in the Castle Lager Incoming Series 🇿🇦🇮🇪 pic.twitter.com/jd3qxVmlHs

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The 39-man squad features 22 forwards and 17 backline players, with Erasmus set to name the captain for the competition closer to the Ireland test.

INJURIES ARE COVERED

Erasmus, however, declared that three players Faf de Klerk (quadriceps), Van der Merwe (shoulder) and Mapimpi (hamstring) had picked up niggles in the Wales test – but he was satisfied that there was enough cover in the squad with Arendse, Kolbe, and Am available for selection.

Wessels is a major surprise as he has not been in the Bulls match-day squad during the Vodacom United Rugby Championship playoffs, and is seen very much as a player for the future who can play both prop and hooker.

Erasmus welcomed the uncapped players to the initial squad of 39 – Grobbelaar and Wessels, as well as those in the standby squad – and he hoped they would grab the opportunity with both hands.

“Johan and Jan-Hendrik really impressed us at the alignment camps we hosted in the year, and they are talented players with a bright future, so we are keen to see what they can do and the dynamic they add to the team,” said Erasmus. “They are skilful players with immense talent and their selection will offer them a great opportunity to make their mark.

“Jan-Hendrik is equally efficient at prop and hooker, which increases our front-row options and hopefully with their talent and drive, they will add great value to the squad.

“We also saw what the uncapped players in the travelling squad for the Wales test have to offer and we have no doubt that if they receive an opportunity to run out in the green and gold this season, they will give their best and wear the badge with pride.”

THE UNLUCKY ONES

But having players in means some will fall out and the unlucky ones are Jordan Hendrikse, who made his debut against Wales at Twickenham.

Ntuthuko Mchunu, who was on the bench at Twickenham, also falls out of the squad alongside Neethling Fouche and Andre-Hugo Venter from the Stormers while at the back Siya Masuku and Ethan Hooker from the Sharks and Quan Horn from the Lions leave the squad.

Edwill van der Merwe and Ben-Jason Dixon, both who made their debuts on Saturday against Wales, have retained their places in the squad.

The Boks have also named a number of players on standby including those who left the squad above, as well as Sale Sharks’ Jean-Luc du Preez, Ruben van Heerden from the Stormers.

Winger Suleiman Hartzenburg is the additional backline player placed on standby.

These players will train with the team at stages during the next four weeks before the team’s historic test against Portugal on Saturday 20 July, and could be called up at short notice in the event of injuries during the Ireland tests.

Eight players, meanwhile, were ruled out of contention for selection due to injury, namely Steven Kitshoff (prop), Jean Kleyn, Lood de Jager (both locks), Cameron Hanekom (flanker), Jaden Hendrikse (scrumhalf), Henco van Wyk (centre), Canan Moodie and Damian Willemse (both utility backs).

“We named the best squad available for the Castle Incoming Series, and with squad depth being one of our key pillars as we build toward to the 2027 Rugby World Cup and the test against Portugal, we thought it would be beneficial to us to name a standby squad with a few players who will join us at training sporadically in the next few weeks,” said Erasmus.

“Unfortunately, a handful of players are carrying injuries and were ruled out of the selection mix, but our plan to build depth in the last few years and expose players to test rugby in the build-up to the 2023 RWC and against Wales last weekend certainly paid off.

“It’s great to have the overseas-based and Vodacom Bulls players back in the mix and with many of them being Rugby World Cup-winners, they will bring experience and calm heads to the team,” said Erasmus.

 “Over and above that, some of the young players who were part of our travelling squad to London really impressed us over the last two weeks, and while some of them have been included in this group, we were limited in terms of the number of players we could pick, so there will always be a few unlucky players.”

Springbok squad for Castle Lager Incoming Series:

Forwards:

Phepsi Buthelezi (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Ben-Jason Dixon (DHL Stormers), Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz), Thomas du Toit (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks). Johan Grobbelaar (Vodacom Bulls), Vincent Koch (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Siya Kolisi (Racing 92), Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers), Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears), Bongi Mbonambi (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Salmaan Moerat (DHL Stormers), Franco Mostert (Honda Heat), Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Trevor Nyakane (Racing 92/Hollywoodbets Sharks), Evan Roos (DHL Stormers), Kwagga Smith (Blu Revs), RG Snyman (Munster/Leinster), Gerhard Steenekamp (Vodacom Bulls), Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls), Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Vodacom Bulls), Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers).

Backs:

Lukhanyo Am (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls), Damian de Allende (Wild Knights), Faf de Klerk (Canon Eagles), Andre Esterhuizen (Harlequins/Hollywoodbets Sharks), Aphelele Fassi (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers), Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath), Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles), Wilie le Roux (Vodacom Bulls), Manie Libbok (DHL Stormers), Makazole Mapimpi (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers), Cobus Reinach (Montpellier), Morne van den Berg (Emirates Lions), Edwill van der Merwe (Emirates Lions), Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks).

Players on standby:

Forwards: Jean-Luc du Preez (Sale Sharks), Joseph Dweba, Neethling Fouche (both DHL Stormers), Elrigh Louw, Wilco Louw (both Vodacom Bulls), Ntuthuko Mchunu (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Ruben van Heerden (DHL Stormers), Andre-Hugo Venter (DHL Stormers).

Backs: Suleiman Hartzenberg (DHL Stormers), Jordan Hendrikse, Ethan Hooker, Quan Horn (all Emirates Lions), Siya Masuku (Hollywoodbets Sharks).