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Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has boosted his squad for the two Castle lager Rugby Championship tests against New Zealand by adding five World Cup winners to an already impressive group of players.
He went on to save one small surprise by bringing back Montpellier lock Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg as cover at lock.
Erasmus, as expected, returned the likes of prop Steven Kitshoff, scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse and utility back Canan Moodie to the squad after they recovered from injury and proved their fitness in Carling Currie Cup games. Kitshoff missed the start of the international season with a knee injury, while Hendrikse had a shoulder injury and Moodie a fractured finger. Erasmus also recalled both number eight Jasper Wiese and midfielder Andre Esterhuizen after they completed their suspension. Wiese’s suspension was six weeks after a red card in his final club game for Leicester Tigers, while Esterhuizen was suspended after a red card for a head clash against Portugal in Bloemfontein last month.
Janse van Rensburg’s return was hinted at last weekend, but is still a minor surprise as he has only played one test for the Springboks (against Argentina in 2021) and is on the basis of his season for Montpellier, but was ignored for the start of the international season.
Erasmus has used Ruan Nortje in Australia as the back-up and has Ruben van Heerden and Jean-Luc du Preez on standby, with regulars Franco Mostert and Lood de Jager both on the injured list. Jean Kleyn, more a four lock, is also still out injured, while there is no mention of Perpignan lock Marvin Orie, who was part of the World Cup squad, but has surprisingly disappeared from conversation around the Springboks group.
The squad features 31 of the 33 players who travelled to Australia for their two victories against the Wallabies in Brisbane and Perth respectively. Those results were also the first time since 1998 that the Boks registered back-to-back victories on a tour to Australasia.
The two players who were left out of the squad were hooker Johan Grobbelaar and scrumhalf Morne van den Berg.
THE SQUAD FOR THE NEW ZEALAND LEG OF THE CASTLE LAGER RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP:
Props: Thomas du Toit (Bath), Steven Kitshoff (DHL Stormers), Vincent Koch (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers), Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Gerhard Steenekamp (Vodacom Bulls), Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Vodacom Bulls).
Hookers: Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears), Bongi Mbonambi (Hollywoodbets Sharks).
Locks: Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Salmaan Moerat (DHL Stormers), Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls), RG Snyman (Leinster), Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg (Montpellier).
Loose forwards: Ben-Jason Dixon (DHL Stormers), Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz), Siya Kolisi (captain, Racing 92), Elrigh Louw (Vodacom Bulls), Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs), Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls), Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers).
Scrumhalves: Jaden Hendrikse (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Cobus Reinach (Montpellier), Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks).
Flyhalves: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers), Manie Libbok (DHL Stormers), Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers).
Centres: Lukhanyo Am (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Damian de Allende (Wild Knights), Andre Esterhuizen (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles).
Outside backs: Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls), Aphelele Fassi (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath), Willie le Roux (Vodacom Bulls), Makazole Mapimpi (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls). — Supersport.
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