Rassie includes young bloods with veterans in Bok squad for Australia Tests

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has selected a strong 37-man squad for the first two Tests in the Rugby Championship against Australia, featuring 24 World Cup-winners and five players who made their Test debuts during the successful incoming series.

The Bok coach also invited three young players who were members of the triumphant Junior Bok World Rugby U20 Championship squad — Bathobele Hlekani, Cheswill Jooste and Haashim Pead — to train with the group during their two-week conditioning camp in Joburg starting on Sunday.

The five players who earned their first Springbok Test caps in July are utility back Ethan Hooker, props Asenathi Ntlabakanye and Boan Venter, hooker Marnus van der Merwe and utility forward Cobus Wiese. 

Bath prop Thomas du Toit has been granted a compulsory two-week rest as agreed with the Gallagher Premiership, though he is eligible to be called up should the need arise.

No 8 Jasper Wiese is serving a four-week suspension, ruling him out of this squad.

A handful of players have been released to their respective franchises to build up game time in the Currie Cup, though a few of them have been placed on standby for the Wallaby Tests.

The standby players are centre Lukhanyo Am, who missed the July Tests due to a knee niggle, scrumhalf Faf de Klerk, wing Makazole Mapimpi, lock Salmaan Moerat, No 8 Evan Roos, prop Neethling Fouché and flank Vincent Tshituka. 

The squad has 20 forwards and 17 backline players.

The Springboks face the Wallabies in Joburg on August 16 and in Cape Town on August 23. 

“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 during the Rugby Championship,” Erasmus said.

“This group includes several experienced players and a few younger guys who grabbed their chances in the past few Tests, so we are pleased with this squad for the first two matches. 

“We have informed the players on standby what our plans are and what we expect from them so all of them are ready to step up if needed.” 

Erasmus elaborated on the composition of the squad.

“We probably have three players who can cover each position, which is important in this competition. 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.” 

Erasmus expects a different challenge in the Rugby Championship to that against the Barbarians, Italy and Georgia.

“Australia, New Zealand and Argentina are ranked in the top seven in the world and if one considers we won the Rugby Championship for the first time since 2019 last year, it is clear this will be a different kettle of fish. 

“All three teams have beaten us in the past few years and they play a different style of rugby to the other opposition we have faced so far. But we are pleased with the foundation we laid in the past few weeks and we know what areas of our game we need to work on.”

Erasmus will announce his squad for the two-match tour to New Zealand in September before making the journey Down Under, where they will face their archrivals at Eden Park in Auckland on September 6 and the Sky Stadium in Wellington on September 13. 

The Boks wrap up their campaign with Tests against Argentina in Durban on September 27 and in London on October 4.

Springbok squad 

Forwards: Lood de Jager (Wild Knights), Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota 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 (Honda Heat), Ox Nché (Sharks), Ruan Nortjé (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), André Esterhuizen (Sharks), Aphelele Fassi (Sharks), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (Stormers), Ethan Hooker (Sharks), Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles), Cheslin Kolbe (Tokyo Sungoliath), Willie le Roux (Bulls), Manie Libbok (Stormers), Canan Moodie (Bulls), Handré Pollard (Bulls), Cobus Reinach (Stormers), Edwill van der Merwe (Sharks), Morné van den Berg (Lions), Grant Williams (Sharks), Damian Willemse (Stormers)

SA Rugby media