Two uncapped players called up to Springboks squad

The official Springboks squad for the two-Test series against Ireland and once-off Test against Portugal was named by Rassie Erasmus on Tuesday.

With just under two weeks to go before South Africa’s highly anticipated series against Ireland kicks off at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria, head coach Erasmus has showed his hand by selecting 39 players in the official squad and an additional 14 players on a standby list.

SPRINGBOKS SQUAD ANALYSIS

The four uncapped players named in the squad are Johan Grobbelaar, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Phepsi Buthelezi and Morne van den Berg.

Buthelezi and Van den Berg, however, also gained selection for the Springboks traveling squad for the Test against Wales; while Bulls duo Grobbelaar and Wessels are new inclusions.

Meanwhile, Cheslin Kolbe (wing) and Lukhanyo Am (centre) – who joined the Springbok squad at different stages during the training camp in Pretoria to do their rehabilitation under the supervision of the Bok medical team – are back from injury.

Handre Pollard (flyhalf) and Jasper Wiese, who trained with the Springboks but were ineligible for selection due to the Wales Test falling outside of the international window have also been named in the squad, although Wiese will only be available for selection once he completes his suspension from a dangerous tackle.

Erasmus also called up Rugby World Cup winners Siya Kolisi – the 2019 and 2023 Rugby World Cup-winning captain – and RG Snyman (lock), who both joined the squad in London following their club commitments – as well as Marco van Staden (flanker), Kurt-Lee Arendse (utility back) and Willie le Roux (fullback), who wrapped up their United Rugby Championship season with the Vodacom Bulls in the grand final against the Glasgow Warriors on Saturday night.

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

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.

Erasmus, however, declared that three Springboks 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.

BOK SQUAD FOR INCOMING SERIES:

Springboks Forwards: 

Phepsi Buthelezi (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Ben-Jason Dixon (DHL Stormers), Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz), Thomas du Toit (Bath), 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).

Springboks 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).