SA Rugby
Siya Kolisi is back to lead a strong 33-man Springbok coach squad for the Castle Lager Rugby Championship, which kicks off against the Wallabies in Brisbane on Saturday, 10 August.
Twenty-two of the 33 players are Rugby World Cup-winners, while five debutants are included in the squad in Jan-Hendrik Wessels (utility forward), Johan Grobbelaar (hooker), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (utility back), Ben-Jason Dixon (utility forward) and Morne van den Berg (scrumhalf).
The only newcomer to the group is lock Ruan Nortje, who made his Springbok debut against Wales in 2022 and represented the SA ‘A’ side in November that year.
All the other players featured in the team’s opening four Tests of the season against Wales at Twickenham or during the Castle Lager Incoming Series.
Players not considered for selection due to injury or rehabilitation include locks Jean Kleyn, Lood de Jager and Franco Mostert, prop Steven Kitshoff (prop), scrumhalves Faf de Klerk, Jaden Hendrikse, and Herschel Jantjies.
Still out are Canan Moodie, (centre), Edwill van der Merwe (wing) and Damian Willemse (utility back), while Jasper Wiese is suspended, and Andre Esterhuizen (centre) awaits a disciplinary hearing after being sent off in the 64-21 win over Portugal on Saturday.
Bok head coach, Rassie Erasmus, said it was a "quality group of players" and a mix of youth and experience.
"We believe this is the best group of players we could select for this tough assignment in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship,” he said.
“We rested some players before the match against Portugal to recharge for this competition and we are excited to see the energy they’ll bring back to the squad. We’ve also included a few younger players who made a strong statement in the Tests we played so far this season.
“The injury to Franco Mostert opened the door for Ruan Nortje to make his comeback to the national team, and he brings a different type of experience as the captain of the Vodacom Bulls."
Erasmus also lauded the younger players in the group for the strong statement they made this season, and he looked forward to seeing what they had to offer in what will be a vastly different challenge against Australia, New Zealand, and Argentina.
“We were very impressed with the likes of Salmaan Moerat (who became the 66th Springbok captain against Portugal), Dixon, Grobbelaar, Wessels and Feinberg-Mngomezulu when they received a chance to play this season,” said Erasmus.
“While this may be a very different challenge to facing Wales, Ireland and Portugal, we have full faith in the players to make another big step-up against the southern hemisphere teams, who play a different type of rugby to the sides we’ve faced up to now.
The Springbok squad for the Castle Lager Rugby Championship (in alphabetical order):
Forwards: 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 (captain – Racing 92), Elrigh Louw (Vodacom Bulls), Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers), Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears), Bongi Mbonambi (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Salmaan Moerat (DHL Stormers), Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls), Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs), RG Snyman (Leinster), Gerhard Steenekamp (Vodacom Bulls), Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls), Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Vodacom Bulls).
Backs: Lukhanyo Am (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls), Damian de Allende (Wild Knights), Aphelele Fassi (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers), Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath), Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles), Willie le Roux (Vodacom Bulls), Makazole Mapimpi (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Manie Libbok (DHL Stormers), Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers), Cobus Reinach (Montpellier), Morne van den Berg (Emirates Lions), Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks).
