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Four World Cup winners return to 34-man Springboks squad for UK tour
By Josh Raisey
Newly crowned Rugby Championship winners South Africa have welcomed back four World Cup winners to their squad that will tour the United Kingdom next month.
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The Springboks will face Scotland, England and Wales in November as they seek to reclaim their status as the number one ranked team in the world.
Head coach Rassie Erasmus has recalled locks Franco Mostert and RG Snyman, centre Andre Esterhuizen and full-back Damian Willemse in what is a settled squad with no uncapped players.
Willemse, whose last appearance for the Boks was the World Cup final last year, has been dealing with a finger injury this year, but is fully fit and will be vying for that No 15 jersey again.
Mostert, Snyman and Esterhuizen have all featured for the Boks this year, but took no part in the victorious Rugby Championship campaign due to injury.
A foot injury forced Snyman to withdraw from round one of the Rugby Championship against Australia, but he has looked in fine fettle in his new life as a Leinster player. Esterhuizen has started in every match for the Sharks so far in the United Rugby Championship after overcoming a shoulder injury.
Mostert, meanwhile, has not returned to action due to Japan’s off-season, but he has recovered from the broken leg he sustained against Ireland in July.
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Fellow locks, Salmaan Moerat and Lood de Jager, remain out with a knee and shoulder issues, respectively. Rising star Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu is also still sidelined with a knee injury, as is prop Steven Kitshoff, who is still overcoming a neck issue.
Looking ahead to the tour, Erasmus said: “We are under no illusions about the quality of the opposition we will face, and we have experienced first-hand how their home crowds lift them, much like our passionate supporters, so we know what it will take to be successful over there.
“Fortunately, we have a squad that believes in themselves and their abilities, and that will be vital as we enter these matches.
“Obviously we’ll take confidence from winning the Rugby Championship, but the reality is that’s now history, and there’s no doubt that will motivate the opposition even more to make a strong statement against us.”
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On his returning quartet of World Cup winners, Erasmus said: “It’s also great to have RG, Franco, Andre, and Damian back in the mix after recovering from their injuries, and we are excited to see what impact they have on the field, especially after their disappointment of missing out on the Rugby Championship.
“Damian, Andre and RG all returned to action in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship and have made a strong statement with their performances, and we all know what a work horse Franco is and the quality that he adds to the team, so there’s no doubt they’ll want to make their presence felt against quality opposition in Scotland, England and Wales, who are all ranked within the top 11 sides in the world.”
Springboks squad
Props: Thomas du Toit (Bath), Vincent Koch (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers), Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Gerhard Steenekamp (Vodacom Bulls).
Hookers: Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears), Bongi Mbonambi (Hollywoodbets Sharks).
Locks: Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Franco Mostert (Honda Heat), Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls), RG Snyman (Leinster).
Back-rows: Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz), Siya Kolisi (captain, Hollywoodbets Sharks), Elrigh Louw (Vodacom Bulls), Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs), Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls), Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks).
Utility forward: Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Vodacom Bulls).
Scrum-halves: Jaden Hendrikse (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Cobus Reinach (Montpellier), Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks).
Fly-halves: 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), Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers).
Damien back makes for a very interesting selection on the bench. 7:1 split. Can see Matt Williams frothing at the mouth already.
Hopefully Cameron is selected next year. He will add the finese to the No.8 role which is lacking with Wiese.
What does Cameron Hanekom have to do to get into the squad?
Certainly deserves to get a call-up and would have been made a Bok this year if he wasn't injured. He's not been part of Bok training squad since early this year, though, and with so little time to prepare before the tour, it makes sense to go with the tried and tested. Players like Sous, Willemse and RG know the Bok systems backwards by now so slot in easily. Hanekom's time will come.
be old
I’m surprised that Faf De Klerk isn’t in the squad, but the other 9s are all quality so someone has to lose out. I was disappointed with Marco van Staden earlier in the year. He’s probably the only player I would not have selected. All-in-all, it looks like a really good squad.
I wonder if he's perhaps there, in part, to share the hooker cover role with Wessels in case of an injury to M&M, like he did together with Fourie at the WC?