The Springboks have received a boost after Rassie Erasmus welcomed back Steven Kitshoff, Jaden Hendrikse and Canan Moodie from injury for the home Rugby Championship Tests against New Zealand.
Erasmus has also recalled Jasper Wiese (No 8), Andre Esterhuizen (centre) – both RWC winners in 2023 – and Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg (lock) to the 37-man squad that assembled in Johannesburg on Thursday.
The Bok coach has opted to increase the squad from 33 players for the two sold out Tests against their archrivals, at Ellis Park (31 August) and the DHL Stadium a week later (7 September).
With locks Franco Mostert, Lood de Jager and Jean Kleyn still on the injured list, Janse van Rensburg, who played his first and only Test match against Argentina in Port Elizabeth in 2021, earned his first call-up back to the national squad.
Erasmus’ squad features 31 of the 33 players who travelled to Australia for their two opening Rugby Championship Tests against the Wallabies in Brisbane and Perth, where they collected a full house of points for the first time in history on tour.
With Hendrikse back from injury and Jan-Hendrik Wessels equally adept at prop and hooker, Morne van den Berg and Johan Grobbelaar were excluded from the group for these two Tests, although they will remain on standby along with the other players included in Erasmus’s initial 45-man group in the event of injuries.
Kitshoff (knee), Hendrikse (shoulder) and Moodie (finger) have all recovered fully from their respective injuries and have played in the Carling Currie Cup, while Wiese and Esterhuizen are back in contention for selection for the first Test against the All Blacks following suspensions.
Apart from Mostert, De Jager and Kleyn, the other players ruled out of contention for selection due to injury are Evan Roos (No 8), Herschel Jantjies and Faf de Klerk (both scrumhaves).
The Springboks arrived back in South Africa in two groups on Monday and Tuesday. After the All Blacks Tests, they will wrap up the Castle Lager Rugby Championship with a short tour to Argentina where they will line up against Los Pumas in Santiago on 21 September before returning to Nelspruit for their last match of the tournament at the Mbombela Stadium on 28 September.
Springbok squad for the Rugby Championship Tests against New Zealand:
Props: Thomas du Toit (Bath), Steven Kitshoff (Stormers), Vincent Koch (Sharks), Frans Malherbe (Stormers), Ox Nche (Sharks), Gerhard Steenekamp, Jan-Hendrik Wessels (both Bulls).
Hookers: Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears), Bongi Mbonambi (Sharks).
Locks: Eben Etzebeth (Sharks), Salmaan Moerat (Stormers), Ruan Nortje (Bulls), RG Snyman (Leinster), Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg (Montpellier).
Loose forwards: Ben-Jason Dixon (Stormers), Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz), Siya Kolisi (captain, Racing 92), Elrigh Louw (Bulls), Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs), Marco van Staden (Bulls), Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers).
Scrumhalves: Jaden Hendrikse (Sharks), Cobus Reinach (Montpellier), Grant Williams (Sharks).
Flyhalves: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Manie Libbok (both Stormers), Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers).
Centres: Lukhanyo Am (Sharks), Damian de Allende (Wild Knights), Andre Esterhuizen (Sharks), Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles).
Outside backs: Kurt-Lee Arendse (Bulls), Aphelele Fassi (Sharks), Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath), Willie le Roux (Bulls), Makazole Mapimpi (Sharks), Canan Moodie (Bulls).
Photo: Twitter/@Springboks
The post Boks recall fit-again World Cup-winning trio appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Src: sarugbymag.co.za
