Springboks v All Blacks: South Africa bring back big names for Greatest Rivalry tour
The big guns are returning for the Springboks with 10 key players back for the four-test series against the All Blacks starting next month.
Coach Rassie Erasmus unveiled his 43-man squad overnight, which includes captain Siya Kolisi, starting first five-eighths Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, along with World Cup winners Lood de Jager, Eben Etzebeth, Franco Mostert, Andre Esterhuizen, Canan Moodie and Handre Pollard, all of whom missed the recent Nations Championship matches.
Ethan Hooker and Morne van den Berg have also been added to the squad.
The Springboks will face Argentina on August 9 in preparation for the opening All Blacks test two weeks later at Ellis Park; however, Erasmus won’t send a full-strength squad to Buenos Aires.
“We put a lot of thought into how we will manage the entire group of players to give everyone a chance to stake a claim for places in the squad for the [New Zealand] series, and we decided that splitting the squad into two groups will be best for the Springbok team and the players to play their way into the squad,” Erasmus said.
“Some players are returning from injury and need some valuable game time, so depending on how they progress from their injuries during next week’s training camp, we will decide who we will take to Argentina, while the other guys in the 43-man squad will remain behind in Johannesburg with a group of coaches and management to begin preparing for the tests against New Zealand.
“Then there are other players who have played a lot of rugby this year and for us during the Nations Championship, and need a match off to allow their bodies to recover.”
The All Blacks name their squad on Monday, with the tour opening with a match against the Stormers on August 8 NZT.
South Africa squad to face Argentina and the All Blacks:
Props: Thomas du Toit (Sharks), Wilco Louw (Stormers), Ox Nche (Sharks), Zachary Porthen (Stormers), Carlu Sadie (Bordeaux Begles), Gerhard Steenekamp (Bulls), Boan Venter (Lions)
Hookers: Johan Grobbelaar (Bulls), Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears)
Locks: Lood de Jager (Wild Knights), Eben Etzebeth (Sharks), Ruan Nortje (Kubota Spears).
Loose forwards: Paul de Villiers, Ben-Jason Dixon (both Stormers), Cameron Hanekom (Bulls), Siya Kolisi (Stormers), Elrigh Louw (Bulls), Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks).
Utility forwards: Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz), Franco Mostert (Honda Heat), Vincent Tshituka (Sharks), Marco van Staden, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Cobus Wiese (all Bulls)
Halfbacks: Herschel Jantjies (Bayonne), Cobus Reinach (Stormers), Morne van den Berg (Lions), Grant Williams (Kobe Steelers)
First five-eighths: Manie Libbok (Kintetsu Liners), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (Stormers), Vusi Moyo (Sharks), Handre Pollard (Bulls)
Centres: Damian de Allende (Wild Knights), Andre Esterhuizen (Sharks), Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles)
Utility backs: Kurt-Lee Arendse (Mitsubishi Dynaboars), Aphelele Fassi (Toshiba), Ethan Hooker (Sharks), Quan Horn (Lions), Cheslin Kolbe (Stormers), Canan Moodie (Bulls), Edwill van der Merwe (Sharks), Damian Willemse (Stormers).