Boks bring in Saracens star and BlitzBok stalwart
SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: Rassie Erasmus has revealed his squad for the Springboks’ final two Rugby Championship home matches against the Wallabies and the All Blacks.
The uncapped Blitzbok star Ruhan Nel, Vincent Koch (prop), Sbu Nkosi (wing), Lionel Mapoe (centre) and Ivan van Zyl (scrumhalf) have been added to the squad.
They will join the 17 players already in camp in Port Elizabeth on Sunday. The Springboks face the Wallabies next Saturday, September 29 in the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. They conclude the Rugby Championship with a return fixture against the All Blacks at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria a week later.
Nel, who plays outside for the Western Province in the Currie Cup, is included amongst the backs alongside Mapoe. Nkosi has recovered from the ankle injury that stopped him from playing in any Rugby Championship matches so far this year.
Front rank Koch is currently starring for Saracens in England. Meanwhile, Trevor Nyakane (prop, Blue Bulls) will continue with his conditioning programme under the supervision of the Springbok conditioning and medical staff over the next two weeks.
Erasmus said he was excited to welcome back players such as Van Zyl, Mapoe and Nkosi, and to work with Nel and Koch.
“Ruhan comes with a lot of international experience with the Blitzboks and he has performed consistently well for WP, so it will be good to see how he operates in the Bok environment,” said Erasmus.
‘Trevor and Sbu have been part of the squad earlier in the year and it’s good to welcome them back, while the players who featured for their provinces in recent weeks all got some valuable game time.”
Springbok squad:
Forwards: Schalk Brits, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Eben Etzebeth, Steven Kitshoff, Vincent Koch, Siya Kolisi (captain), Wilco Louw, Frans Malherbe, Malcolm Marx, Bongi Mbonambi, Franco Mostert, Tendai Mtawarira, Sikhumbuzo Notshe, RG Snyman, Marco van Staden, Warren Whiteley.
Backs: Faf de Klerk, Aphiwe Dyantyi, André Esterhuizen, Elton Jantjies, Willie le Roux, Cheslin Kolbe, Jesse Kriel, Lionel Mapoe, Ruhan Nel, Sibusiso Nkosi, Embrose Papier, Handré Pollard, Ivan van Zyl, Damian Willemse.
Ruhan Nel, Vincent Koch, Sbu Nkosi, Lionel Mapoe, Ivan van Zyl added to the #Springboks squad for their final two Castle Lager Rugby Championship home matches against the @qantaswallabies and the @AllBlacks @RuhanNel7only uncapped player. @MTNza @FNBSA @ASICS_ZA Your thoughts? pic.twitter.com/vIZBQhMFqQ
— South African Rugby (@Springboks) September 23, 2018
