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Currie Cup trio are Rassie's Bok bolters

SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus was true to his promise, to include few Currie Cup final surprises in his year-end tour squad.

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The uncapped trio of Sergeal Petersen (wing), Ruhan Nel (centre) and John Schickerling (lock) were on Saturday named in the squad of 36 for the tour to the United Kingdom and France.

Apart from the inclusion of the three uncapped players from Western Province, there were recalls for Gio Aplon (outside back) and Louis Schreuder (scrumhalf), who captained the Sharks in Saturday’s Currie Cup Final.

Schreuder and the uncapped Western Province trio were among 10 players who rushed from the Currie Cup Final to catch a flight to the UK to join the Springboks on tour.

Also on the flight after the final were Wilco Louw, Bongi Mbonambi, Sikhumbuzo Notshe and Damian Willemse (all Western Province) and the Sharks’ Sibusiso Nkosi and Thomas du Toit.

Trevor Nyakane (prop) and Lodewyk de Jager (lock) are back in the Springbok fold after missing the entire international season to date due to injury, while Duane Vermeulen (loose forward) also returns after missing the Rugby Championship campaign.

All three experienced forwards, with a combined 115 caps between them, were part of a preliminary squad of 20 players who attended a week-long training camp in Stellenbosch, where they worked hard to prepare for the annual end of year tour.

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Petersen played in a tour match for the Springboks against the Barbarians at Wembley in London in 2016, but is uncapped at Test level.

Nel was part of the squad during the latter stages of the Rugby Championship.

The 23-year-old Schickerling, a former SA Under-20 representative, will get his first taste of senior international rugby, although he and Petersen played for the SA ‘A’ side against the touring England Saxons in June 2016.

Aplon is plying his trade in Japan nowadays and has 17 Test caps to his name, the last of which came in 2012. He is an exciting attacker with a good left boot and can play either fullback or wing.

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Schreuder has one Test cap and cracked the nod for inclusion in the tour squad following some good performances for the Sharks in the domestic Currie Cup.

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Bok coach Rassie Erasmus has named 20 forwards and 16 backs for the month-long tour to England, France, Scotland and Wales.

“This tour to the Northern Hemisphere will be another tough test of our team’s character and we are looking forward to the exciting challenges against England, France, Scotland and Wales,” said Erasmus.

“It is always good to welcome new players to the Springbok environment and I’m excited to work with Sergeal and JD – I am sure they will bring a lot of energy into the group.

“Gio has a lot of experience of playing in the challenging European conditions from his club rugby stint in France, while Louis has been impressive in the Currie Cup and also brings a lot of experience.

“And we all know the value experienced players such as Lodewyk, Trevor, and Duane will bring to the squad.”

Lionel Mapoe, who was part of the training squad in Stellenbosch, was ruled out of the tour due to injury and joins Tendai Mtawarira, Ross Cronje, Lukhanyo Am and Makazole Mapimpi, all of whom were part of the Rugby Championship squad, on the sidelines.

The Springboks face England at Twickenham on November 3, followed by a meeting with the French in Paris one week later on November 10. Their third Test on Tour is against Scotland at Murrayfield in Edinburgh on November 17, and they wrap up their month-long tour with a visit to the Principality Stadium, where they are due to face Wales on 24 November.

South Africa squad:

Forwards: Schalk Brits (Hooker, Stormers), Lodewyk de Jager (Lock, Blue Bulls), Pieter-Steph du Toit (Loose forward / Lock, Western Province)., Thomas du Toit (Prop, Sharks), Eben Etzebeth (Lock, Western Province), Steven Kitshoff (Prop, Western Province), Vincent Koch (Prop, Saracens, England), Siya Kolisi (captain – Loose forward, Western Province), Francois Louw (Loose forward, Bath, England), Wilco Louw (Prop, Western Province), Frans Malherbe (Prop, Western Province), Malcolm Marx (Hooker, Golden Lions), Mbongeni Mbonambi (Hooker, Western Province), Franco Mostert (Lock, Golden Lions), Sikhumbuzo Notshe (Loose forward, Western Province), Trevor Nyakane (Prop, Blue Bulls), John Schickerling (Lock, Western Province), Rudolph Snyman (Lock, Heat, Japan), Duane Vermeulen (Loose forward, Spears, Japan, Blue Bulls), Warren Whiteley (Loose forward, Golden Lions).

Backs: Gio Aplon (Wing / Fullback, Verblitz, Japan), Damian de Allende (Centre, Western Province), Aphiwe Dyantyi (Wing, Golden Lions), André Esterhuizen (Centre, Blues, Japan, Sharks), Elton Jantjies (Flyhalf, Golden Lions), Cheslin Kolbe (Wing / Fullback, Toulouse, France), Jesse Kriel (Centre, Blue Bulls), Willie le Roux (Fullback, Wasps, England), Ruhan Nel (Centre, Western province), Sibusiso Nkosi (Wing, Sharks), Embrose Papier (Scrumhalf, Blue Bulls), Sergeal Petersen (Wing, Western Province), Handré Pollard (Flyhalf, Blue Bulls), Louis Schreuder (Scrumhalf, Sharks), Ivan van Zyl (Scrumhalf, Blue Bulls), Damian Willemse (Flyhalf / Fullback, Western Province).

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