Boks add two Stormers flyhalves for year-end tour
TEAM UPDATE: Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber has moved swiftly to bolster his flyhalf resources.
The Stormers trio of Manie Libbok, Sacha Mngomezulu and Evan Roos will join the Springbok training camp in Stellenbosch on their return from Wales – following their United Rugby Championship tour.
The Bulls pair of flyhalf Johan Goosen and loose forward Elrigh Louw will no longer join the camp.
Goosen is in the return to training stages after suffering concussion, while Louw suffered an ankle injury during this past Friday’s URC win over Benetton in Treviso.
Libbok, Mngomezulu and Roos will have a few days off before returning to Stormers’ training on Wednesday, which opened the door for Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber and SA Rugby Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus to invite them to the camp.
The coaches will name Springbok and SA ‘A’ squads on Friday for the year-end tour – consisting of four Tests and two midweek matches in November.
The Boks will play consecutive Tests against Ireland in Dublin on November 5, France in Marseille on November 12, Italy in Genoa on November 19 and England in London on November 26.
The SA ‘A’ team, coached by Mzwandile Stick, will face Munster on Thursday, November 10, and the Bristol Bears a week later on November 17.
With a large group of players set to be named for the two squads next week, Erasmus said it made sense to give these players an opportunity to train with the squad before they return to the Stormers to prepare for their URC clash against the Lions on Saturday.
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“We are naming a group of 54 players next week for the Springbok and SA ‘A’ squads so it made sense for us to us to invite these players, especially since they will be in Cape Town anyway and have time off,” said Erasmus.
“Evan is a capped Springbok, while Manie and Sacha will be exposed to the national set-up for the first time, and although it is a short camp, this will be an invaluable experience for them.
“We are excited to see how they slot into the system and what they can do on the field.”
Erasmus explained the decision to exclude Goosen from the training group saying: “Johan is recovering from concussion, and given the strict return to play protocols, he will not be able to participate fully in this camp, hence we decided it would be best for him to remain at the Bulls this week and start preparing for their URC game on Sunday.
“Fortunately, he attended our alignment camp earlier in the year and he knows our structures and systems well.
“It’s a pity that Elrigh is injured, but he has been with us for a while and is very familiar with our structures, and we’ll keep an eye on the extent of his injury, although it doesn’t appear that he will be available for selection.”
The training squad will assemble at the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport on Sunday, with the three-day camp running until Wednesday.
