BREAKING: The four World Cup winners that missed #2023 cut

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: South Africa will head to the World Cup in France without a number of key players.

Four members of the victorious 2019 squad failed to make the cut for the team in 2023.

The big shocks in the team are the absence of flyhalf Handre Pollard, centre Lukhanyo Am, lock Lood de Jager and scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies.

The quartet are not among the 33-man squad – named on Tuesday – to start the Boks’ World Cup defence against Scotland in Marseille on October 10.

Injuries played a major part or at least three of the players.

Pollard hasn’t played since he suffered a calf injury, while playing for Leicester Tigers in the final round of Premiership pool action back in May.

Am injured his knee in the first half of the Boks’ 24-13 win over Los Pumas in Buenos Aires this past weekend.

He failed to return after half-time, with Springbok coach Nienaber confirming that the team doctor said Am simply ‘could not continue’.

De Jager is set to miss the trip to France as a result of a mysterious illness that also ruled him out of the encounter with Argentina this past weekend.

He was set to play against Los Pumas in Buenos Aires, but had to be withdrawn after being ‘a bit chesty’.

Nienaber named 21 players with World Cup experience (nine of whom will be appearing at their third World Cup) when he revealed the defending champion’s squad of 33 players for the 2023 edition in Johannesburg.

Nienaber’s squad featured a strong mix of experience and some of the best up-and-coming young players in the country, while there was disappointment for three of the starting XV from the 32-12 victory over England in Yokohama four years ago who were ruled out by injury and illness.

Flyhalf Handre Pollard (calf), Lukhanyo Am (knee) and Lood de Jager (chest problem) have been placed on standby with six other players.

The Springbok coaches were hopeful that they may return to full training before the start of the tournament and be available for call-up in the event of injury.

Meanwhile, props Frans Malherbe and Trevor Nyakane, lock Eben Etzebeth, loose forwards Pieter-Steph du Toit, Siya Kolisi, Duane Vermeulen, centres Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel and fullback Willie le Roux will feature in their third World Cup tournaments and are among a large group of players who were members of the 2019 World Cup-winning squad.

Also returning from 2019 are Steven Kitshoff and Vincent Koch (props), Bongi Mbonambi and Malcolm Marx (hookers), RG Snyman (lock), Kwagga Smith, (loose forward), Franco Mostert (utility forward), Faf de Klerk and Cobus Reinach (scrumhalves), Damian Willemse (utility back), Cheslin Kolbe and Makazole Mapimpi (wings).

Making their first appearance at a World Cup are Ox Nche (prop), Jean Kleyn and Marvin Orie (locks), Marco van Staden and Jasper Wiese (loose forwards), Deon Fourie (utility forward), Jaden Hendrikse and Grant Williams (scrumhalves), Manie Libbok (flyhalf), Andre Esterhuizen (centre), Kurt-Lee Arendse and Canan Moodie (outside backs).

The squad comprises 19 forwards and 14 backline players.

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“This was one of the hardest selections we have ever had to make,” said Nienaber.

“Any of the 42-man training squad would do a great job but injuries have played a part in the final selection and time unfortunately ran out for some real champions.

“However, we said from the outset that we wanted to name the best 33 players for the World Cup, and after giving 38 players a run in the last four Tests we are pleased with the make-up of the group and we know we have proper depth in each position.

“We’ve picked a squad with a bunch of the players who can also cover alternative positions, which we’ll need in a very tough World Cup.

“We were in a great position this year to have so many players knocking on the door for selection but unfortunately, we could only select 33. Injuries have had a hand in the final selection, but they are part of the game, and we are excited about the quality of the players who can step in and perform at World Cup level – as many of the players who featured against Argentina showed last weekend.”

Nienaber also announced that nine players would be placed on standby – five of whom will travel with the team to Cardiff and London for their last two World Cup warm-up matches against Wales (19 August) and New Zealand (25 August).

The nine players are Am (centre), Joseph Dweba (hooker), De Jager (lock), Jean-Luc du Preez (utility forward), Thomas du Toit (prop), Herschel Jantjies (scrumhalf), Pollard (flyhalf), Evan Roos (No 8) and Gerhard Steenekamp (prop). The five travelling to the UK on Saturday are Dweba, Du Toit, Du Preez, Pollard and Am.

Siya Kolisi will captain the Boks in France.

Nienaber said: “Since Rassie [Erasmus South Africa’s Director of Rugby) and I returned to South Africa in 2018 we’ve been building to the 2023 World Cup, and we are pleased with where we are, going into this World Cup.

“The coaches and players have put in a helluva lot work in the last few years, and we have the luxury of naming a squad that features a big group of players who know what it takes to win a World Cup and who will enter the tournament with vast international experience.

“The younger players have also showed in the last two seasons that they can match some of the top players in the world, so we believe we are better prepared as a team going into this tournament.

“We still have two warm-up games left and a road to travel to build player combinations and fine tune the areas of our game that we feel we need to improve on, so we are by no means the final product at this stage.”

Kolisi, who is expected to be back in action against Wales in two weeks, will captain the Springbok team for the second time at the World Cup when they take the field in France. Nche and Hendrikse – who have not appeared for the Boks in the past four matches – are also expected to return in the final two warm-up matches.

Am suffered a knee injury in the team’s 24-13 victory against Argentina in Buenos Aires and is expected to be out of action for four weeks, while De Jager is undergoing specialist evaluation for a chest problem. Pollard, meanwhile, has been on the sidelines with a calf injury since joining the team in June and will continue to work with the Bok medical team to return to full fitness.

South Africa will launch their World Cup title defence on Sunday, September 10, against Scotland in Marseille, which will be followed by pool matches against Romania in Bordeaux (September 17), Ireland in Paris (September 23) and Tonga in Marseille (October 1).

The World Cup quarterfinals will be played on the weekend of October 14/15, with the semifinals on October 20/21 and the Final on Saturday, October 28.

Springbok World Cup squad:

Forwards:

Props: Steven Kitshoff, Vincent Koch, Frans Malherbe, Ox Nche, Trevor Nyakane.
Hookers: Bongi Mbonambi, Malcolm Marx.
Locks: Eben Etzebeth, Jean Kleyn, Marvin Orie, RG Snyman.
Loose forwards: Pieter-Steph du Toit, Siya Kolisi (captain), Kwagga Smith, Marco van Staden, Duane Vermeulen, Jasper Wiese.
Utility forwards: Deon Fourie, Franco Mostert.

Backs:

Scrumhalves: Faf de Klerk, Jaden Hendrikse, Cobus Reinach, Grant Williams.
Flyhalves: Manie Libbok, Damian Willemse.
Centres: Damian de Allende, Andre Esterhuizen, Jesse Kriel.
Outside Backs: Kurt-Lee Arendse, Cheslin Kolbe, Willie le Roux, Makazole Mapimpi, Canan Moodie.