By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus named six uncapped players in his 37-man squad for their Nations Championship Tests abroad next month.
Former Junior Springbok stars Yaqeen Ahmed, Luan Giliomee, Markus Muller, and former Junior Bok captain Riley Norton have all been handed their first senior national call-ups, alongside domestic performers Sebastian de Klerk and Emmanuel Tshituka.
The decision to blood these young prospects is two-fold, with Erasmus’s trying to accelerate squad depth and continuity, while also nursing injuries to a few key players.
All six players have previously spent time within the national setup. Ahmed, Giliomee, Muller, and Tshituka featured for the SA ‘A’ side against Zimbabwe earlier this year, while Norton featured against the Barbarians in the season-opening showcase. De Klerk returns to the mix after attending national alignment camps last season.
They will feature alongside a settled group of players, including the likes of captain Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit, and Damian de Allende, who have all played for the Boks this season, in which the team finished at the top of the table in the Nations Championship Southern Series in July following victories against England, Scotland, and Wales, before being crowned the inaugural Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry champions, with some of them also featuring in the Test matches against Argentina and Australia.
Unfortunately for Erasmus, Cheslin Kolbe, Eben Etzebeth, Andre Esterhuizen, and Handre Pollard have been ruled out of contention for selection due to them nursing injuries.
Erasmus was delighted to welcome the talented young players to the group and said their performances and promise shown in the last two seasons were key factors in their selection.
“We’ve had all six players on our radar for a while now, and they’ve delivered consistently for their respective franchises in the last two seasons, so they thoroughly deserve their call-ups,” said Erasmus.
“We’ve seen what most of them are capable of first-hand in our season-opening matches and at our training camps, so we are delighted to see what they have to offer on this tour.”
“Building squad depth has always been one of our key pillars as a team, and all those players have shown that they have what it takes to compete at top franchise level, while Riley, Luan and Yaqeen were also part of Junior Springbok squads that have won the Junior World Championship, and Luan also played for the Blitzboks, so they know what it takes to perform at top level.”
“There is no doubt facing some of the top teams in elite international rugby will be a completely different challenge, but we have full faith in them to do their best on tour.”
Of the injured players omitted from the travelling squad, Erasmus said: “It’s always sad to lose players of that calibre, but we are pleased with the cover we have in those positions, and it also offers other players the opportunity to put up their hands.”
“The majority of the players in this group have been with us for most of the season and know what our expectations are, and also what to anticipate at this level, so we are excited about the group we’ve selected for this vital leg of the season.”
The Springboks currently lead the Southern Hemisphere standings in the Nations Championship on points’ difference, as they are tied on 15 points with New Zealand. South Africa will line up against Italy (7 November), France (13 November), and Ireland (21 November) before the Finals Weekend in London (27-29 November).
Springbok squad for second leg of Nations Championship:
Forwards: Thomas du Toit, Ox Nché, Wilco Louw, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Zachary Porthen, Gerhard Steenekamp, Malcolm Marx, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Lood de Jager, Salmaan Moerat, Ruan Nortjé, Riley Norton, Franco Mostert, Paul de Villiers, Siya Kolisi, Cameron Hanekom, Emmanuel Tshituka, Jasper Wiese, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Marco van Staden.
Backs: Cobus Reinach, Morné van den Berg, Grant Williams, Yaqeen Ahmed, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Luan Giliomee, Manie Libbok, Damian de Allende, Jesse Kriel, Markus Muller, Canan Moodie, Sebastian de Klerk, Aphelele Fassi, Ethan Hooker, Edwill van der Merwe, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Damian Willemse.