By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has named 18 capped players in his first Bok team for the year, which will take on the Barbarians in Gqeberha on Saturday.
The lineup for the upcoming match includes a blend of experienced players and new talent.
The Junior Boks captain Riley Norton and Bordeaux Bègles tighthead prop Carlü Sadie are the only two players in the starting lineup who have yet to make their Test debuts.
The uncapped players among the replacements are Stormers hooker JJ Kotze and flank Paul de Villiers, and Junior Boks flyhalf Vusi Moyo.
The backline has a strong international flavour to it with Aphelele Fassi, Cheslin Kolbe and Edwill van der Merwe forming the back-three, while Andre Esterhuizen and Jesse Kriel will combine in a hard-running midfield combination, and Quan Horn will take over the No 10 jumper alongside Grant Williams at halfback.
Up front, Ox Nche and Sadie will form a front row trio with Andre-Hugo Venter, while Norton and Franco Mostert will run the engine room, and the familiar loose trio of Siya Kolisi ©, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Jasper Wiese completing the forward pack.
The replacements bench, which features six forwards and two backs, will see Kotze, Ntuthuko Mchunu and Zachary Porthen serve as the back-up front row, while Ben-Jason Dixon, De Villiers and Evan Roos will provide additional forward reinforcement. The two backline players on the bench are Faf de Klerk and Moyo.
Erasmus was pleased with the quality of the team he announced as injuries and enforced rest for certain players resulted in him having to tweak a few player combinations.
“We said from the outset that we wanted to give a few players returning from injury and others who have been playing overseas game time in this match, while at the same time exposing some of the younger players on our radar to top-class international rugby, and we believe this squad reflects those objectives,” said Erasmus.
“We have been very impressed with the way the new players have jumped straight into action and grasped our systems and structures, and we are excited to see what they can do alongside some of our regular Springbok players, as we build for what will be a challenging season with the Nations Championship and Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series approaching.”
Mzwandile Stick, meanwhile, named a talented young SA ‘A’ side, who will have the luxury of relying on a group of senior players such as Lukhanyo Am (centre), Boan Venter (prop), Phepsi Buthelezi (No 8), Tshituka (lock) and Neethling Fouche (prop), who will be supported by an exciting group of youngsters including Luan Giliomee, Jaco Williams, and Zekhethelo Siyaya in the back three.
Markus Muller, meanwhile, will partner up with Am in the midfield, with halfbacks Yaqeen Ahmed and Haashim Pead dictating play at halfback.
Stick, who will double up as the Springbok assistant coach, also named a physical pack, with loose forwards Buthelezi, Bathobele Hlekani, Emmanuel Tshituka – the brother of Vincent Tshituka, who will run the lineouts with Van Heerden – and a strong front row combination of Fouche, Boan Venter (both props) and SA U20 hooker Siphosethu Mnebelele.
The SA ‘A’ coach also named a strong bench, featuring the front row of Liam van Wyk (hooker), and props Oliver Reid and Hanro Jacobs, while Adre Smith, who joined the squad on Sunday, will provide further forward back-up with Siba Mahashe.
The three backline players among the replacements are Nico Steyn, Imad Khan, and Jurenzo Julius.
The teams will wrap up their main training block in Johannesburg on Wednesday, before departing for Gqeberha later in the afternoon.
Springbok XV
Aphelele Fassi, Cheslin Kolbe, Jesse Kriel, Andre Esterhuizen, Edwill van der Merwe, Quan Horn, Grant Williams, Jasper Wiese, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Siya Kolisi (c), Franco Mostert, Riley Norton, Carlu Sadie, Andre-Hugo Venter, Ox Nche
Bench: JJ Kotze, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Zachary Porthen, Ben-Jason Dixon, Paul de Villiers, Evan Roos, Faf de Klerk, Vusi Moyo
SA ‘A’ XV
Luan Giliomee, Jaco Williams, Markus Muller, Lukhanyo Am, Zekhethelo Siyaya, Yaqeen Ahmed, Haashim Pead, Phepsi Buthelezi, Batho Hlekani, Emmanuel Tshituka, Ruben van Heerden, Vincent Tshituka (c), Neethling Fouche, Siphosethu Mnebelele, Boan Venter
Bench: Liam van Wyk, Oliver Reid, Hanro Jacobs, Adre Smith, Siba Mahashe, Nico Steyn, Imad Khan, Jurenzo Julius.