Tried and tested for Bok end of year tour

The Bok squad would have been virtually unchanged from the group that did duty in the Rugby Championship earlier this year had it not been for a few injuries.

Faf de Klerk, Cheslin Kolbe, RG Snyman and Frans Malherbe were all not considered due to injuries while Pieter-Steph du Toit and Rynardt Elstadt were also left out as they continue rehabiliation.

This has led to Cell C Sharks scrumhalf Grant Williams receiving a full call-up while Salmaan Moerat received a maiden call-up to the Bok squad and there was a re-call for Thomas du Toit who left the squad in Australia due to family reasons.

The Boks play three test matches on the tour which culminates in a clash with England at Twickenham.

“This tour is going to be exciting yet challenging,” said Nienaber in a statement released by SA Rugby.

“The core group of players who played a key role in the series against the British & Irish Lions, as well as the Castle Lager Rugby Championship will remain together as we build consistency and continuity in our squad with an eye on the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

“We had to travel to Australia with an expanded squad due the strict COVID-19 protocols in the country, but with the easing of travel restrictions to Europe and the UK, we were able to revert to a more manageable touring squad."

The squad consists of the more traditional 32 players with eighteen forwards and fourteen backline players included.

There might have been calls for the coach to include a number of younger players, however he was adamant on why he went with the squad he did.

“We are two years out from the Rugby World Cup in France, and we have close to 20 Test matches before we start our defence of the title, so every match will count in terms of building confidence and consistency as a group.

“A number of players have put up their hands in the Currie Cup and the first four rounds of the United Rugby Championship, which is great for our local game, and while they remain on our radar, we’ve decided to stick with the core of our 2021 squad for this tour.”

The Springboks haven't played in Europe since the end of 2018 and they will have a tough time of it against Wales, Scotland and England over the three weeks.

“Obviously this will be a completely different challenge to that we faced in South Africa and Australia earlier this year with the vastly different conditions and in terms of the teams we will face, but fortunately we got a taste of what to expect from the northern hemisphere sides in the Castle Lager Lions Series.

“England is in fourth place on the world rankings, and Scotland and Wales are in seventh and ninth place respectively, and they are all top-class teams that will want to make a strong statement in front of their home crowds, so we need to get into the swing of things quickly when we assemble,” the Springbok coach added.

Springbok squad for the Outgoing Tour:

Props:
Thomas du Toit, Steven Kitshoff, Vincent Koch, Ox Nché, Trevor Nyakane.

Hookers:
Joseph Dweba, Malcolm Marx, Bongi Mbonambi.

Locks:
Lood de Jager, Eben Etzebeth, Salmaan Moerat*, Marvin Orie.

Loose forwards:
Siya Kolisi (captain), Kwagga Smith, Marco van Staden, Duane Vermeulen, Jasper Wiese.

Utility forward:
Franco Mostert

Scrumhalves:
Herschel Jantjies, Cobus Reinach, Grant Williams*.

Flyhalves:
Elton Jantjies, Handré Pollard.

Midfielders:
Lukhanyo Am, Damian de Allende, Jesse Kriel.

Outside backs:
Aphelele Fassi, Willie le Roux, Makazole Mapimpi, Sbu Nkosi.

Utility backs:
Damian Willemse, Frans Steyn.

* - uncapped

Outgoing Tour fixtures (SA kick-off times):

Saturday, 6 November
19h30 – Wales v South Africa (Principality Stadium, Cardiff)

Saturday, 13 November
14h00 – Scotland v South Africa (BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh)

Saturday, 20 November
17h15 – England v South Africa (Twickenham, London)