Springboks bring in 5 new faces and include Le Roux in latest squad

Despite on Thursday saying that Willie le Roux would not be available for the conclusion of the Rugby Championship, the Wasps full-back has been named in the latest Springboks squad.

The Springboks said that both Le Roux and Francois Louw (Bath) had been returned to their Premiership clubs and “will not feature in the two home Tests”. But it appears they’ve swiftly backtracked on this regarding Le Roux. Wasps Director of Rugby Dai Young had said in the build-up to their match with Sale that the club would not stand in Le Roux’s way if he was called up.

Le Roux is now set to miss Wasps’ Gallagher Premiership game at Newcastle Falcons on September 28th, followed by their home match against Gloucester Rugby on October 6th. If selected against the All Blacks it would give the full-back just six days to recover in time for their Champions Cup opener at defending champions Leinster in Dublin on October 12th.

Saracens prop Vincent Koch has been called up by the Springboks, as has uncapped back Ruhan Nel, who plays for DHL Western Province in the Currie Cup, Sbu Nkosi (wing), Lionel Mapoe (centre) and Ivan van Zyl (scrumhalf).

They will join the 17 players already in camp in Port Elizabeth on Sunday. The Springboks face the Wallabies next Saturday, 29 September in the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. They conclude the tournamemnt with a return fixture against the All Blacks at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria a week later.

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Nkosi has recovered from the ankle injury that stopped him from playing in any Rugby Championship matches so far this year.

Front rower Koch is currently starring for Saracens in England. Meanwhile, Trevor Nyakane (prop, Vodacom Blue Bulls) will continue with his conditioning programme under the supervision of the Springbok conditioning and medical staff over the next two weeks.

Rassie Erasmus, SA Rugby’s Director of Rugby, said he was excited to welcome back players such as Van Zyl, Mapoe and Nkosi, and to work with Nel and Koch.

“Ruhan comes with a lot of international experience with the Blitzboks and he has performed consistently well for DHL WP, so it will be good to see how he operates in the Bok environment,” said Erasmus.

“Trevor and Sbu have been part of the squad earlier in the year and it’s good to welcome them back, while the players who featured for their provinces in recent weeks all got some valuable game time.”

The Springbok squad for the Rugby Championship home leg against the Wallabies and All Blacks (in alphabetical order – name and surname, position, franchise/club, Test caps and points):

Forwards (16):
Schalk Brits (Hooker, Unattached), 11, 5 – 1t
Pieter-Steph du Toit (Lock/ loose forward, DHL Western Province), 40, 20 – 4t
Eben Etzebeth (Lock, DHL Western Province), 71, 15 – 3t
Steven Kitshoff (Prop, DHL Western Province), 31, 5 – 1t
Vincent Koch (Prop, Saracens, England), 9, 0
Siya Kolisi (Captain, Flanker, DHL Western Province), 35, 25 – 5t
Wilco Louw (Prop, DHL Western Province), 10, 0
Frans Malherbe (Prop, DHL Western Province), 23, 0
Malcolm Marx (Hooker, Emirates Lions), 18, 20 – 4t
Bongi Mbonambi (Hooker, DHL Western Province), 20, 10 – 2t
Franco Mostert (Lock, Xerox Golden Lions), 24, 5 – 1t
Tendai Mtawarira (Prop, Cell C Sharks), 105, 10 – 2t
Sikhumbuzo Notshe (No 8, DHL Western Province), 4, 0
RG Snyman (Lock, Vodacom Blue Bulls), 6, 0
Marco van Staden (Flanker, Vodacom Blue Bulls), 1, 0
Warren Whiteley (No 8, Xerox Golden Lions), 21, 15 – 3t

*Note: Trevor Nyakane (Prop, Vodacom Blue Bulls) will continue with his conditioning programme under the supervision of the Springbok conditioning staff

Backs (14):

Faf de Klerk (Scrumhalf, Sale Sharks, England), 18, 10 – 2t
Aphiwe Dyantyi (Wing, Xerox Golden Lions), 7, 25 – 5t
André Esterhuizen (Centre, Cell C Sharks), 4, 0
Elton Jantjies (Flyhalf, Xerox Golden Lions), 28, 223 – 2t, 42c, 43p
Willie le Roux (Fullback, Wasps, England), 48, 60 – 12t
Cheslin Kolbe (Utility back, Toulouse, France), 2, 5 – 1t
Jesse Kriel (Centre, Vodacom Blue Bulls), 34, 45 – 9t
Lionel Mapoe (Centre, Xerox Golden Lions), 14, 10 – 2t
Ruhan Nel (Centre, DHL Western Province), uncapped
Sibusiso Nkosi (Wing, Cell C Sharks), 3, 10 – 2t
Embrose Papier (Scrumhalf, Vodacom Blue Bulls), 3, 0
Handré Pollard (Flyhalf, Vodacom Blue Bulls), 33, 265 – 3t, 50c, 47p, 3d
Ivan van Zyl (Scrumhalf, Vodacom Blue Bulls), 3, 0
Damian Willemse (Flyhalf, DHL Western Province), 2, 0