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Springboks name two uncapped players in 32-strong UK tour squad

(Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

Springboks boss Jacques Nienaber has named a 32-strong squad for next month’s three-game UK tour, calling up rookie lock Salmaan Moerat to join the uncapped Grant Williams in a travelling party that doesn’t include regular first-choice players Faf de Klerk, Cheslin Kolbe and Frans Malherbe who are missing through injury. 

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Wales, Scotland and England will provide the opposition on successive November Saturdays to South Africa, who signed off on their Rugby Championship campaign earlier this month with a win over the All Blacks in Australia.

Ex-SA schools and Junior Springbok captain Moerat has earned his first Springbok call-up in a squad where the only other uncapped player named by Nienaber is scrum-half Grant Williams, who travelled to Australia with the Springboks for the Rugby Championship.

Video Spacer

Eddie Jones’ England squad media briefing

Video Spacer

Eddie Jones’ England squad media briefing

The main injury-enforced omissions from a squad featuring 18 forwards and 14 backs are de Klerk (hip flexor), Kolbe (knee), Malherbe (neck) and RG Snyman (knee). Other players not considered for selection included Pieter-Steph du Toit and Rynhardt Elstadt, who are respectively recovering from shoulder and ankle injuries.

“Salmaan has established himself as a talented lock and captain since his younger days in our junior structures and he has continued to show his class at senior level for the Stormers and Western Province.

“His call-up is well earned and we are looking forward to witnessing what he adds to the squad. He is also familiar with most of the players in the squad having either played with them or against them, so we have no doubt he will slot in with ease,” explained Springboks boss Nienaber, who added: “It’s always unfortunate to lose players due to injury, but we have good depth in our squad and these are established players who have proven themselves at the highest level.

“With the easing of travel restrictions to Europe and the UK, we were able to revert to a more manageable touring squad. We are two years out from the 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.”

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SPRINGBOKS SQUAD (vs Wales, Scotland, England)  
Props:
Thomas du Toit (Cell C Sharks) – 13 caps
Steven Kitshoff (DHL Stormers) – 56 caps
Vincent Koch (Saracens) – 28 caps
Ox Nché (Cell C Sharks) – 6 caps
Trevor Nyakane (Vodacom Bulls) – 51 caps

Hookers:
Joseph Dweba (Bordeaux Bègles) – 1 cap
Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 43 caps
Bongi Mbonambi (DHL Stormers) – 45 caps

Locks:
Lood de Jager (Sale Sharks) – 53 caps
Eben Etzebeth (Toulon) – 94 caps
Salmaan Moerat (DHL Stormers) – Uncapped
Marvin Orie (DHL Stormers) – 7 caps

Loose forwards:
Siya Kolisi (captain, Cell C Sharks) – 60 caps
Kwagga Smith (Yamaha Júbilo) – 16 caps
Marco van Staden (Leicester Tigers) – 9 caps
Duane Vermeulen (Ulster) – 58 caps
Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers) – 8 caps

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Utility forward:
Franco Mostert (Honda Heat) – 48 caps

Scrum-halves:
Herschel Jantjies (DHL Stormers) – 18 caps
Cobus Reinach (Montpellier) – 18 caps
Grant Williams (Cell C Sharks) – Uncapped

Fly-halves:
Elton Jantjies (NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes) – 41 caps
Handre Pollard (Montpellier) – 57 caps

Midfielders:
Lukhanyo Am (Cell C Sharks) – 23 caps
Damian de Allende (Munster) – 55 caps
Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles) – 48 caps

Outside backs:
Aphelele Fassi (Cell C Sharks) – 2 caps
Willie le Roux (Toyota Verblitz) – 70 caps
Makazole Mapimpi (Cell C Sharks) – 22 caps
Sbu Nkosi (Cell C Sharks) – 25 caps

Utility backs:
Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers) – 14 caps
Frans Steyn (Toyota Cheetahs) – 71 caps

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J
JPM 51 minutes ago
Forget Ireland, the All Blacks face the real alpha of Europe next

Unfortunately you don't know anything about French rugby, coaches and players but still making a lot of assumptions and judgements to push your prefabricated and simplistic point of view that Dupont is manipulating everything and is a bad guy. I am not a NZ rugby specialist and wouldn't dare make such theories about what is going on within the ABs team. Therefore my advice to you is to do like Dupont and stay humble when you don't know all the background of the issues !!!


Firstly if you knew a bit of Galthié, he is not the type of coach who is going to ask advice to his players and even his captain about team selection. He is as stubborn as you...


Second Ramos has played a lot of times as 10 with Toulouse and therefore Dupont (in particular when Ntamack is injured and unfortunately it has often happened recently and for long periods). He even played 10 during the last 3 games of the 2024 6N and this was far better performance than the first two games with Jalibert as 10.


Thirdly Jalibert lacked of respect to a La Rochelle player so your theory is once again out.


Fourth as I explained to you Galthié went for a 6-2 bench and Jalibert can only play 10 which doesn't fit that plan. Furthermore as 15 Buros is better under high balls than Ramos and everybody is prepared for a tactical kicking game.


So you can blame Galthié for a lot of things (as you clearly enjoy doing at the end of your post and you should be very happy as an AB fan) but certainly not Dupont. Sorry once more for your conspiracy theory.


And don't worry about potential disharmony in the French team; they are excellent mates around their captain. Jalibert is well known in the French rugby circles to have not a strong character (and we saw that in the WC quarter finals as he is very nervous in any decisive international game unlike Ntamack and Ramos as for his late penalty kick vs England this year).


In conclusion enjoy the game tmrw night. It is good that the ABs are very upset; we should watch a great game of rugby. I hope for running rugby and not too much kicking. With 5 key players injured on our side (Ntamack, Baille, Atonio, Cros and Penaud) and 2 on your side I and various French fans see you as favourites. I obviously hope for another result.


If you are interested you can read a good article in the Guardian on the subject of France-NZ games.

92 Go to comments
K
KB 53 minutes ago
The 'one difference' between Boks and the back-to-back All Blacks

Consistency hasnt been there they have many great players SA were also not unbeaten in the 2023 WC - NZ were in 2015 WC McCaw and Carter Nonu and Smith - SA did not have those Marque players in those postions in 2019 or 2023 - I wouldnt rank them ahead of the 20I5 ABs - They clocked up 60 points against France in the QF - Furthermore I do not believe for one moment SA won 2023 fairly no way - they were so favoured it became obvious that behind the scenes SA the nation bought the title - Their last 3 matches were won by a solitary point there were many contentious decisions that went their way that it became obvious it wasnt coincidence - Sport has been hijacked by a satanic cult just as is Politics

Some players coaches officials and sponsors are involved - they know who they are - its called Freemasonry - any sport that allows betting is corrupt - its not all about money either for these parasites its also about control - Lots of American NFL players have spoken openly about games being scripted - Football is also rigged Referees have been caught on film showing freemason hand signs - The 95 RWC final ranks as the highest and most obvious attempt at cheating There was no way SA were going to allow NZ to gate crash Nelson Mandelas reunification party - NZ were so good they had to posion almost the entire team to get a 3 point win - a Hollywood Movie ( theres your Red Flag ) was made about SAs triumph called Invictus


William Henley wrote a poem called Invictus


It starts


Out of the night that covers me BLACK ( All Blacks ) as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever GODS maybe for my unconquerable Soul ...( Olan says INVICTUS is an evil Malevolent entity who corrupted the Titans ... this is Mandelas double meaning speech ( hes a fraud ) - of thanks for helping overcome SA's adversary NZ - There is only ONE true God Yahuah - Only a false god would be complicit in Cheating Corruption and Harming others to win a RWC for a sick and sinful Nation ) the poem ends with


I am the CAPTAIN of my soul


SA will forever bear the stain of guilt and disgrace over their involvement in poisoning the ABs a day before the 95 RWC Final

11 Go to comments
C
CO 1 hour ago
Forget Ireland, the All Blacks face the real alpha of Europe next

I cannot believe that you don't think the French rugby team coach and captain are not discussing putting Jalibert on the bench in favour of Duponts club teammate that doesn't even play at 10.


This is a terrible, massive insult to a 10 and I'm sure Dupont would also be very enraged if benched for a player that doesn't even play halfback.


A good captain would've insisted to the coach that it was an idea of madness and either select Jalibert or replace him with another 10 if you want him to be reserve.


Jalibert may not be the world's finest tacklers but that's often not a tens main strength that the loose forwards and second five cover. An intercept pass is never great but they happen.


When any player is playing for his club then it's club first, respect doesn't need to be shown to opposition players simply because they're internationals.


Who exactly are you claiming Jalibert hasn't respected? If it's Toulouse international players then it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this bench demotion out.


The outcome of selecting Jalibert to the bench and he then throwing his croissants out the window of the team bus immediately prior to playing the Allblacks is a disaster that will be team disharmony as any team mates of Jalibert are in a state of anger and revolt so a performance that will be sub optimal against a team that is thirsting for revenge against France.


I don't know about you but the Allblacks are very upset they've lost twice in a row to France and want to put out a statement performance so this preparation by Galthie of creating havoc looks to me like a coach that is clueless.

92 Go to comments
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