Springbok squad named for Castle Lager Lions series

Frans Steyn and Morné Steyn are in line to experience the rare honour of facing the British & Irish Lions for a second time after being named in a dynamic Springbok squad featuring several Rugby World Cup winners and exciting uncapped players for the Castle Lager Lions Series and Georgia internationals.

Wandisile Simelane, who hails from the South and played his school days rugby in the southern suburbs, is one of the eight uncapped players in the squad.

Simelane plays for the Emirates Lions at centre and has made great strides towards the selection of the Springbok squad.

Mark Alexander, president of SA Rugby, announced the squad that will do duty for the first time since the Springboks lifted the Webb Ellis Cup in Japan on November 2, with 29 Rugby World Cup winners and eight uncapped players in the 46-man squad.

The Springboks will line up against Georgia on July 2 and 9 before battling it out against the British & Irish Lions in three tests on July 24 and 31 and August 7.

The South Africa “A” team, which will comprise players from this squad, will also meet the Lions on July 14.

Apart from Morné Steyn (flyhalf), who kicked the penalty goal that clinched the series win in 2009, and Frans Steyn (centre), both of whom were key members of the Springbok team during the 2009 campaign, this year’s extravaganza will have extra significance for Duane Vermeulen (number eight), who was a member of the emerging Springbok team that season.

The entire 2019 Rugby World Cup-winning squad, except for the retired trio of Tendai Mtawarira, Francois Louw and Schalk Brits, and the injured Warrick Gelant, were named in Springbok head coach Jacques Nienaber’s squad.

The eight uncapped players are Joseph Dweba (hooker), Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg (lock), Jasper Wiese (loose forward), Sanele Nohamba (scrumhalf), Wandisile Simelane (centre), Yaw Penxe (wing), Rosko Specman (wings) and Aphelele Fassi (fullback).

Seven players in the squad boast 50 or more test caps, with Eben Etzebeth leading the pack with an impressive 85 caps, while Morné Steyn, who last featured in the green and gold in 2016, headlines a list of 10 players who will make a welcome return to the Springbok squad.

“The British & Irish Lions tour occurs once every 12 years, so it’s a very special occasion,” said Alexander.

“In most instances, it comes around only once in a Springbok player’s career, so I would like to congratulate the players who have been selected and wish them luck as they prepare to defend their crown.

“The rivalry between the Springboks and the Lions has been fierce, but it is also characterised by tremendous respect. As the excitement and anticipation build in South Africa and the United Kingdom for the spectacle, I would also like to express our gratitude to our valued partners for their magnificent support as we continue to navigate our way through these extraordinary times.”

SA Rugby director of rugby Rassie Erasmus said the selection of the squad followed a detailed process, including several alignment camps both locally and abroad, as well as visits by the Bok coaching staff to the various local franchise teams.

“We have been keeping a close eye on the players’ performances since professional rugby resumed late last season and we followed that up with a series of alignment camps and franchise visits,” said Erasmus.

“We have put together a talented group of players and believe the vast experience in the group will complement the exciting bunch of youngsters.

“Several players have been plying their trade abroad, which has enabled them to rack up quality game time in top-class competitions against world-class opposition, many of whom were included in the Lions squad, while the locally-based players have also been able to build up quality game time over several competitions.”

Nienaber, who will make his first appearance as Springbok head coach when the team take the field, echoed Erasmus’s sentiments about the quality of the squad, and he looked forward to a memorable start to the international season.

“It is a surreal feeling to name a Springbok squad after such a long absence from international rugby, and the fact that these players will have a chance to measure themselves in such a special tour makes it even more remarkable,” said Nienaber.

“Players such as Frans and Morné have been here before and they can attest to the huge privilege it is to be part of a British & Irish Lions tour, so I am very excited for this squad.

“The squad features a bunch of Rugby World Cup-winners who know what it takes to perform and be successful at the highest level, as well as a handful of talented young players who all proved that they deserve an opportunity at this level.

“A huge challenge lies ahead, and the fact that we will be taking on this task after a 20-month absence from international rugby means we need to hit the ground running.

“The tests against the passionate Georgian team will be tough. They are physical and their passion shows in their performances, and this is the kind of preparation we need going into the Castle Lager Lions Series.”

The team will kick off their preparations on June 7 with a three-week conditioning camp in Bloemfontein. The locally-based players will assemble at their base on Sunday, with the overseas-based players joining in clusters according to their club commitments.

The squad will be trimmed following the encounter between South Africa ‘A’ team and British & Irish Lions.