Kolisi back for Ireland series
The captain of the Springboks squad, which features 22 forwards and 17 backline players, will be named by Rassie Erasmus closer to the Ireland Test.
Siya Kolisi has been named in a 39-man Springbok squad that features four uncapped players for the Incoming Series which kicks off with a challenging two Tests against Ireland.
Rassie Erasmus named a strong squad of 39 players and an additional 14 players on a standby list for the two-Test series against Ireland and the solitary Test against Portugal in Bloemfontein.
Nine players who were not available for selection for the Wales Test and two uncapped players feature in the squad.
Two-time world cup-winning captain Kolisi is back in the squad after not being available for selection for the Wales Test.
Erasmus has not yet confirmed whether Kolisi will captain the Springboks in the series against Ireland.
The three uncapped players named in the squad are Vodacom Bulls hooker Johan Grobbelaar, front rower Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Sharks loose-forward Phepsi Buthelezi and Lions scrumhalf Morne van den Berg.
Cheslin Kolbe (wing) and Lukhanyo Am (centre) – who joined the Springbok squad at different stages during the training camp in Pretoria to do their rehabilitation under the supervision of the Bok medical team – are back from injury.
Handré Pollard (fly-half) and Jasper Wiese, who trained with the team but were ineligible for selection due to the Wales Test falling outside of the international window, have also been named in the squad, although Wiese will only be available for selection once he completes his suspension from a dangerous tackle.
Erasmus also called up Marco van Staden (flanker), Kurt-Lee Arendse (utility back) and Willie le Roux (fullback), who wrapped up their Vodacom URC season with the Bulls in the grand final against the Glasgow Warriors on Saturday night.
Three players who made their Test debuts against Wales at Twickenham on Saturday, which the team won 41-13 – Edwill van der Merwe (wing), Ben-Jason Dixon (utility forward) and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (utility back) – were included in the group.
The squad features 22 forwards and 17 backline players, with Erasmus set to name the captain for the competition closer to the Ireland Test.
Erasmus, however, declared that three players Faf de Klerk (quadriceps), Van der Merwe (shoulder) and Mapimpi (hamstring) had picked up niggles in the Wales Test – but he was satisfied that there was enough cover in the squad with Arendse, Kolbe and Am available for selection.
The coach’s standby list, in turn, includes six capped Springboks – Jean-Luc du Preez (loose forward), Joseph Dweba (hooker), Jordan Hendrikse (fly-half), Elrigh Louw (No 8), Wilco Louw, Nuthuko Mchunu (both props), with six of the players – Neethling Fouche (prop), Mchunu, Andre-Hugo Venter (hooker), Hendrikse, Ethan Hooker (utility back) and Quan Horn (fullback) – being members of the Bok travelling squad to London.
These players will train with the team at stages during the next four weeks before the team’s historic Test against Portugal on Saturday July 20, and could be called up at short notice in the event of injuries during the Ireland Tests.
Eight players, meanwhile, were ruled out of contention for selection due to injury, namely Steven Kitshoff (prop), Jean Kleyn, Lood de Jager (both locks), Cameron Hanekom (flanker), Jaden Hendrikse (scrum-half), Henco van Wyk (centre), Canan Moodie and Damian Willemse (both utility backs).
Springbok squad for Incoming Series:
Forwards: Phepsi Buthelezi (Sharks), Ben-Jason Dixon (Stormers), Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz), Thomas du Toit (Bath), Eben Etzebeth (Sharks), Johan Grobbelaar (Bulls), Vincent Koch (Sharks), Siya Kolisi (Racing 92), Frans Malherbe (Stormers), Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears), Bongi Mbonambi (Sharks), Salmaan Moerat (Stormers), Franco Mostert (Honda Heat), Ox Nche (Sharks), Trevor Nyakane (Racing 92/Sharks), Evan Roos (Stormers), Kwagga Smith (Blu Revs), RG Snyman (Munster/Leinster), Gerhard Steenekamp, Marco van Staden, Jan-Hendrik Wessels (all Bulls), Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers).
Backs: Lukhanyo Am (Sharks), Kurt-Lee Arendse (Bulls), Damian de Allende (Wild Knights), Faf de Klerk (Canon Eagles), Andre Esterhuizen (Harlequins/Sharks), Aphelele Fassi (Sharks), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (Stormers), Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath), Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles), Wilie le Roux (Bulls), Manie Libbok (Stormers), Makazole Mapimpi (Sharks), Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers), Cobus Reinach (Montpellier), Morne van den Berg (Lions), Edwill van der Merwe (Lions), Grant Williams (Sharks).
Players on standby:
Forwards: Jean-Luc du Preez (Sale Sharks), Joseph Dweba, Neethling Fouche (both Stormers), Celimpilo Gumede, Elrigh Louw, Wilco Louw (all Bulls), Ntuthuko Mchunu (Sharks), Ruben van Heerden (Stormers), Andre-Hugo Venter (Stormers).
Backs: Suleiman Hartzenberg (Stormers), Jordan Hendrikse (Lions), Ethan Hooker (Sharks), Quan Horn (Lions), Siya Masuku (Sharks).
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