Springboks name three rookies in squad for Georgia Test

The world champions are back.

After 605 days of Test inactivity because of the coronavirus, a Springbok team has been announced, and they will play again this Friday.

And the man who led that Bok team on 2 November 2019 in the World Cup final against England in Yokohama, Japan, will again lead the Boks back into action this Friday.

Siya Kolisi will pull on the now famous No 6 jersey for the first of two Tests against Georgia at Loftus Versfeld and he’ll be supported by a number of world champions who’ve been selected for the match. The series will serve as a warm-up for the three Tests against the British and Irish Lions, who arrived in South Africa on Monday.

It will be coach Jacques Nienaber’s first Test in charge after taking over the head coaching duties from Rassie Erasmus shortly after the Boks’ victory in Japan.

The bulk of the side consists of experienced World Cup winners, but there are a few rookies in the matchday squad.

The players yet to feature for the Boks and who will make their debuts are former Sevens star and Cheetahs wing Rosko Specman, Sharks fullback/wing Aphelele Fassi and Leicester Tigers loose-forward Jasper Wiese, while those who weren’t part of the World Cup squad and are still new to Test rugby include Ox Nche (one cap) and Marvin Orie (three caps).

Rosko Specman is one of the new players in the Springbok team for the match against Georgia. Picture: Dirk Kotze/Gallo Images

The World Cup winners, several of whom played in the final, include Willie le Roux, Frans Steyn, Handre Pollard, Cobus Reinach, Herschel Jantjies, Elton Jantjies, Damian Willemse and Jesse Kriel among the backs.

In the forwards, Kwagga Smith, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Franco Mostert, Eben Etzebeth, Frans Malherbe, Bongi Mbonambi, Steven Kitshoff, Malcolm Marx and Trevor Nyakane, along with Kolisi, were all part of the World Cup success.

Players who only recently joined the squad from abroad like Faf de Klerk, Cheslin Kolbe, Damian de Allende, and the Du Preez twins Jean-Luc and Dan, weren’t considered for this weekend’s match.

Also, locks Lood de Jager and RG Snyman are nursing injuries, while Duane Vermeulen is in a race against time to be fit for the British and Irish Lions Test series, which starts towards the end of July.

The two players in the group who are Covid positive – Vincent Koch and Sbu Nkosi – were also not considered.

BOK TEAM

Willie le Roux, Rosko Specman, Jesse Kriel, Francois Steyn, Aphelele Fassi, Handre Pollard, Cobus Reinach, Kwagga Smith, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Siya Kolisi, Franco Mostert, Eben Etzebeth, Trevor Nyakane, Bongi Mbonambi, Ox Nche. Bench: Malcolm Marx, Steven Kitshoff, Frans Malherbe, Marvin Orie, Jasper Wiese, Herschel Jantjies, Elton Jantjies, Damian Willemse