Springboks bolstered as double World Cup winner recalled to squad for All Blacks Tests
Veteran Springboks scrum-half Faf de Klerk.
The Springboks have bolstered their backline stocks after it was revealed that Faf de Klerk will join them for the second leg of the Rugby Championship in New Zealand.
The 33-year-old has been added to the squad as additional scrum-half cover ahead of the world champions’ crucial encounters against the All Blacks in Auckland and Wellington.
His inclusion increases Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus’ squad size to 36 players ahead of this Saturday’s eagerly anticipated clash with the All Blacks at Eden Park, after veteran hooker Bongi Mbonambi remained behind in South Africa earlier this week to attend to family matters.
Fourth scrum-half called up to Boks squad
De Klerk‘s call-up means they now have four scrum-halves in the group as he joins fellow number nines Grant Williams, Cobus Reinach and Morne van den Berg in the touring party.
Earlier this year, Erasmus named his squad for the opening Rugby Championship Tests against the Wallabies in Johannesburg and Cape Town and De Klerk was omitted from the squad along with other experienced backline campaigners and fellow double Rugby World Cup winners Lukhanyo Am and Makazole Mapimpi.
The trio were included on a standby list as Erasmus named a 37-player group for the two Tests against Australia, although Mapimpi was called up to the squad after Kurt-Lee Arendse and Edwill van der Merwe dropped out after the clash in Johannesburg due to injury.
De Klerk’s inclusion comes after legendary Springboks scrum-half and 2007 Rugby World Cup winner Fourie du Preez said he’d love to see him back in Erasmus’ squad.
Fourie du Preez: I would ‘love’ to see great Springboks combination reunited
Du Preez hailed the performances of Williams, who is the Boks’ first choice number nine, but said De Klerk knows what it takes to beat the All Blacks in New Zealand and highlighted the importance of his partnership with fly-half Handre Pollard.
“I personally would’ve loved for Faf to be in the mix,” Du Preez told News24.
‘They’ve formed a great combination’
“He’s started two World Cup finals and won them, along with Handre at fly-half, they’ve formed a great combination.”
De Klerk, who currently plies his trade with Canon Eagles in Japan, made his debut for South Africa against Ireland in 2016 and has already made 60 appearances for his country at Test level.
He was the Boks’ first choice scrum-half when they won back-to-back World Cups in Japan and France respectively in 2019 and 2023.
There is plenty of hype ahead of the world champions’ clash with the All Blacks at Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday, September 6 as the men in black have not lost a Test at the venue since 1994.
After that encounter, the Boks will travel to Wellington for their second match of their tour at Sky Stadium on Saturday, September 13.
