Springboks: Rassie Erasmus leaves seven stars at home as 28-man touring squad confirmed for Argentina clash
Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus and veteran lock Eben Etzebeth.
Bulls hooker Johan Grobbelaar has been included in Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus’ 28-man squad for their upcoming Rugby Championship encounter with Argentina.
The world champions are set to play the first of two Tests against Los Pumas in Santiago on September 21 and Erasmus has decided to leave seven players at home after they had a heavy workload over the last few months.
That decision was also made with an eye on the Springboks‘ final Rugby Championship match against Argentina in Nelspruit on Saturday, September 28.
Seven Boks left at home
The seven players who will not be part of the squad who will fly out to Argentina are: Bongi Mbonambi (hooker), Frans Malherbe (prop), Pieter-Steph du Toit (loose forward), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (fly-half), Damian de Allende (centre), Cheslin Kolbe (wing), and Willie le Roux (full-back).
The aforementioned players will be placed on a specialised training programme to keep them sharp with an eye on rejoining the extended group when they return from Argentina.
Meanwhile, Grobbelaar is back in the squad after last being in action during the Boks 30-12 victory over the Wallabies in Perth and will cover hooker along with Malcolm Marx and Jan-Hendrik Wessels, who can also play prop.
There are 19 World Cup winners in the 28-man group including experienced second-row Eben Etzebeth who should he get game time in Santiago will make his 127th Test appearance and, in doing so, will draw level with Victor Matfield as the Springboks’ most capped player.
South Africa are sitting pretty at the top of the Rugby Championship standings with 18 points amassed after notching four victories in as many games, while Argentina are on 10 points, followed by New Zealand (seven) and Australia (four).
Close to winning first Rugby Championship title since 2019
This means the Boks only need three more points from their two remaining matches to guarantee their first title since 2019.
Should they manage that feat it would wrap up a magnificent tournament for the men in green and gold, after they also won the Mandela Challenge Plate against Australia and the Freedom Cup against New Zealand.
“We have been open about our policy to try to give as many players in our wider squad as possible a chance to play against the top teams in the world,” said Erasmus.
“We believe playing against Argentina in Santiago, where we are expecting a massive encounter in front of a hostile crowd, will serve as a great test for this group of players.
“The players we decided to rest have really done their bit this season and their bodies deserve a break, so we thought the best for them would be to enjoy a break and spend time with their families before joining us in Nelspruit.
“All of the players in the 28-man squad have been in the set-up this year and have proved their worth, so we are delighted to give them an opportunity to face Argentina on their home ground.
“Argentina proved last week what a force they can be at home by defeating the Wallabies by 67-27 in Santa Fe, so we know how tough the match will be against them, and this is exactly what we want our players to experience as we continue to build the group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.”
Grobbelaar and Marx are the only specialist hookers in the squad while Lukhanyo Am and Jesse Kriel are the only genuine centres, but Erasmus said there is enough cover for both positions with Wessels and Marco van Staden able to do a job at hooker while Canan Moodie is capable to slot in at centre, wing, and full-back.
“This is a short tour, and we are confident that we have sufficient cover in all the positions within this group,” added Erasmus.
“Some players, such as Johan Grobbelaar, Manie Libbok, Jaden Hendrikse, and Canan Moodie – to name a few – will benefit immensely from more game time at this level, while other players such as Aphelele Fassi and Ben-Jason Dixon for example grabbed their chances with both hands this season and we are excited to see them back in action.”
With the Boks in a good position to be crowned Rugby Championship winners, Erasmus said their main objective was to win the match in Argentina, although he was wary of the threat the hosts posed.
“We know how gruelling it’s going to be over there and that it will take a massive effort to beat Argentina at home,” he said.
“But as we’ve shown all season, we have full faith in all the players in our wider group and we believe that we have such a wealth of squad depth that any young player can step in and fill the boots of the more experienced players,” said Erasmus.
“Although it will be tough, we want to see what these players can do in such a pressure-cooker of a game, and we are going there with the goal of winning the competition. This squad boasts a good mix of youth and experience, which we feel will bode well for the tour.”
The Springbok squad will assemble in Stellenbosch on Wednesday afternoon to begin their preparations for the tour and will leave for Argentina on Saturday.
Springbok squad for Argentina tour
Forwards: Thomas du Toit (Bath), Vincent Koch (Sharks), Ox Nche (Sharks), Gerhard Steenekamp ( Bulls), Johan Grobbelaar (Bulls), Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears), Eben Etzebeth (Sharks), Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg (Montpellier), Salmaan Moerat (Stormers), Ruan Nortje (Bulls), Ben-Jason Dixon (Stormers), Siya Kolisi (Sharks), Elrigh Louw (Bulls), Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs), Marco van Staden (Bulls), Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks), Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Bulls)
Backs: Jaden Hendrikse (Sharks), Cobus Reinach (Montpellier), Grant Williams (Sharks), Manie Libbok (Stormers), Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers), Lukhanyo Am (Sharks), Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles), Kurt-Lee Arendse (Bulls), Aphelele Fassi (Sharks), Makazole Mapimpi (Sharks), Canan Moodie Bulls)
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