No surprises in Springboks World Cup squad

Colin Newboult

Rassie Erasmus coach of Springboks during the Springboks Training on the 01 July 2019 Loftus Versfeld Stadium Pic

Springboks director of rugby Rassie Erasmus has named his squad to head to the 2019 World Cup in Japan as they attempt to claim their third global title.

There were few surprises in the 31-man group with perhaps the only contentious position coming at prop. Despite an impressive Super Rugby season Lizo Gqoboka misses out, while Thomas du Toit has also failed to make the cut.

They are well stocked in that area, however, with Tendai Mtawarira, Steven Kitshoff, Vincent Koch, Frans Malherbe and Trevor Nyakane all selected.

Meanwhile, the squad features three players attending their third Rugby World Cup – Frans Steyn, Mtawarira and Francois Louw – and 12 players making their second expedition, providing a spine of experience.

14 of the squad made their Test debut since the last tournament in 2015, while six of those have been capped in the past two seasons since Erasmus took over the team’s coaching duties. The half dozen are Herschel Jantjies, Cheslin Kolbe, Sbu Nkosi, Makazole Mapimpi, Kwagga Smith and RG Snyman.

There are five players with more than 50 caps – Eben Etzebeth, Willie le Roux, Louw, Steyn and Mtawarira – with the latter being the most experienced played in the squad with 110 caps.

All 31 – apart from skipper Siya Kolisi who only returned from injury nine days ago – appeared at some point in the Rugby Championship-winning campaign.

“I am very happy with the squad we have been able to select” said Erasmus. “We have been developing this squad since the start of last season and in the 31 we have a good balance of established experience and some exciting youth.

“We set out with the goal of growing the depth of the squad and I am confident that any of this 31 can step into a play-off match at the Rugby World Cup and deliver an outstanding performance.”

The squad is split between 14 backs and 17 forwards and only seven have fewer than 10 caps. They are Lukhanyo Am, Warrick Gelant, Jantjies, Kolbe, Nkosi and Smith.

The Springboks open their Rugby World Cup campaign against New Zealand in Yokohama on Saturday, 21 September before further Pool B matches against Namibia (28 September), Italy (4 October) and Canada (8 October).

It will be the first time the Springboks have met Namibia since 2011 and the first meeting with Canada since 2000. The Springboks have beaten Italy 13 times in 14 meetings and, after a long period of New Zealand dominance have restored some balance in the past four meetings – none of which was decided by more than two points.

The top two teams from the Springboks’ pool will face quarter-finals against the top two teams from Pool A featuring Ireland, Scotland, Japan, Russia and Samoa.

The Springboks will play a final warm-up match against Japan on Friday, 6 September in Kumagaya.

South Africa squad for the Rugby World Cup

Lukhanyo Am, Schalk Brits, Damian de Allende, Lood de Jager, Faf de Klerk, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Eben Etzebeth, Warrick Gelant, Elton Jantjies, Herschel Jantjies, Steven Kitshoff, Vincent Koch, Cheslin Kolbe, Siya Kolisi (c), Jesse Kriel, Willie le Roux, Francois Louw, Frans Malherbe, Makazole Mapimpi, Malcolm Marx, Bongi Mbonambi, Franco Mostert, Tendai Mtawarira, Sbu Nkosi, Trevor Nyakane, Handré Pollard, Cobus Reinach, Kwagga Smith, RG Snyman, Frans Steyn, Duane Vermeulen

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