Six players earn first Bok call-up for Nations Championship

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus on Wednesday named six uncapped players in a 37-man squad for the second leg of the Nations Championship in November, with Yaqeen Ahmed, Sebastian de Klerk, Luan Giliomee, Markus Muller, Riley Norton, and Emmanuel Tshituka all earning their first national call-ups for the Boks’ last four Tests of the season.

All six players have been involved in the Springbok set-up before. Ahmed, Giliomee, Muller, and Tshituka represented the SA ‘A’ team against Zimbabwe, and Norton – a former Junior Springbok captain – played for the Boks against the Barbarians in the opening matches of the season, while De Klerk attended the national alignment camp last season.

They will feature alongside a settled group of players, including the likes of captain Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit, and Damian de Allende, who have all played for the Boks this season, in which the team finished at the top of the table in the Nations Championship Southern Series in July following victories against England, Scotland, and Wales, before being crowned the inaugural Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry champions, with some of them also featuring in the Test matches against Argentina and Australia.

Unfortunately for Erasmus; Cheslin Kolbe, Eben Etzebeth, Andre Esterhuizen, and Handre Pollard have been ruled out of contention for selection due to them nursing injuries.

Erasmus was delighted to welcome the talented young players to the group and said their performances and promise shown in the last two seasons were key factors in their selection.

“We’ve had all six players on our radar for a while now, and they’ve delivered consistently for their respective franchises in the last two seasons, so they thoroughly deserve their call-ups,” said Erasmus.

“We’ve seen what most of them are capable of first-hand in our season-opening matches and at our training camps, so we are delighted to see what they have to offer on this tour.

“Building squad depth has always been one of our key pillars as a team, and all those players have shown that they have what it takes to compete at top franchise level, while Riley, Luan and Yaqeen were also part of Junior Springbok squads that have won the Junior World Championship, and Luan also played for the Blitzboks, so they know what it takes to perform at top level.

“There is no doubt facing some of the top teams in elite international rugby will be a completely different challenge, but we have full faith in them to do their best on tour.”

Of the injured players omitted from the travelling squad, Erasmus said, “It’s always sad to lose players of that calibre, but we are pleased with the cover we have in those positions, and it also offers other players the opportunity to put up their hands.

“The majority of the players in this group have been with us for most of the season and know what our expectations are, and also what to anticipate at this level, so we are excited about the group we’ve selected for this vital leg of the season.”

The Springboks currently lead the Southern Hemisphere standings in the Nations Championship on points’ difference, as they are tied on 15 points with New Zealand. South Africa will line up against Italy (7 November), France (13 November), and Ireland (21 November) before the Finals Weekend in London (27-29 November).

Commenting on the prospect of facing Italy, France, and Ireland in the coming weeks, which will ultimately decide the team’s fate in the Finals Weekend, Erasmus looked forward to the challenge.

“Each one of these teams will pose different threats and challenge us in various ways, and the fact that these matches now form part of a competition will add even more impetus to these games,” said Erasmus.

“Italy may be ranked 11th in the world at this stage, but they are a quality team who have tested us to the limit at times, so we will not be fooled by the standings. They will be playing at home in front of a passionate crowd, and they’ll be desperate to work their way into a good position for the remainder of the competition, so we will certainly not underestimate them.

“France will also throw everything at us as usual, and with the side being ranked fourth in the world, it shows what they are capable of. It is never easy against them, and there have been times when we had to dig deep for the desired result, with two of the last five matches between the sides finishing in a one-point win – one of which was the 2023 Rugby World Cup quarterfinal, while two were decided by three and four points respectively, with each team winning one of those, so we know it’s going to be another epic battle.

“Ireland will present an equally stern challenge. They’ve won four of the last six matches against us, including our 2023 RWC pool match, although we won our last outing in Dublin a year ago, so neither team will hold back.”

Erasmus added, “Both France and Ireland have also won two of their three Nations Championship matches to date and will be eyeing a spot as the top-placed Northern Hemisphere team, so we need to be sharp, accurate, and adaptable in all our remaining matches to achieve the desired results if we want to finish the league stages as the top team.

“This is an intense competition and every point counts, and every team we face as well as those in our pool will be wary of that, so we have a big job ahead, and it will be important to hit the ground running.”

The Springboks will assemble in Italy in different groups on Sunday and Monday.

Springbok squad for second leg of Nations Championship:

Props: Thomas du Toit, Ox Nche (both Hollywoodbets Sharks), Wilco Louw, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Zachary Porthen (all DHL Stormers), Gerhard Steenekamp (Vodacom Bulls).

Hookers: Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears), Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Vodacom Bulls).

Locks: Lood de Jager (Wild Knights), Salmaan Moerat (Stade Rochelais), Ruan Nortje (Kubota Spears), Riley Norton (DHL Stormers), Franco Mostert (Honda Heat).

Loose forwards: Paul de Villiers, Siya Kolisi (both DHL Stormers), Cameron Hanekom (Vodacom Bulls), Emmanuel Tshituka (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks).

Utility forwards: Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz), Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls).

Scrumhalves: Cobus Reinach (DHL Stormers), Morne van den Berg (10bet Lions), Grant Williams (Kobe Steelers).

Flyhalves: Yaqeen Ahmed, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (both DHL Stormers), Luan Giliomee (Vodacom Bulls), Manie Libbok (Kintetsu Liners).

Centres: Damian de Allende (Wild Knights), Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles), Markus Muller (DHL Stormers), Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls).

Outside backs: Sebastian de Klerk (Vodacom Bulls), Aphelele Fassi, Ethan Hooker, Edwill van der Merwe (all Hollywoodbets Sharks), Kurt-Lee Arendse (Mitsubishi Dynaboars), Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers).