The Springboks will travel to the Northern Hemisphere next weekend with five uncapped players but without their all-time leading try-scorer and most experienced player, Bryan Habana.
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Habana was the latest key player to be added to a long injury list when he sustained a knee injury in Saturday’s Absa Currie Cup final. Scans on Sunday confirmed he will miss the tour of Ireland, Scotland and England.
South Africa Under-20 winger Raymond Rhule, who was part of the squad that won the IRB Junior World Championship in Cape Town earlier this year and who has shone for the Toyota Free State Cheetahs in the Absa Currie Cup, was named in the squad along with uncapped Jano Vermaak, Franco van der Merwe, Lionel Mapoe and Arno Botha. Of the five, only the 19-year-old Rhule has not been part of a Springbok squad yet this year, but his inclusion forms part of Meyer’s plan to blood promising youngster for the future.
Rhule is one of five wing options with the fit-again JP Pietersen, Francois Hougaard, Lwazi Mvovo and Mapoe. Pietersen, Rhule and Mapoe can also be used at centre, while Hougaard can also play at scrumhalf.
Two Springboks currently based in Europe, Schalk Brits (hooker) and Gurthrö Steenkamp (loosehead prop), have also been recalled to the national squad, bringing the European based contingent to 4 players in the squad. Due to the significant injury toll, the national selectors will only decide on a 32nd player to be added to the squad at a later stage.
Two Springboks who missed the entire Castle Rugby Championship because of injury, JP Pietersen and Chiliboy Ralepelle, are back in the squad.
Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer, whose squad assembles in Cape Town on Wednesday, said it was not easy to select the squad in the light of the high number of players unavailable due to injury.
Injured players that had been part of the Springbok squad thus far this year, but were not considered for selection, are Coenie Oosthuizen, Bismarck du Plessis, Tiaan Liebenberg, Andries Bekker, Siya Kolisi, Jacques Potgieter, Pierre Spies, Johan Goosen, Frans Steyn and Bryan Habana. In addition Springboks Schalk Burger, Juan Smith and Heinrich Brüssow are still out injured.
“We’ve got a settled core of players that did the job during the England series and The Castle Rugby Championship and we decided to stick with them,” said Meyer.
“Obviously losing so many players to injury, the latest being Coenie, Tiaan, Andries, Jacques and Bryan during the Absa Currie Cup, makes it difficult, but this now provides opportunities for other players.
“Gurthrö and Schalk are experienced front rankers who have played for South Africa before and know the conditions in the Northern Hemisphere. This tour provides a good opportunity to assess them as we plan ahead. Arno, Lionel, Franco and Jano have all been part of our squad earlier in the season.
“Raymond put up his hand for the Junior Boks and the Cheetahs and I’m very excited to see what he can do. It’s also great to have JP and Chiliboy back from injury as they bring a lot of experience to the squad.”
Meyer said he expected three extremely difficult Tests: “Although the Springboks won on their last visit to Dublin (in 2010), they lost three in a row before that,” he said.
“In 2010, we lost to Scotland in Edinburgh. They beat the Wallabies in Australia earlier in the year, so it won’t be easy there.
“And in June we’ve experienced first-hand how difficult and opponent England are. They will be fired up at Twickenham and it will be a challenging Test to end the tour with.
“Our aim is to end the season on a positive note. We set ourselves high standards and we want to improve with every Test, but we have a team that is still gaining valuable experience as we strive to constantly be amongst the top sides in the world. We know we’re not there yet, but we’ve laid a foundation in the first nine Tests this year and we will build on that.
“The Rugby World Cup in 2015 also takes place in England, so we will use this tour to see how our players adapt to the conditions as we look ahead to that very important tournament.”
The Springbok squad will assemble in Cape Town on Wednesday and depart to the UK from Johannesburg on Saturday. They will return to South Africa on Monday, 26 November.
The Springbok squad for the Castle Outgoing Tour to Ireland, Scotland and England:
Forwards:
Willem Alberts (The Sharks) Loose forward – 17 Tests
Arno Botha (Vodacom Blue Bulls) Loose forward – 0 Tests
Schalk Brits (Saracens, England) Hooker – 3 Tests
Pat Cilliers (MTN Golden Lions) Prop – 3 Tests
Marcell Coetzee (The Sharks) Loose forward – 9 Tests
Jannie du Plessis (The Sharks) Prop – 39 Tests
Eben Etzebeth (DHL Western Province) Lock – 8 Tests
Juandré Kruger (Vodacom Blue Bulls) Lock – 5 Tests
Francois Louw (Bath, England) Loose forward – 14 Tests
Tendai Mtawarira (The Sharks) Prop – 41 Tests
Chiliboy Ralepelle (Vodacom Blue Bulls) Hooker – 21 Tests
Gurthrö Steenkamp (Toulouse, France) Prop – 38 Tests
Adriaan Strauss (Toyota FS Cheetahs) Hooker – 18 Tests
CJ van der Linde (MTN Golden Lions) Prop – 73 Tests
Flip van der Merwe (Vodacom Blue Bulls) Lock – 20 Tests
Franco van der Merwe (MTN Golden Lions) Lock – 0 Tests
Duane Vermeulen (DHL Western Province) No 8 – 4 Tests
Backs:
Juan de Jongh (DHL Western Province) Centre – 12 Tests
Jean de Villiers (Captain and DHL Western Province) Centre – 81 Tests
Francois Hougaard (Vodacom Blue Bulls) Scrumhalf / Wing – 24 Tests
Elton Jantjies (MTN Golden Lions) Flyhalf – 2 Tests
Zane Kirchner (Vodacom Blue Bulls) Fullback – 21 Tests
Pat Lambie (The Sharks) Fullback – 17 Tests
Lionel Mapoe (MTN Golden Lions) Wing / Centre – 0 Tests
Lwazi Mvovo (The Sharks) Wing – 7 Tests
Ruan Pienaar (Ulster, N Ireland) Scrumhalf – 60 Tests
JP Pietersen (The Sharks) Wing / Centre – 45 Tests
Raymond Rhule (Toyota FS Cheetahs) Wing – 0 Tests
Morné Steyn (Vodacom Blue Bulls) Flyhalf – 41 Tests
Jaco Taute (MTN Golden Lions) Utility back – 2 Tests
Jano Vermaak (Vodacom Blue Bulls) Scrumhalf – 0 Tests
@ grootblousmile:
Agree on Louis Koen. I’ve seen some of his methods and I don’t agree with them. I know very little about kicking technique, but logic tells me that you cannot train kicking speed by kicking into nets. You need to train accuracy first and then speed and distance while keeping that accuracy. So you must test accuracy with every kick.
I don’t know anything Richardo Loubsher coaching skills. Never seen any of the backlines he coached, so I cannot comment on him.
@ smallies:
Hulle het almal ‘n nuwe skop afrigter by die bokke.
@ leon:
@ leon:
Goed en wel maar as daai skopper n80% gem handhaaf moet die nuwe afrigter net vir hom se hou jou kop af,hy moet nie begin torring nie,jy maak nie n hilux wat reg is regter nie jy sevice hom net.
@ smallies:
Jip, ek stem saam met jou.
91 @ leon:
At the Bokke training cessions, they do train accuracy or precision kicking, but not so much under Louis Koen’s guidance… and I agree with you that kicking into nets does not help at all on the accuracy scale of things…. it helps more with fielding balls and getting to the point where you are quickly ready to take a kick (picking up rolling balls and then kicking it, turning around and kicking, receiving a hasty pass and then kicking… ect – skills a player selected for the Bokke should already have mastered and refined).
I’m happy with the fact that Pieter de Villiers (Ex French prop) is involved with the scrums, he seems to be adding real value there.
Looks like the players chosen do not have serious niggles, so a fit and well-conditioned squad should go over. Of course I do not know who is nursing what injuries following the Currie Cup Final. Suppose we’ll know by Wednesday.
I see the Highveld Lions scored 121 in their 20 overs, all out on the last ball.
Sydney Sixers need 122 off 20 overs
@ grootblousmile:
There’s a nice story which pavel tsatsouline always tell at his seminars. It’s about the the Los Angeles swat team training. At their shooting range the shooting trainer demanded that all trainees pick up the shell after every shot. He liked a nice and clean shooting range. At a swat operation a few months later,5 swat members were killed. They were all found with shells in their hands. The investagion later found that they were shot during the shoot out while picking up the shells. This just goes to show that under pressure you revert to training. If you don’t train perfect, you will not execute perfect
Practice doesn’t make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.
97 @ leon:
Brilliant!
Something to remember!
Thanks for that!
I think Jordaan and Aplon are unlucky, but I have no real complaints.
……Jealous ’cause I’m out getting mine
Shay with a gauge and Vanilla with a nine
Ready for the chumps on the wall
The chumps are acting ill because they’re so full of eight balls
Gunshots ranged out like a bell
I grabbed my nine
All I heard were shells
Fallin’
on the concrete real fast……..
@ leon:
I don’t know anything about Pavel Tsatsouline but your quoting him telling the story of 5 LA SWAT team members being killed woke the skeptic in me. 5 members of the police being killed in an operation would have been a BIG news story and sure enough, it NEVER happened! Seems like Tsatsouline took a fair amount of poetic license there. Some may even say that he smells like a bullshitter…
Just reading the papers and see they are waiting to decide on player 32. I have a feeling it might be Fourie du Preez. Though did read somewhere that no players playing in Japan will not be released from their clubs to play for Boks. Though I still think that FdP might get released. I doubt that Meyer will be thinking of playing Hougie again at scrumhalf. Think Hougie will play at wing or come from the bench. With Rhule and Mvovo there as specialist wings it seems unfair to have Hougie play at wing. Then knowing Meyer he will start with players that he had started with at Soccer City. So Hougie could start at wing again. So that would mean we only have 2 scrummies on tour. So my feeling player 32 just could be FdP. If it is that, I think that is wrong, we need to be thinking of the future here. Reinach had a brilliant Currie Cup season, sure he was not great in the final, but one bad game does not make him a bad player, he is a superb player. At some stage he will be a Springbok, he is that good. So why not take him with for the eoyt where they do always take youngsters this time of year?
102 @ Puma:
Jeez should check my posts before submitting.
Should read – No players playing in Japan will be realeased from their clubs to play for Boks.
Reading Sports24 see that Province team will be doing a Victory Parade through Cape Town….. Really? A Victory Parade for winning the Currie Cup? I thought that was for winning a world cup or the bigger Super Rugby Trophy.
Look I cherish the Currie Cup, but it is only between us here and never thought they done a Victory Parade through the streets for the Currie Cup. Think they did do it years ago when we had sanctions against us and could not play international rugby.
Did we do it here in Durban in 2008 and 2010? If we did then have no idea about it to be honest. I don’t think we done a victory parade. If we win the Super Rugby Cup next year think only then it might happen here in Durbs.
104 @ Puma:
Hell, it’s been 11 long years… let them be, they might wait another 11 years for a trophy!
Hehehehe
105 @ grootblousmile:
That might be the reason they doing the Victory Parade?? The long wait to get a trophy?
We waited 12 years before 2008 but don’t ever remember us doing a Victory Parade after winning the Currie Cup.
Think we will do one winning a Super Rugby Cup as we play 15 teams there and twice against our conference teams. This Currie Cup only had 6 teams!
Suppose ever team is different, did they do a Victory Parade when they won it 11 years ago? Just thought it was for World Cups and Super Rugby Cups. I know we done it many years ago when we had sanctions against us, as that was our Biggest Tourney then. Look I love Currie Cup still one of my favourite tournements, but now that we play each other twice in Super Rugby, it has lost a bit of its glamour. That is a shame really.
106 @ Puma:
Farkit, who knows with these Cape Okes…. any excuse to party and not to work is OK with those okes!
Table Mountain rust… they all have it!
http://www.sharksrugby.co.za
The Bulls went on to win the Currie Cup again that year, but Natal were the only … That was after a stunning semifinal victory over Free State, thanks to two tries … who led the team on a ticker-tape parade through central Durban later in the week. … It wasn’t until 2008, with New Zealander John Plumtree in charge, that The …
108 @ superBul:
Yip, the Sharks however do not get the FREEDOM OF THE CITY, they get the FREEDOM OF THE BUNNY CHOW!
Hehehe
Was SAMOOSA party!
… and it CURRIED on and on and all!
I hear there were great specials on Gumtree, the online shop today.
In KZN the flavour of the day was Re-corked Bubly at halfprice and less.
In the Western Cape, babbelas medicine was getting top dollar, but still the shops could not keep up with demand!
108 @ superBul:
Super, I could understand us doing a parade in our first ever cc win. Remember we only won our first against N.TVL in 1990. By that time WP and N.TVL had won many. It was a massive thing for Natal back then to win. Like I said before when we had sanctions against us and we never played overseas teams back then. It was only us against each other. CC became massive those years. So understandable then do do a parade. Just never thought teams still did a victory parade for CC these days. Thought it was for World Cups and Super Rugby.
109 @ grootblousmile:
You know after our first CC win I always remember Naas saying that N.TVL would never lose again to Natal not in a 100 years! 🙂 🙂 Let alone did he know we would go on to win another 3 more in the 90’s and become the “Team” of the 90’s back then. It took us long to arrive, but when we did, we done it in style… LOL.
112 @ Puma:
If the Sharks can sort out their START OF SEASON problems, they stand a great chance of getting a Super Rugby trophy next year… squad with the best depth in all positions of any Franchise in SA.
Puma wrote:
I am just glad GBS is not the Bulls losing captain, Captain Naases words came back to bite him…..
or was he then Captain?
Victory parades is for kids and jobless people…. gie the Union a great chance to share it with the supporters, a modern thing , not that i would even go there.
Although i went to a Bulls party at Firkens in 2007 after the S14 win, but i was taken there by my brother, was a bit of fun, far to many girls though hanging onto the dam players….
Oh, one thing I forgot… suddenly remembered it… I warned last week about Sharks weakness at lock….
Where’s that Tjarkie_Fornever fella when you need him…
He talked Bresler and Sykes up… but the Sharks lost the game in the lineouts to a large extent on Saturday
@ grootblousmile:
can you go to this page and save it , i cant find a way to, only print it
http://www.dendro.co.za/fsa-tree-names–numbersfsa-boom-name–nommers.html
114 @ superBul:
Nou warreflok het EK met Naas se woorde uit te waai?
116 @ superBul:
Nou wat moet ek met die site doen, as ek hom oopgemaak het?
@ grootblousmile:
ag iewers het jy vandag gese dat WP weer 11 jaar kan vat om te wen, ek weet ons raak goeters kwyt, dis tong in die kies bedoel.
Ek hoop net die Bulle kom by, ek worry glad nie dat ons die jaar uitgeval het nie , maar ons game maak my worry.
@ grootblousmile:
is jy op die boomlys?
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