Seven uncapped players, Damian de Allende, Lood de Jager, Cornal Hendricks, Teboho Mohoje, S’bura Sithole, Marcel van der Merwe and Callie Visagie, have been called up to Springbok duty as part of a 36-man squad for the Castle Lager Incoming Series next month.
The squad also includes experienced World Cup winners Schalk Burger and Victor Matfield, while there is a return to the Springboks for Schalk Brits, Juan de Jongh, Francois Hougaard, Lwazi Mvovo and Frans Steyn, all of whom last played Test rugby in 2012.
The national selectors have also kept a great deal of continuity. In total, 12 players who started the final Test of 2013, where the Springboks beat France in Paris for the first time in 16 years, have been retained in the squad.
However, notable omissions include Springbok captain and SARU’s Player of the Year in 2013, Jean de Villiers, who is out with a knee injury, and the Young Player of the Year for the last two seasons and IRB Player of the Year nominee last year, Eben Etzebeth, who has been given more time to fully recover from the foot injury which has kept him sidelined this entire season.
The Springboks will also be without one of their vice-captains, Adriaan Strauss, who has been suspended for three matches as well as the experienced Jaque Fourie, who started all three Tests last November but has been ruled out with an ankle injury and Pat Lambie, a regular member of the squad for the last two years.
“It’s never easy starting the international season without a number of key players, but it’s the same for our opponents as well and there are no excuses – we simply have to hit the ground running this week and make sure we start the season as well as possible,” said Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer, who will name the interim captain next week.
“Injuries also provide opportunities for new players and from what I’ve seen at the training camp in Durban earlier this week, they are also raring to go.”
“Oupa Mohoje got an opportunity at the Cheetahs following injuries to Lappies Labuschagne, Philip van der Walt and Jean Cook, and he took his chance. At the Sharks, Stephan Lewies came in for the injured Pieter-Steph du Toit and he came very close to inclusion in this squad.”
“It was also wonderful to see the excitement in the more experienced players, who have tasted what Test rugby is about. Everyone knows we’re at the start of a challenging season but everyone is raring to get going.”
Meyer said that all of the uncapped players deserved their opportunity.
“Damian, Cornal, Oupa, S’bura, Marcel and Callie have all been in great form recently for their various Vodacom Super Rugby franchises, while Lood was very impressive before his injury and he underlined that with a great attitude and work ethic at the Durban camp,” said Meyer.
“Some of them have been on the national selectors’ radar for a bit longer, while others have been very impressive at our training camp in Durban. They all deserve their selection and now it’s up to them to make the most of it.”
“Damian and S’bura both bring utility value to the team, as they can play in more than one position in the backline.”
“Cornal, who was the SA Sevens Player of the Year in 2013, is very fast and has a couple of very special attributes, so we’re very excited to work with him and hopefully improve him as a player.”
“Upfront, we’ve been very impressed with Lood and Oupa recently. Lood is a no-nonsense lock who will learn a lot from Victor and Bakkies, while Oupa is a superb line-out option, very fast and good with the ball in hand.”
“Marcel and Callie have been part of a resurgent Bulls pack recently and their play in the set-pieces is very good. Marcel can play on both sides of the scrum, which makes him a valuable option in the squad, while he also carries the ball well and has shown he can steal ball at the breakdown. Callie brings superb line-out throwing and great scrumming power, while he is never shy to do the dirty work on the field.”
Meyer added that he is looking forward to welcoming Matfield and Burger back into the Bok fold.
“Last year we saw what it meant to Bakkies, Fourie and Jaque when they returned and they showed that age should not be any measure when it comes to Test rugby – if you have the goods and can perform at world-class level, you deserve to be selected,” said Meyer.
“Victor and Schalk have both been out of the game for some time and for different reasons. A year ago, Schalk’s playing future was in doubt, so it’s great to have him back in the Bok fold and I’m looking forward to working with him for the first time. Their excitement at the Durban camp was palpable, but also contagious. The younger players fed off that and I know they will add a lot of value to the squad.”
On the inclusion of Brits he said: “Schalk was part of our plans from the beginning. He is one of the best hookers in the world, is one of the nominees for Heineken Cup Player of the Year and brings heaps of experience with him.”
Strauss, who has been suspended for three weeks for an illegal tackle last weekend, will rejoin in the squad for the final week of the Castle Lager Incoming Series, when his suspension has ended.
Injured players who were not available for selection after featuring in 2013, are De Villiers, Etzebeth, Lambie (bicep), Fourie (ankle), Frans Malherbe (concussion), Scarra Ntubeni (foot), Chiliboy Ralepelle (knee), Frik Kirsten (neck), Pieter-Steph du Toit (knee), Franco van der Merwe (ankle), Arno Botha (knee), Pierre Spies (bicep), Louis Schreuder (hand) and Gio Aplon (elbow).
Juan Smith was also in the selection frame, but as he has been struggling with an injury in recent weeks, he requested the national selectors not to be considered.
The Springbok squad for the Castle Lager Incoming Series 2014:
- Willem Alberts (Cell C Sharks), Loose forward – 30 Test caps
- Bakkies Botha (Toulon, France), Lock – 78
- Schalk Brits (Saracens, England), Hooker – 5
- Schalk Burger (DHL Western Province), Loose forward – 68
- Marcell Coetzee (Cell C Sharks), Loose forward – 15
- Damian De Allende (DHL Western Province), Centre / Wing – 0
- Lodewyk de Jager (Toyota FS Cheetahs), Lock – 0
- Juan de Jongh (DHL Western Province), Centre – 14
- Bismarck du Plessis (Cell C Sharks), Hooker – 57
- Jannie du Plessis (Cell C Sharks), Prop – 51
- Fourie du Preez (Suntory, Japan), Scrumhalf – 67
- JJ Engelbrecht (Vodacom Blue Bulls), Centre / Wing – 12
- Johan Goosen (Toyota FS Cheetahs), Flyhalf – 4
- Bryan Habana (Toulon, France), Wing – 95
- Cornal Hendricks (Toyota FS Cheetahs), Wing – 0
- Francois Hougaard (Vodacom Blue Bulls), Scrumhalf – 27
- Zane Kirchner (Leinster, Ireland), Fullback – 28
- Siya Kolisi (DHL Western Province), Loose forward – 10
- Willie le Roux (Toyota FS Cheetahs), Fullback / Wing – 12
- Francois Louw (Bath, England), Loose forward – 28
- Victor Matfield (Vodacom Blue Bulls), Lock – 110
- Teboho “Oupa” Mohoje (Toyota FS Cheetahs), Loose forward – 0
- Tendai Mtawarira (Cell C Sharks), Prop – 53
- Lwazi Mvovo (Cell C Sharks), Wing – 7
- Coenie Oosthuizen (Toyota FS Cheetahs), Prop – 14
- Ruan Pienaar (Ulster, N Ireland), Scrumhalf – 74
- JP Pietersen (Cell C Sharks), Wing – 51
- Jan Serfontein (Vodacom Blue Bulls), Centre – 9
- S’bura Sithole (Cell C Sharks), Wing / Centre – 0
- Gurthrö Steenkamp (Toulouse, France), Prop – 49
- Frans Steyn (Cell C Sharks), Utility back – 53
- Morné Steyn (Stade Francais, France), Flyhalf – 54
- Flip van der Merwe (Vodacom Blue Bulls), Lock – 34
- Marcel van der Merwe (Vodacom Blue Bulls), Prop – 0
- Duane Vermeulen (DHL Western Province), No 8 – 16
- Callie Visagie (Vodacom Blue Bulls), Hooker – 0
@MB
How on earth can Jake blame the Bok camp?
His star player rested on Monday and Tuesday at the Bok camp, pretty much the same way he would at the Shark camp.
So he plays the guys into the ground by not giving them any rest, then he wants to blame HM, lol.
Surprised he didn’t blame humidity, the flight socks on the flight back, the ozone layer and global warming as well.
I’m looking forward to hearing his excuse come play off time.
He should just point finger at himself for selecting a captain that already started losing his cool from the word go and was more interested in the off the ball stuff. The more he wanted to “moer” the young Stormers, the more the Sharks’ line out went awry.
Frans couldn’t slot his usual long range penalties, not because of the Bok camp, but perhaps because White continuously played him while he knew his knee is shot.
Stormers are not better than the Sharks, the log clearly reflects this and one worthless win for us doesn’t make a season, our season was gone in the first week already because we are so poor this year, but the Sharks senior players better get their heads out of the clouds and realize that because you are better than the opposition, it doesn’t mean you can just rock up and take the points, and those Sharks who get selected for the Boks better not have that attitude against these so called useless and weak opposition that are playing tests here.
I hope that those supporters who dismissed these tests coming up before it has started would now see what happens when their own players dismissed a useless Stormer side before yesterday, it will come and bite you in the arse.
LOL. jake take up the French Coaching reigns. Now that would be a great headline. Just imagine what the French players would do to him!! Would be a marriage made in heaven – only because extra marital affairs are the norm over there
@ nortierd:
You’re preaching to the choir Tommy Boy;)
Maybe Jake was just misquoted and taken out of context?
@ Just For Kicks:
I am proud of myself by the perserference I had, thos last ten minutes was job dropping stuff…
You win it, no wait you win it, heres the ball sharkie you win it, no stormer its your be my guest, I would almost suggest the Taute had the idea to slightly miss the kick to the left and kicked it over by accident.
KKR 48/1 after 5
182@JFK
They would suit each other fine, Jake can use every excuse under the sun if he coaches that mob, and even I will have sympathy with him.
Can’t think any sane minded person will want to coach the French.
@Jerry 183
Ha ha
Must be a misquote, surely Jake will put the team first
perseverance*
178 @ MacroBok:
Are you talking about France having so many players from outside France in their leagues? If so the difference is huge as they are a far bigger rugby country with much more money and way more pro teams. Just think even with all the non French players they should still have many to chose from as their version of the Currie Cup consists of 14 teams plus the division below that the Pro D2 has 16 teams so there are still many spots for French players to take up and they get the advantage of playing alongside some of the top players in the world week in and week out so surely that must be a plus for them that they should be tapping into, in the long run may not all be doom and gloom for their national team, who knows?
179 @ MacroBok:
Hello MacroBok what’s that hi tech gadget in the picture you attached?
@ Bullscot:
No I know it cant be compared to Scotlands situation, I am just trying to suggest they are trying to imitate scotland… that said, there will eventually be a tipping point in france, when young french players go elsewhere for some game time.
JW and AC, Eish, who’d want to be a supporter of any team these two are involved in!
Ladies FA Cup – Arsenal 1/0 Everton 59 mins gone.
Jakey at it again. I did not hear him complain when his team played 7 of their first 9 games at home. Now he complains about the itinerary (8 games in a row) and the Bok camp. Blame yourself for a change Jake. Why didn’t you rotate your players with all that “depth” at your disposal in the land of the Sharks.
You get all the credit when your team do well so you should take all the blame when they perform crap. No Eddie Jones or Stephen Larkham to hold your hand this time around.
@ Just For Kicks:
Well apparently they are the best coaching staff the springboks have had in the modern era and heyneke meyer is much much worse
Gambhir gone. Reckon that’s night night sweetheart for the Hasselhofs. Miller takes the catch. KKR 59/2
193 @ Nama:
To be fair have the Sharks not also had quite a few injuries to contend with, especially in particular positions, how many teams would manage at that level to be without their top 2 flyhalves as an example?
MacroBok wrote:
Well, JW was beaten yesterday by his assistants in AC and Gert Smal with an inferior team of snot kop laaities.
@ nortierd:
Slow down nortie, its not like they really out thought him ;P
GOAAAAALLLLLL!!! Arsenal 2/0 Everton 61st min, goal by Yukari Kinga!
Bullscot wrote:
At Bully, fair comment, but the Stormers have had it worse this year, neither of our 1st choice fly halves got injured, so we have had to put up with Peter Grant and Demetri for the whole season
Bullscot wrote:
The Crusaders have done alright
MacroBok wrote:
Probably not, HM filled their heads with all types of negative thoughts and made Fransie do a sit up on a Monday.
How dare he.
196 @ Bullscot:fair comment, but then even more reason to manage and rotate your team in such a long season. Especially when you’re intent on playing the attritional style of rugby that he demands.
The body simply cannot keep up with that kind of rugby – smash, bash, crash for 80 minutes
200 @ nortierd:
Demetri by all accounts had a good season last year for the Kings so what’s happened this year, did he catch the bug that so many players you buy have had ala Joe v Niekerk, Bryan Habana etc
Ahh thats not very nice
@ Just For Kicks:
And Fransie was mde the play the entire game.
Jake can crow all he wants about the Lions players not having to join the Bok camp, but the lions rotated their players on tour like professionals. With the rotation the lions were 2 horrible refereeing decisions away from winning 2 games on tour as well.
@204
If you play in a poor side, you tend to look better than you are.
Eg Josh Strauss at the Lions. John Mitchell took him from nowhere and he became a “hero” playing alongside a bunch of poor players. Then he got too big for his boots and even turned on Mitch, biting the hand that fed him. He is still a mediocre player, he just looked better playing alongside players that were even worse than him.
DC is the same.
The worst thing the Stormers did was lose Swiel
@ Bullscot:#196
Fair enough. But what does the itinerary and the Bok camp have to do with the injuries?
Stormers played with a 3rd choice front row and a 3rd choice lock pairing yesterday. Every team suffers injuries.
@Bully
I jest, just Peter Grant is a huge frustration for us
😀
You are not wrong about Habana, he is even worse in France, always in the play for the wrong reasons, like taking a dive or acting injured, but when the rest of the team wins them the games, he is right in front taking selfies. He is really an irritation lately
204 @ Bullscot:
I believe that the reason the Cat has not performed back for the Stormers is because of the relationship between himself and AC. They don’t see eye to eye. He should have gone overseas to ply his trade there, he would have fared a lot better, but family closeness ensured he wouldn’t stray to far just yet, although I can’t see him staying much longer though.
@ Nama:
2 choice lock pairing IMO, id have those guys and eben in my 23 man team anytime if I was a Stormer, Botha has been a good find.
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