A Springbok blend led by Siya Kolisi and combining youth with gnarled experience was on Monday confirmed in Johannesburg to launch South Africa’s seventh assault on the Rugby World Cup title.
The squad naming was broadcast live by several national broadcasters in front of an excited audience at Multichoice City in Johannesburg. The team departs to Japan on Friday.
The squad named by Mr Mark Alexander, president of SA Rugby, features three players attending their third Rugby World Cup; Frans Steyn, Tendai Mtawarira and Francois Louw and 12 players making their second expedition, providing a spine of experience.
HALFBACK: Handre Pollard made the World Cup squad. Photo: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix.
Fourteen 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 Rassie Erasmus, director of rugby, 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, the latter being the most experienced played in the squad with 110 caps.
WORLD CUP DEBUT: Herschel Jantjies will make his World Cup debut. Photo: Christiaan Kotze/BackpagePix.
All 31, apart from skipper Siya Kolisi who only returned from injury nine days ago, appeared at some point in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship-winning campaign.
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.
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/StrongerTogether?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StrongerTogether🇿🇦 pic.twitter.com/jEYy82xeqk
— Springboks (@Springboks)
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).
The Springboks will play a final warm-up match against Japan on Friday, 6 September in Kumagaya.
African News Agency