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Willemse, Mostert, RG And Esterhuizen Return As Rassie Names Squad For November Tour

  • October 22, 2024
  • 3 min read
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Willemse, Mostert, RG And Esterhuizen Return As Rassie Names Squad For November Tour

Four Rugby World Cup winners, Damian Willemse (utility back), Andre Esterhuizen (centre), RG Snyman, and Franco Mostert (both locks), will make a welcome return to the Springbok squad for the Castle Lager Outgoing Tour in November after missing the recent Rugby Championship due to injury.

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus named a 34-man squad for their UK tour on Tuesday. The Boks will face Scotland in Edinburgh (Sunday 10 November), England in London (Saturday 16 November) and Wales in Cardiff (Saturday 23 November) on their traditional end-of-year tour.

Esterhuizen has recovered from a shoulder injury, while Snyman returns following a foot injury, Mostert is back from a broken leg, and Willemse from a finger injury, and all four players will add valuable experience and skill to the squad.

Willemse’s return marks his first time back in the Springbok squad this year after missing all 10 Tests thus far in 2024 due to injury.

The squad – which will be led by Siya Kolisi, a key figure along with most of the squad members in the team’s triumphant Rugby Championship campaign – will depart for a training camp in Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands between England and France, on Sunday 27 October. The group will then make the journey to Edinburgh on Sunday 3 November for their opening Test of the tour.

The players ruled out due to injury are Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Salmaan Moerat (both knee injuries), Steven Kitshoff (neck) and Lood de Jager (shoulder). Erasmus’ squad includes 18 forwards and 16 backs.

The Bok coach admitted that selecting the squad was challenging given the depth they had built up this year. A total of 49 players have taken the field for the Boks in 2024 and 35 played in the Rugby Championship.

“The Castle Lager Outgoing Tour is always a tough test because it marks the end of our international season and the beginning of their season,” said Erasmus.

“That said, the November internationals always present a good challenge for us because the teams we will line up against are among the top sides in the world and they play a different brand of rugby to that which we faced in the Rugby Championship, which we enjoy because it tests us in a different way and allows us to grow as a team.

“The conditions in the northern hemisphere are also different, which is a new challenge all together, but we are excited about the tour and to see if we can build on what has been a rewarding season for the team so far.”

Springbok squad for the Castle Lager Outgoing Tour:

Props: Thomas du Toit (Bath), Vincent Koch (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers), Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Gerhard Steenekamp (Vodacom Bulls).

Hookers: Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears), Bongi Mbonambi (Hollywoodbets Sharks).

Locks: Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Franco Mostert (Honda Heat), Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls), RG Snyman (Leinster).

Loose forwards: Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz), Siya Kolisi (captain, Hollywoodbets Sharks), Elrigh Louw (Vodacom Bulls), Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs), Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls), Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks).

Utility forward: Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Vodacom Bulls).

Scrumhalves: Jaden Hendrikse (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Cobus Reinach (Montpellier), Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks).

Flyhalves: Manie Libbok (DHL Stormers), Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers).

Centres: Lukhanyo Am (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Damian de Allende (Wild Knights), Andre Esterhuizen (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles).

Outside backs: Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls), Aphelele Fassi (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath), Willie le Roux (Vodacom Bulls), Makazole Mapimpi (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls), Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers).

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