Marco van Staden invited to Springbok training group in Pretoria

Springbok loose forward Marco van Staden was on Monday added to the Springbok training group and will join the rest of the squad immediately at their preparation camp in Pretoria.

Van Staden has been drafted in as cover for Siya Kolisi and will remain in camp until there is absolute clarity about whether Kolisi will be able to take part in the initial stages of the Rugby Championship. Kolisi injured his knee in the Super Rugby competition and is continuing with his rehabilitation in camp.

The Springboks will kick off their shortened Rugby Championship campaign on Saturday, 20 July, against the Wallabies in Johannesburg, which will be followed a week later by the keenly awaited rematch with New Zealand in Wellington - the scene of last year’s epic away win against the All Blacks.

The Boks will conclude their official campaign against Argentina two weeks later, on Saturday, 10 August, in Salta, while the same two teams are set to meet again a week later in Pretoria in a once-off Test before the Boks report for Rugby World Cup training duty.

The updated Springbok training group in Pretoria is:

Forwards:

Schalk Brits (Vodacom Bulls), Marcell Coetzee (Ulster, Ireland), Lood de Jager (Vodacom Bulls), Thomas du Toit (Cell C Sharks), Pieter-Steph du Toit (DHL Stormers), Rynhardt Elstadt (Toulouse, France), Eben Etzebeth (DHL Stormers), Lizo Gqoboka (Vodacom Bulls), Steven Kitshoff (DHL Stormers), Vincent Koch (Saracens, England), Siya Kolisi (DHL Stormers), Francois Louw (Bath), Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers), Malcolm Marx (Emirates Lions), Bongi Mbonambi (DHL Stormers), Tendai Mtawarira (Cell C Sharks), Franco Mostert (Gloucester, England), Trevor Nyakane (Vodacom Bulls), Marvin Orie (Emirates Lions), Kwagga Smith (Emirates Lions), RG Snyman (Vodacom Bulls), Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls), Duane Vermeulen (Vodacom Bulls).

Backs:

Lukhanyo Am (Cell C Sharks), Damian de Allende (DHL Stormers), Andre Esterhuizen (Cell C Sharks), Faf de Klerk (Sale Sharks, England), Aphiwe Dyantyi (Emirates Lions), Warrick Gelant (Vodacom Bulls), Elton Jantjies (Emirates Lions), Herschel Jantjies (DHL Stormers), Cheslin Kolbe (Toulouse, France), Jesse Kriel (Vodacom Bulls), Dillyn Lleyds (DHL Stormers), Makazole Mapimpi (Cell C Sharks), Sibusiso Nkosi (Cell C Sharks), Willie le Roux (Toyota Verblitz, Japan), Handre Pollard (Vodacom Bulls), Cobus Reinach (Northampton Saints, England), Frans Steyn (Montpellier, France).