Rassie Erasmus rewards European form in his latest alignment camp squad

Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus has rewarded for in his latest alignment camp ahead of the Rugby World Cup in Japan with uncapped Toulouse flanker Rynhardt Elstadt included in the squad along with the likes of Northampton Saints scrumhalf Cobus Reinach.

Ulster flanker Marcel Coetzee has also received a recall for the first time since joining the Irish Province and is joined by World Cup-winning utility back Frans Steyn.

Form Stormers' backs  Dillyn Lleyds and Herschel Jantjies have also been included in the twenty-six man squad that gathered in Pretoria on Sunday for the next instalment of the national alignment and conditioning camps as the Springboks continue with their preparations for the forthcoming international season.

Players from the Bulls and Sharks who took part in the weekend’s Super Rugby quarter-final matches, will join the camp from next Monday.

The Springboks kick off their shortened campaign on 20 July against the Wallabies in Johannesburg and that match 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 over against the All Blacks.

The Boks conclude their official campaign against Argentina two weeks later, on 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 following players will attend the Springbok alignment and conditioning camp from Sunday in Pretoria (in alphabetical order):

Forwards:

Schalk Brits (Vodacom Bulls), Marcell Coetzee (Ulster, Ireland), Lood de Jager (Vodacom Bulls), Pieter-Steph du Toit (DHL Stormers), Rynardt Elstadt (Toulouse, France), Eben Etzebeth (DHL Stormers), Steven Kitshoff (DHL Stormers), Vincent Koch (Saracens, England), Siya Kolisi (DHL Stormers), Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers), Malcolm Marx (Emirates Lions), Bongi Mbonambi (DHL Stormers), Tendai Mtawarira (Cell C Sharks), Franco Mostert (Gloucester, England), Marvin Orie (Emirates Lions), Kwagga Smith (Emirates Lions).

Backs:

Damian de Allende (DHL Stormers), Faf de Klerk (Sale Sharks, England), Aphiwe Dyantyi (Emirates Lions), Elton Jantjies (Emirates Lions), Herschel Jantjies (DHL Stormers), Cheslin Kolbe (Toulouse, France), Dillyn Lleyds (DHL Stormers), Willie le Roux (Toyota Verblitz, Japan), Cobus Reinach (Northampton Saints, England), Frans Steyn (Montpellier, France).