Springbok squad named to face Ireland

Springbok coach, Allister Coetzee, has named the squad for the three-Test series kicking off early June.


The squad of 31 players contains 9 players who are uncapped in the Test series level, the most of any other previous Springbok squad: Garth April, Ruan Combrink, Faf De Klerk, Nic Groom, Steven Kitshoff, Jaco Kriel, Bongi Mbonambi, Sikhumbuzo Notshe and Scarra Ntubeni. 


Under Heyneke Meyer's steering , the team that carried South Africa's hopes in the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England consisted of a total of 880 caps, the most experienced squad to take the field. Coetzee's Test series squad, however, consists of 541 caps, with the least experience coming from the back (210).  

“The announcement of the squad, while hugely challenging, is a highlight of my career and a result of a lot of hard work and a huge amount of planning since my appointment,” said Coetzee.

“The selection of this squad was based on rewarding form and exposing young and upcoming local players to the Springboks, which is why priority was given to locally based players. We have many experienced players still available for selection, but we just felt that the time was right to look at the next generation.

“Our depth was obviously tested in certain positions, but this also created opportunities for new players, who have found their feet at Vodacom Super Rugby level, and to make the step up to the Springboks.

“I was appointed to win Test matches and I believe we have picked the best possible, available squad to do that. During my recent visits to the various franchises, I witnessed an unbelievable desire and passion from our players to play for South Africa, which was really heartening.

“We will now start with our preparations in earnest in Stellenbosch so that we can be ready for Ireland in Cape Town in two weeks’ time.” 

Coetzee has not named a captain: “We have a number of captaincy candidates to consider and I will announce the name of the captain when we name the team to face Ireland in Cape Town in a few days’ time,” said the Bok coach. 

Springbok Squad

Garth April
Ruan Combrink
Damian De Allende
Lood de JagerFaf De Klerk
Pieter-Steph Du Toit
Eben Etzebeth
Nic Groom
Elton Jantjies
Steven Kitshoff
Siya Kolisi
Jaco Kriel
Jesse Kriel
Patrick Lambie
Willie le Roux
Francois Louw
Frans Malherbe
Lionel Mapoe
Bongi Mbonambi
Tendai Mtawarira
Lwazi Mvovo
Sikhumbuzo Notshe
Scarra Ntubeni
Trevor Nyakane
Rudy Paige
JP Pietersen
Julian Redlinghuys
Jan Serfontein
Adriaan Strauss
Duane Vermeulen
Warren Whiteley

Garth April:

April was included in the Golden Lions' squad for the 2012 Vodacom Cup and made his first class debut in their match against the Leopards. He currently has 9 caps with the Sharks since his signing in April 2015. The full-back has earned 22 Super Rugby caps.

Ruan Combrink:

Having played rugby for the U19 Natal Sharks and Western Province, Combrinck represented the University of Stellenbosch (Maties) in the Varsity Cup. He has acquired 41 Super Rugby caps under the Lions.

Faf De Klerk:

De Klerk was included in the Lions squad for the 2014 Super Rugby season for which he made his debut. He played Super Rugby for the Lions through loan agreements until he was signed by the club for a year and was involved in both the 2016 Super Rugby and Currie Cup campaigns. The scrum-half has 32 Super Rugby caps.

Nic Groom:

Groom won the Varsity Cup with UCT 2011. He made Western Province appearances that saw him being a Currie Cup winner in 2012. He currently holds 43 Super Rugby caps with his Stormers appearances.

Steven Kitshoff:

Kitshoff was part of the South Africa Under 20 squad that won the 2012 IRB Junior World Championship. Having played for the Western Province in the Currie Cup, he has 60 Super Rugby caps with the Stormers.

Jaco Kriel:

Kriel has represented the University of Johannesburg in the Varsity Cup. He joined Super Rugby’s the Lions in 2011 and has earned 40 caps with the side.

Bongi Mbonambi:

Bongi was a member of the South Africa Under 20 team that competed in the 2011 IRB Junior World Championship. He currently represents the Stormers, and has 59 caps in Super Rugby.

Sikhumbuzo Notshe:

Notshe was included in a South African Under-18 High Performance squad at the end of the 2010 Craven Week Competition. He was included in the Stormers pre-season training squad before the 2014 Super Rugby season and has made 7 appearances for the side.

Scarra Ntubeni:

Ntubeni debuted for both Western Province and the Stormers in 2011 and was featured in all of Province's 12 games during that campaign. He has made 31 appearances for the Stormers.