Springboks pick 10 League One stars for summer Tests

Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus has included 10 Japan-based League One stars in his 54-man squad for their summer internationals.

SA Rugby announced the vast squad on Thursday ahead of their first game of the season against the Barbarians on 28 June in Cape Town.

The Boks’ first squad of the year features 30 forwards and 24 backs who are also set to host Italy in Pretoria and Gqeberha on 5 and 12 July before battling Georgia in Nelspruit a week later on 19 July.

World Player of the Year Pieter-Steph du Toit returns having missed the entire League One season for Toyota following shoulder surgery for an injury sustained in the Autumn Nations Series last year.

Urayasu D-Rocks captain Jasper Wiese is also named after recovering from neck surgery.

Kubota Spears' Malcolm Marx, who was unable to become a two-time League One winner after losing out to Toshiba in Sunday’s final, features along with Shizuoka Blue Revs captain Kwagga Smith.

Honda Heat’s Franco Mostert played a pivotal role in helping to keep his team in Japan’s top-flight with a try in both of their play-off games against division two side Kintetsu Liners and gets the nod for his country.  

In the backs, Saitama’s Damian de Allende, who missed out on a League One final appearance for the first time this season after a fourth-place finish, is joined by Yokohama Canon Eagles duo Faf de Klerk – who has been sidelined with a hand injury since March – and Jesse Kriel along with Cheslin Kolbe who was at his scintillating best for Suntory Sungoliath in the second half of the season.  

Former Mitsubishi Dynaboars full-back Kurt-Lee Arendse, who lit up the Japanese league this term, has also been summoned and is listed as a Vodacom Bulls player after returning to the URC outfit.

Erasmus added: “We used a total of 50 players last season in an attempt to balance the load on them, while at the same time building towards the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia, and with a few more talented youngsters in this group, we hope that they will learn valuable lessons and stake a strong claim for places in what will be a challenging, yet exciting season.”  

Springboks squad (Japan-based players in bold):  

Forwards:  Juarno Augustus (Northampton Saints), Lood de Jager (Wild Knights), Renzo du Plessis (Emirates Lions), Jean-Luc du Preez (Sale Sharks), Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz), Thomas du Toit (Bath), Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Neethling Fouche (DHL Stormers), Cameron Hanekom (Vodacom Bulls), Jean Kleyn (Munster), Vincent Koch, Siya Kolisi (both Hollywoodbets Sharks), Wilco Louw (Vodacom Bulls), Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears), Bongi Mbonambi, Ntuthuko Mchunu (both Hollywoodbets Sharks), Salmaan Moerat (DHL Stormers), Franco Mostert (Honda Heat), Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls), Asenathi Ntlabakanye (Emirates Lions), Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs), RG Snyman (Leinster), Gerhard Steenekamp (Vodacom Bulls), Vincent Tshituka (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls), Marnus van der Merwe (Scarlets), Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Vodacom Bulls), Cobus Wiese (Vodacom Bulls), Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks)

Backs: Lukhanyo Am (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls), Damian de Allende (Wild Knights), Faf de Klerk (Canon Eagles), Andre Esterhuizen, Aphelele Fassi (both Hollywoodbets Sharks), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers), Jaden Hendrikse, Jordan Hendrikse, Ethan Hooker (all Hollywoodbets Sharks), Quan Horn (Emirates Lions), Cheslin Kolbe (Tokyo Sungoliath), Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles), Willie le Roux (Vodacom Bulls), Manie Libbok (DHL Stormers), Makazole Mapimpi (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Ntokozo Makhaza (UCT), Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls), Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers), Cobus Reinach (Montpellier), Morne van den Berg, Edwilll van der Merwe (both Emirates Lions), Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers), Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks) 

Pictures courtesy of JRLO