Bok alignment camp a blend of youth and experience

NINETEEN World Cup-winning Springboks are among the 43 players invited to the first alignment camp in March by Bok coach Rassie Erasmus that will kick off their preparations for a blockbuster Test season.

Moreover, 27 of the 43 players have Test caps and have tasted Bok rugby, which gives the world champions a blend of experience and youth as they start building towards the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.

After a couple of stellar seasons, it will be pleasing to see players like Quan Horn, Henco van Wyk and Morne van den Berg of the Lions; Cameron Hanekom, Celimpilo Gumede and Johan Grobbelaar of the Bulls; Neethling Fouche, Andre-Hugo Venter, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Suleiman Hartzenberg of the Stormers; and the Cheetahs’ Marnus van der Merwe get rewarded.

The group will gather in Cape Town on March 5 for a two-day camp where everyone will try to get on the same page for 2024, according to Erasmus.

“We believe this will lay a good foundation for us looking forward,” Erasmus said, with the announcement of the squad. “Jerry (Flannery, defence coach) and Tony (Brown, attack coach) are going to play vital roles in this coaching team, and we are excited to see them, along with our other coaching staff, put proper steps into action as we prepare for the challenging season ahead.

“This bunch of players includes several individuals who have been part of our structures in the last six years. Their experience and familiarity with the way we do things at the Springboks will be invaluable in guiding the younger players, while others have been exposed to it before by representing the SA A team that faced Munster and the Bristol Bears in November 2022.”

Erasmus will be happy with the youngsters who have put their hands up in the United Rugby Championship (URC), and the EPRC Champions and Challenge Cups.

The fact that the Boks retained so many of their World Cup winners also shows the depth Erasmus, previous head coach Jacques Nienaber and assistants Deon Davids and Mzwandile Stick have built up since 2018.

“There are also a few new players in the mix who have proven their worth at provincial level and we are excited to see them receive this opportunity and get a real feel about what is expected of them at the highest level.”

The likes of Van Wyk, Grobbelaar, Venter, Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Van der Merwe, and the Lions’ Sanele Nohamba have been putting in the performances for their franchise teams and their inclusion should spur on the rest of the South African players to push for the top.

Players like the Stormers’ Joseph Dweba and Hacjivah Dayimani, and the Sharks’ Aphelele Fassi did not make the cut, but it also does not mean the Bok door is shut to them.

The camp includes four Japanbased Springboks who are currently injured and doing their rehabilitation in South Africa. No European players have been selected for the first one, though.

Erasmus and his coaching staff will assemble on March 4 ahead of the camp where their planning for the two-Test series against the Irish, and the one-off Test against Portugal will begin to take shape.

They will also start preparation for the all-important double home Tests against the All Blacks and two away Tests against Australia during the Rugby Championship.

“We are delighted that the new coaching team will meet in person for the first time and that we will have the opportunity to present solid structures and the Springbok culture and way of doing things to the invited players,” Erasmus said.

Players invited to the Springbok alignment camp

Forwards: Eben Etzebeth, Neethling Fouche, Johan Grobbelaar, Celimpilo Gumede, Cameron Hanekom, AndreHugo Venter, Vincent Koch, Elrigh Louw, Wilco Louw, Frans Malherbe, Bongi Mbonambi, Malcolm Marx, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Salmaan Moerat, Ox Nche, Ruan Nortje, Evan Roos, Kwagga Smith, Gerhard Steenekamp, Marnus van der Merwe, Ruben van Heerden, Marco van Staden, Ruan Venter, Jan-Hendrik Wessels; Backs: Lukhanyo Am, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Faf de Klerk, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Suleiman Hartzenberg, Jaden Hendrikse, Jordan Hendrikse, Quan Horn, Herschel Jantjies, Jesse Kriel, Willie le Roux, Manie Libbok, Makazole Mapimpi, Canan Moodie, Sanele Nohamba, Morne van den Berg, Henco van Wyk, Grant Williams, Damian Willemse