All eyes are on Coetzee
BOK SQUAD: WILL OVERSEAS STARS BE IN HIS THOUGHTS? Still no clarity on whether Newlands will host All Blacks.
With all the excitement building ahead of the announcement of national coach Allister Coetzee’s first squad announcement of the year today, the Springboks’ 2017 Rugby Championship schedule was released yesterday.
A squad of 31 will be announced today for the three-Test French series next month and will give an indication how Coetzee will fine-tune the balance between overseas and injured players and the players who had performed in Super Rugby.
Fans are waiting to see if Coetzee includes foreign players like No 8 Duane Vermeulen, scrumhalf Francois Hougaard, fullback Willie le Roux, wings Bryan Habana and JP Pietersen, flank Schalk Burger and hooker Bismarck du Plessis.
Equally telling is whether he will reward local players like fullback SP Marais, wings Courtnall Skosan and Raymond Rhule, flyhalf Lionel Cronje, props Ruan Dreyer and Lizo Gqoboka, centres EW Viljoen and Lukhanyo Am and flankers Chris Cloete, Andisa Ntsila and Kwagga Smith.
Star players who are injured or who have just returned, like flank Jaco Kriel, flyhalves Pat Lambie and Handre Pollard and wing Ruan Combrinck, could be borderline selections.
Cape Town had been offered the All Black Test on October 7, but after there were safety related issues the last time New Zealand played at Newlands in 2008, Saru want guarantees before the arrangements continue.
According to Saru “the venue in Cape Town is dependent on the outcome of an application for a safety certificate in relation to the first-choice venue, Newlands”.
For the first time since 2010, Bloemfontein and Port Elizabeth have been awarded the other two Rugby Championship games against the Wallabies on September 30, while the Boks will open their campaign against Argentina on August 19.
The Springboks’ away leg to Australasia starts in early September.
Additional reporting by Rudolph Jacobs