Rassie without five for Tests

At least five players who formed part of the Springbok squad on their recent tour of Australasia will not feature in the remaining two matches of the Rugby Championship.

Seventeen players were set to convene in Port Elizabeth today to start their preparations for the final two Tests against Australia at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium next week and New Zealand at Loftus Versfeld the week after.

Rassie Erasmus, SA Rugby’s director of rugby, confirmed yesterday the squad would be further bolstered when a number of other players concluded their provincial duties in the Currie Cup this weekend.

“We are still keeping an eye on a number of players who we would like to involve in the coming weeks, but we would first like to see them get through their provincial matches this weekend,” Erasmus said.

“The players had a brief break after returning from New Zealand and I’m sure they will return fresh and energised for the last two matches.”

It was confirmed that Damian De Allende (shoulder), fellow centre Lukhanyo Am (shoulder) and wing Makazole Mapimpi (ankle) would not participate in the two home Tests after they were ruled out due to injury.

Fullback Willie le Roux (Wasps) and loose forward Francois Louw (Bath) had returned to their English clubs after the pair featured in the Springboks’ four Championship matches to date.

“While we have lost a couple of players to injury, we are looking forward to possibly welcoming back some others who have been playing for their provinces and have recovered from injury,” Erasmus said.

“The two home matches will give us more time to work together as a group, to build on continuity and increase our depth.”

Around 4 000 tickets were still available for the Port Elizabeth Test, while the fixture in Pretoria would be played in front of a capacity crowd, with the Boks targeting a second straight win over the All Blacks.