Springboks latest: Rassie Erasmus increases squad size with Stormers star recalled for Argentina Test and Greatest Rivalry series
Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus has added Stormers loosehead prop Ntuthuko Mchunu to his squad for their upcoming Test against Argentina and Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry (RGR) series with the All Blacks.
The world champions are set to face Argentina in Buenos Aires on August 8 before taking on the All Blacks in the first clash of a four-Test series in Johannesburg on August 22.
The Springboks squad assembled in Johannesburg on Sunday evening and resumed their on-field preparations on Monday, where they will be joined by Mchunu, who earned his fourth Test cap against Scotland in Pretoria during a Nations Championship Test on July 11.
Springboks’ squad size increased
Mchunu’s inclusion in the group increases the size of Erasmus’ squad in Johannesburg to 44 players.
The Bok coach is set to name his travelling squad for the clash against Los Pumas later in the week, with that group of players and management departing for Argentina in two groups on Saturday.
The remaining players will zoom in on the matches against New Zealand under the guidance of a few coaches, medical staff, and management members at their training base in Johannesburg.
After the completion of the Nations Championship Tests against England, Scotland and Wales, Mchunu was initially omitted from the Springboks squad for the trip to Argentina and the Greatest Rivalry series.
The 27-year-old along with Stormers team-mates Evan Roos (number eight), Andre-Hugo Venter (hooker), Bulls scrum-half Embrose Papier and Sharks wing Jaco Williams, were released to their franchises for matches against the All Blacks when Erasmus announced his initial 43-man Springboks squad last week.
At the time, Erasmus said: “The players released to their franchises will also have an opportunity to face the All Blacks in their respective midweek games if they are selected, which will be invaluable for them once we decide on the final squad for RGR, so we see this as a win-win situation for the team and players.
‘Limited number of players going to Argentina’
“We are limited in the number of players we can take to Argentina, so it makes sense to give everyone a fair chance to compete for spots in the RGR squad, and some of the players who will train in Johannesburg will be in the final stages of their recovery from injuries, which will allow them to do so under the supervision of our medical team.
“Then there are other players who have played a lot of rugby this year and for us during the Nations Championship and need a match off to allow their bodies to recover.”
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Thomas du Toit (Sharks), Wilco Louw (Stormers), Ox Nche (Sharks), Zachary Porthen (Stormers), Carlu Sadie (Bordeaux-Begles), Gerhard Steenekamp (Bulls), Boan Venter (Lions) were the front-rowers called up to Erasmus’ original squad.
However, Nche is an injury concern after being forced off the field in the Boks’ opening Nations Championship Test against England.
Nche limped off the field after 10 minutes in Johannesburg with a knee injury, but Erasmus revealed afterwards that the Boks’ first-choice loosehead prop will be ready for action when they take on the All Blacks.
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