The selectors on Saturday named six uncapped players in a Springbok squad of 30 for their five-match tour of Britain and Ireland next month.
SARU Website.
SA Under-20 stars Elton Jantjies (flyhalf) and Patrick Lambie (flyhalf/fullback) were promoted to the senior squad after highly impressive debut seasons, while The Sharks trio of wing Lwazi Mvovo and backrowers Willem Alberts and Keegan Daniel as well as dynamic Vodacom Cheetahs loosehead prop Coenie Oosthuizen were also called up to a Springbok squad for the first time.
Two overseas-based players were named in the party in Ulster’s Ruan Pineaar – who will join the squad in Johannesburg on Sunday – and Frans Steyn (of Racing Metro in France), who will be available following the opening Test against Ireland. The tour will be led by Vodacom Blue Bulls captain Victor Matfield, with Juan Smith of the Vodacom Cheetahs as vice-captain.
“We’ve rewarded players for their form in what was a difficult selection as there were a number of others who were part of our preliminary squad who were very close to selection,” said Peter de Villiers, Springbok coach.
“But we looked at the players who were performing now in our selection criteria as we need to be on top form from the first kick-off in Ireland.
“It’s a new-look squad but it has a good backbone of experience for what is going to be a challenging tour.”
Players not considered for selection because of injury were John Smit, Jaque Fourie, Wynand Olivier, Andries Bekker, Fourie du Preez, Heinrich Brüssow, JP Pietersen, Gurthrö Steenkamp, Butch James and BJ Botha.
“We have the advantage that a number of players such as Juan Smith, Bismarck du Plessis, Tendai Mtawarira, Bakkies Botha and Ricky Januarie have not had a lot of rugby this season for one reason or another,” said De Villiers. “When you add that to the number of absentees through injury it means that there are only a few players on tour whose volume of work we will need to manage and this squad gives us options to do that.
“We needed strong on-field leadership because of the absence of a number of those key players which is why it was critical for us that Victor should lead the squad,” said De Villiers.
The Springboks’ fixtures are:
November 6 v Ireland (Dublin)
November 13 v Wales (Cardiff)
November 20 v Scotland (Edinburgh)
November 27 v England (Twickenham)
December 4 v Barbarians (Twickenham)
Tour squad (in alphabetical order. * Indicates new cap):
Backs
Gio Aplon (Vodacom Western Province); Age: 28; Test caps: 9
Bjorn Basson (Vodacom Blue Bulls); 23, 2
Juan de Jongh (Vodacom Western Province); 22, 6
Jean de Villiers (Vodacom Western Province); 29, 63
Francois Hougaard (Vodacom Blue Bulls); 22, 5
Bryan Habana (Vodacom Western Province); 27, 66
* Elton Jantjies (Xerox Golden Lions); 20, 0
Ricky Januarie (Vodacom Western Province); 28, 47
* Patrick Lambie (The Sharks); 20, 0
* Lwazi Mvovo (The Sharks); 24, 0
Ruan Pienaar (Ulster, N Ireland); 26, 43
Frans Steyn (Racing Metro, France); 23, 39
Morne Steyn (Vodacom Blue Bulls); 26, 21
Forwards
* Willem Alberts (The Sharks); Age: 26, Test caps: 0
Bakkies Botha (Vodacom Blue Bulls); 31, 68
Schalk Burger (Vodacom Western Province); 27, 63
* Keegan Daniel (The Sharks); 25, 0
Bismarck du Plessis (The Sharks); 26, 32
Jannie du Plessis (The Sharks); 28, 20
Alistair Hargreaves (The Sharks); 24, 2
Ryan Kankowski (The Sharks); 25, 16
Victor Matfield (captain, Vodacom Blue Bulls); 33, 101
Tendai Mtawarira (The Sharks); 25, 22
* Coenie Oosthuizen (Vodacom Cheetahs); 21, 0
Chiliboy Ralepelle (Vodacom Blue Bulls); 24, 17
Juan Smith (Vodacom Cheetahs); 29, 65
Pierre Spies (Vodacom Blue Bulls); 25, 37
Adriaan Strauss (Vodacom Cheetahs); 24, 7
CJ van der Linde (Vodacom Cheetahs); 30, 65
Flip van der Merwe (Vodacom Blue Bulls); 25, 6

Good squad. I only have issues with the Capt and VC.
Both are kak IMO.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 1) : kak leaders that is.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 1) : And Ricky… 😈
@KSA Shark © (Comment 2) : Both good for their provinces, but on the international stage I agree. Vic is poor and as much as I like Juan Smith I fear he’ll come across in much the same way as Matfield in tests. 😐
Well done guys and good luck, go kick some European ass 😛
Only two centers, I wonder if they will use Lambie at 12 ❓ 😕
I really feel for Burden, he has been outstanding and is still looked over while Chili is selected.
Also a bit silly to pick Jantjies if he is carrying an injury.
@Dancing Bear (Comment 6) : Lambie, Pienaar & F Steyn to cover more than one position imo.
I think of this squad, JdV would make the best captain.
11 Sharks in the squad of 30. 😎
Next highest is the Bulls on 8.
Yay keegan
@McLovin (Comment 8) : Business as usual then. 🙁
Very happy for Keegan, he has worked hard and deserves this.
Good to see Alberts there. 😎
I think Elton is being brought along to experience a Bok tour, not necessarily expected any game time. Lambie much more likely to play. Also with only two centers, Lambie’s versatility will weigh in his favour.
@McLovin (Comment 14) : They left two forward slots open, if WP won, Duane and Flouw would be in, but since the Sharks won, Keegan and Big Willem made it. 😉
@Dancing Bear (Comment 16) : 😈 Not sure what Flouw did wrong, but Duane quite obviously not rated by the Bok selectors.
Alberts may be the best bet for 8 in the NH. With Kanko on the bench and coming on when things are a little looser. Alberts could either be replaced outright or go to blindside flank or even lock.
@Dancing Bear (Comment 16) : Not a big fan of Daniel myself, not sure how effective he’ll be in the NH. But I wish him all the best and for the sake of the Boks hope he has a cracking tour.
@McLovin (Comment 17) : Maybe he feels he knows what Flouw can do and wants to see what these two can do…
@Dancing Bear (Comment 18) : Looking forward to seeing Alberts in the NH. Reckon Kanko will draw the short straw as far as 8th man is concerned.
@McLovin (Comment 19) : I think the best NH combo from this squad is 6 – Schalk 7 – Smith and 8 – Alberts with Kanko on the bench. You could also carry another back rower on the bench with Albert’s ability to cover the second row. So only then, would I see a chance for Keegan. And all this is without Spies who is playing poorly in my opinion.
I suppose Keegan might get a shot against Scotland….
@Dancing Bear (Comment 22) : I agree.
Alberts just does not know how to go backwards, no matter the point of contact, he is simply going to get past the gain line. He rarely passes though, and with Smith also one to die with the ball, I feel he really needs to go into the second row later in the game and bring in more of a linking player like Kanko or even Keegan.
@Dancing Bear (Comment 25) : Spies doesn’t pass either.
In my opinion, the strongest 22 from this squad (not going to happen but oh well):
1. Beast
2. Bissie
3. Jannie
4. Bakkies
5. Matfield
6. Schalk
7. Smith
8. Alberts
9. Hougaard
10.Lambie (I know, but he hasn’t learned how to be intimidated yet)
11.Habana
12.JdV (Captain)
13.JdJ
14.Basson
15.Fransie
16.Adriaan
17.CJ
18.Keegan
19.Kanko
20.Ruan
21.Morne
22.Lwazi
@Dancing Bear (Comment 27) : Right now Hargreaves is playing better rugby than Victor, but we need his leadership amongst the forwards, not happy but who else.
@Dancing Bear (Comment 27) : No chance of Spies being dropped imo.
Spies will be 1st choice.
@Dancing Bear (Comment 28) : Can’t see M Steyn being dropped either.
But one can dream.
@McLovin (Comment 29) : Now go back and read my post properly, I clearly stated parenthetically that it was not going to happen, but what the hell, still worth it as an exercise in futility. 😆
Over & out from me. The wine’s not going to drink itself. 😈
@McLovin (Comment 30) : If McLovin were coach, would McLovin select Spies either to start or on the bench? Also, would McLovin have the proverbial cojones to select Lambie with Morne on the bench? 😉
@McLovin (Comment 32) : Good night McLovin. Sorry you are not celebrating a win, but better me than you 😉 Still glad the two best teams are the coastal teams.
Well done to all will comment to everything 2 morrow
Keegan Daniel’s selection was a complete surprise but thoroughly deserved after the season he’s had. In the case of Gio, Juan (dJ), Pat and Keegan – dynamite comes in small to medium-sized packages.
If this final has taught us anything it’s that we should never underestimate the heart of a player or a team.
Januarie has just been ruled out of the EOYT.
We are not sure if a replacement will be called up.
Extremely glad for Keegan’s part. He really really deserves this!! And now he can silence his critics AGAIN and play and tackle his heart out! With only 2 centres, i am afraid that the likes of Patrick and Ruan will once again be played out of their preferred positions.
Will McLeod be included now that Ricky is out? Doubt it. Think that a 2nd centre might now be selected….maybe Meyer Bosman or a side entry Adi?
JPS
MCleod??
Nah dude, I think Pretorius from Griquas deserves it more!
All of a sudden we’re looking very thin at scrumhalf.
Very glad zane the nut kirchner isn’t in the squad! What happend to ricky?
Keegan Daniel deserves to tour. He will probably not get a run unless there are injuries but one thing the sharks did tonight was prove that its only the size of the heart that counts. Schalk is massive yet the sharks dominated him. Louis Ludik put the biggest hit on schalk that he’s ever experienced. He’s probably still feeling it. Boom.
You had to laugh at the half-time interview with Pieter De Villiers – I believe he said, “Its disappointing that we ( You’d assume he was referring to all SA players) are still losing the ball in contact situations and losing momentum, and momentum is everything”. Shortly after the stats came up and Sharks had made ZERO handling errors! So he was clearly referring to WP as ‘We’. I thought it was a shocker to be honest, that rather than praise the Sharks ability to maintain the pressure and hold onto the ball he instead berates his ‘home’ team’s ability to not!! Impartiality at its finest…
@neilster (Comment 42) : I also spotted that one. Sad
So who will be going to any of the games? I’ll be at the Scotland and Baabaas games…
Adi’s been added to the squad
why is it that there is not a single player who is either a first choice fullback, or someone who has at least played a majority of their season there?
@robdylan (Comment 45) :
Whoop ! Whoop ! Adi’s in !