Springbok - Training squad announced

A list of 19 uncapped players, including three brand new faces, have been invited to the Springboks' first two training camps of the season - in Johannesburg and Cape Town. The three news faces are Stormers duo of Cheslin Kolbe and Vincent Koch, as well as Lions scrumhalf Francois de Klerk. There are also some surprise selections, with forgotten Sprinbok flank Heinrich Brussow invited, as well as impressive SA Under-20 Bok Jesse Kriel. Bulls duo of Pierre Spies and Dean Greyling have also been invited, after not being involved with the Springboks for some time. There is no mention of Francois Steyn, who has not made his intentions clear either way with regards to the national team. Meyer has also included specialist No.13 Juan de Jongh in the training camp. The national selectors have named two squads of 44 players each – including a number of currently injured players – for the two training camps.
The first camp, in Johannesburg, will run from May 3 to 6 and the second camp is scheduled for Cape Town from May 31 to June 3. The international season starts on July 11 with a match against a World XV in Cape Town. Of the 19 uncapped players, 16 have been involved with the Springboks before, either as members of touring squads or at training or planning camps since 2012. The 16 uncapped players invited to one or both of the camps, are Ruan Botha, Robbie Coetzee, Jacques du Plessis, Steven Kitshoff, Pieter  Labuschagne, Siyabonga Ntubeni, Lizo Gqoboka, Bongi Mbonambi, Michael Rhodes, Demetri Catrakilis, Jesse Kriel, Lionel Mapoe, Rudy Paige, Kobus van Wyk, Francois Venter and Nic Groom. “The door to Springbok selection is never closed and by inviting these players we are rewarding great form for their franchises in Super Rugby,” said Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer. “The amazing thing is that most of these 19 uncapped players have been involved with us before, but I’m always excited to work with new players.
“This year, players such as Steven Kitshoff, Vincent Koch and Jesse Kriel, to name but a few, have been in great form in Super Rugby and they are certainly knocking on the selection door.  The World Cup squad will only be announced at the end of August and there is still a lot of places we’re undecided on. “The same goes for a number of more familiar faces, who have recovered from injury and are playing good rugby again. It’s always good to see experienced players back in the frame.” The training squads include key players currently injured, such as Springbok captain Jean de Villiers, Pat Lambie and Pieter-Steph du Toit, who have been invited to the camps but will not take part in the field sessions.  They will be monitored and their fitness evaluated as the international season is getting closer. “Injuries are part of the game but I am concerned about them,” said Meyer. “These camps will provide our medical team with the opportunity to evaluate the progress on the injured players as many of them are experienced and established Springboks who will in all probability feature at some stage this season.  "It also makes sense to involve them now already in our off-field sessions and video sessions.” Players based abroad were not considered for the camps, while their Super Rugby tours means the involvement of players from the Sharks and Bulls will be limited to one camp each.  The squads may change subject to further injuries. The Springbok training squads are: Johannesburg camp (no Sharks players) – 3-6 May: Forwards: Arno Botha, Ruan Botha, Heinrich Brüssow, Schalk Burger, Nizaam Carr, Robbie Coetzee, Loodewyk de Jager, Jacques du Plessis, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Eben Etzebeth, Dean Greyling, Steven Kitshoff, Vincent Koch, Siya Kolisi, Pieter Labuschagne, Frans Malherbe, Victor Matfield, Teboho Mohoje, Trevor Nyakane, Siyabonga Ntubeni, Coenie Oosthuizen, Pierre Spies, Adriaan Strauss, Marcel van der Merwe, Duane Vermeulen, Warren Whiteley.  Backs: Bjorn Basson, Demetri Catrakilis, Damian de Allende, Juan de Jongh, Francois de Klerk, Jean de Villiers, Cornal Hendricks, Francois Hougaard, Elton Jantjies, Jesse Kriel, Pat Lambie, Willie le Roux, Lionel Mapoe, Rudy Paige, Handré Pollard, Jan Serfontein, Kobus van Wyk, Francois Venter. Cape Town camp (no Bulls players) – 31 May to 3 June: Forwards: Willem Alberts, Ruan Botha, Heinrich Brüssow, Schalk Burger, Nizaam Carr, Marcell Coetzee, Robbie Coetzee, Loodewyk de Jager, Bismarck du Plessis, Jannie du Plessis, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Jean Deysel, Eben Etzebeth, Lizo Gqoboka, Ryan Kankowski, Steven Kitshoff, Vincent Koch, Siya Kolisi, Frans Malherbe, Bongi Mbonambi, Teboho Mohoje, Tendai Mtawarira, Siyabonga Ntubeni, Coenie Oosthuizen, Michael Rhodes, Duane Vermeulen, Warren Whiteley.  Backs: Demetri Catrakilis, Damian de Allende, Juan de Jongh, Francois de Klerk, Jean de Villiers, Nic Groom, Cornal Hendricks, Elton Jantjies, Cheslin Kolbe, Pat Lambie, Willie le Roux, Lionel Mapoe, Lwazi Mvovo, JP Pietersen, Cobus Reinach, Kobus van Wyk, Francois Venter.

 Elton Jantijies! Always thought the kid was pure class!

Deon Greyling......hahaha....HM is taking the piss.  

 All in all 36 forwards and 23 backs:

Forwards: Willem Alberts, Arno Botha, Ruan Botha, Heinrich Brüssow, Schalk Burger, Nizaam Carr, Marcell Coetzee, Robbie Coetzee, Loodewyk de Jager, Bismarck du Plessis, Jannie du Plessis, Jacques du Plessis, Jean Deysel, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Eben Etzebeth, Lizo Gqoboka, Dean Greyling, Ryan Kankowski, Steven Kitshoff, Vincent Koch, Siya Kolisi, Pieter Labuschagne, Frans Malherbe, Victor Matfield, Bongi Mbonambi, Teboho Mohoje, Tendai Mtawarira, Trevor Nyakane, Siyabonga Ntubeni, Coenie Oosthuizen, Michael Rhodes, Pierre Spies, Adriaan Strauss, Marcel van der Merwe, Duane Vermeulen, Warren Whiteley.  Backs: Bjorn Basson, Demetri Catrakilis, Damian de Allende, Juan de Jongh, Francois de Klerk, Jean de Villiers, Nic Groom, Cornal Hendricks, Francois Hougaard, Elton Jantjies, Cheslin Kolbe, Jesse Kriel, Pat Lambie, Willie le Roux, Lionel Mapoe, Lwazi Mvovo, JP Pietersen, Cobus Reinach, Rudy Paige, Handré Pollard, Jan Serfontein, Kobus van Wyk, Francois Venter.
59 players,...... almost half of them won't make the final RWC squad,...... so not too much to deduce from this list

If 7 non-white players have to be in every 23 playing bok squad, almost all the 16 included in this list (12 at least) will be in the RWC squad:

Nizaam Carr, Lizo Gqoboka, Siya Kolisi, Bongi Mbonambi, Teboho Mohoje, Tendai Mtawarira, Trevor Nyakane, Siyabonga Ntubeni,

Juan de Jongh, Cornal Hendricks, Elton Jantjies, Cheslin Kolbe, Lionel Mapoe, Lwazi Mvovo, JP Pietersen, Rudy Paige,

and some of the backs (almost all of them) are not up to test level and have serious defensive weakness,...... de Jongh, Hendriks, Kolbe, Mvovo,...... JP is completely out of form,..... this quota system can badly hurt the boks and their WC winning possibilities

 "european" players are missing,....... but except Habana and very probably Goosen I cannot think in other players who can make the squad

 Habana counts as a non-white player. 
Who is Gqoboka, is he any good?

 I would have thought Vorster and Odendaal as well as Combrinck and Sadie could have made these squads.Number of quota forwards and backs for sure. 
I see the dreaded name of wee matfiled 105 kg at lock bwahahahahahhaha.Man Meyer just doesnt get it. 

Geez this has to be a joke. 

Grant Hattingh (Best SA lock), Vorster and Combrinck should surely be involved. 

Jerome nice call on Hattingh, he ruled the lineouts yesterday.  

Grant Hatting is playing better each week. He seems light for a Bulls lock so he could be the new Matfield to replace Juande Kruger.
What happened to Flip Van Der Merve? He seems to be dropped from the squad/s?

 As well as Hattingh, Franco Mostert deserved a call up

 It's a pity to see how underrated Hattingh really is.  

Lineouts - he's very effective in this area. Stealing lineouts against the throw is a specialty of his and it comes natural to him. In the recent matches we saw some glimpses of that. 

General play - Hattingh's contribution on the field with ball in hand is very good, he can link with players around him and time his passes with precision. He's also has pace, possibility the fastest lock in SA. His intercept vs Crusaders shows how fast he really is.

Defence - There isn't any problem with his defence, even though he is 107KG's he's still a strong defender. Weight does not determine how strong a player is, it's been proven time and time again, even in other leagues.

Etzebeth at 4 with Hattingh at 5 for the Boks is the real deal. 

I need to see more of Hatting to assess his bok potential. 
Vincent Koch, Faf de Klerk and Cheslin Kolbe are the only players that have not been to a squad setup before.

Kolbe has now played against the biggest backline players in world rugby during this years SuperXV. 
He showed what an attacking threat he is but got thrown around abit on defense.
He may find that outside backs are generally smaller at test level than New Zealander wings in Super XV with pacific Island decent. (Nailo weighs like 130 kg)

 JeromeV
 
Status: Squad member 
Posts: 374RE: Springbok - Training squad announced
April 26, 2015, 19:25:33 It's a pity to see how underrated Hattingh really is.  

Lineouts - he's very effective in this area. Stealing lineouts against the throw is a specialty of his and it comes natural to him. In the recent matches we saw some glimpses of that. 

General play - Hattingh's contribution on the field with ball in hand is very good, he can link with players around him and time his passes with precision. He's also has pace, possibility the fastest lock in SA. His intercept vs Crusaders shows how fast he really is. 

Defence - There isn't any problem with his defence, even though he is 107KG's he's still a strong defender. Weight does not determine how strong a player is, it's been proven time and time again, even in other leagues.

Etzebeth at 4 with Hattingh at 5 for the Boks is the real deal. 

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You know it, I know it and quite a number of others also know it but there are also a few lunatics who would get very hot under the collar if you try top argue that point with them.
Sharkbok
 
Status: Rugby Legend 
Posts: 4525RE: Springbok - Training squad announced
April 26, 2015, 23:51:37I need to see more of Hatting to assess his bok potential. 
Where have you been? Grant Hatting hasn't been playing for the Bulls since yesterday. The problem is that he wasn't one of the breed of wonder kids who arrive on the scene with a hell of a bang and then fade away through injury after injury but still remains the massive factor in the minds of their drooling admirers.
Hatting was brought into the fold slowly and progressively instead of being thrown into the deep end immediately. 
YearsTeamApps†(Pts)†2011–12Western Province2(0)2012Lions9(5)2012–15Blue Bulls29(10)2013–Bulls32(5)2015–Kubota Spears0(0He is off to Japan but I suspect that he would also be back for the S15.

Very glad Brussouw is there. I'm a big fan! 

He should never have been out of the Bok picture.......that is ignorant Meyer for you  

Saff him being there does not really mean anything in the big scheme of things, he'll probably still be overlooked by Meyer...unnecessarily, because a small mobile fetcher along side two heavy weight loosies is still very effective. Just something about Brussouw's character, he has stayed loyal not only to SArugby, but to the Cheetahs, even though he knew his chances of getting a Springbok call up were slim to none. Determined little bugger if ever there was one, and it shows in his rugby!

Great heart, but he runs his engine at 8000 revs. He has hardly put 4 games together since the WC in 2011. And in that QF he was run over and marginalized by the equally skilled but bigger "Po'clock". 
It's hardly clear cut.

Have to disagree, Willemse is about the only player I think deserved a shot....that didn't get it. HM has been a bit more inclusive than Jake would have been and paid for it with weak performances from Step, Lambie and Reinach (to a lesser extent) against Wales and Italy. 

Good to see Kolbe there, well deserved. In my opinion the best fullback in the country by a mile. You just can't ignore that talent, hopefully he makes the final cut.

 He's a good fullback and should never ever be moved to scrumhalf, but the best fullback in the country is stretching it a bit, Kriel and Le Roux are both better than him.