Springbok Head coach Jacques Nienaber on Saturday named a 46-man Springbok squad for the upcoming two-Test series against Georgia and the matches against the British & Irish Lions.
The entire 2019 Rugby World Cup-winning squad except for the retired trio of Tendai Mtawarira, Francois Louw and Schalk Brits, and the injured Warrick Gelant have made it back into the group, while eight uncapped players were included in this extended squad.
SA Rugby director of rugby Rassie Erasmus has shed some light on the omission of Bulls centre Cornal Hendricks from the 46-man Springbok squad for the British & Irish Lions series.
Hendricks, along with several of his Bulls teammates, including Marcell Coetzee and Lizo Gqoboka, were left out of the Nienabers first-ever squad.
On Hendricks, in particular, Erasmus explained that he should be in this initial 46-man group, but medical issues had cost him for now.
Full Springbok team:
Props:
Thomas du Toit (Cell C Sharks, 12 caps, 0 pts)
Steven Kitshoff (DHL Stormers, 47 caps, 5 pts)
Vincent Koch (Saracens, 21 caps, 0 pts)
Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers, 38 caps, 5 pts)
Ox Nché (Cell C Sharks, 1 cap, 0 pts)
Trevor Nyakane (Vodacom Bulls, 42 caps, 5 pts)
Coenie Oosthuizen (Sale Sharks, 30 caps, 20 pts)
Hookers:
Joseph Dweba (Bordeaux-Bègles, uncapped)
Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears, 33 caps, 25 pts)
Bongi Mbonambi (DHL Stormers, 36 caps, 35 pts)
Scarra Ntubeni (DHL Stormers, 1 cap, 0 pts)
Locks:
Lood de Jager (Sale Sharks, 45 caps, 25 pts)
Eben Etzebeth (Toulon, 85 caps, 15 pts)
Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg (Montpellier, uncapped)
Franco Mostert (Honda Heat, 39 caps, 5 pts)
Marvin Orie (DHL Stormers, 3 caps, 0 pts)
RG Snyman (Munster, 23 caps, 5 pts)
Loose forwards:
Dan du Preez (Sale Sharks, 4 caps, 0 pts)
Pieter-Steph du Toit (DHL Stormers, 55 caps, 25 pts)
Siya Kolisi (Cell C Sharks, 50 caps, 30 pts)
Kwagga Smith (Yamaha Júbilo, 6 caps, 0 pts)
Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls, 3 caps, 0 pts)
Duane Vermeulen (Vodacom Bulls, 54 caps, 15 pts)
Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers, uncapped)
Utility forwards:
Jean-Luc du Preez (Sale Sharks, 13 caps, 10 pts)
Rynhardt Elstadt (Toulouse, 2 caps, 0 pts)
Scrumhalves:
Faf de Klerk (Sale Sharks, 30 caps, 20 pts)
Herschel Jantjies (DHL Stormers, 10 caps, 20 pts)
Sanele Nohamba (Cell C Sharks, uncapped)
Cobus Reinach (Montpellier, 14 caps, 30 pts)
Flyhalves:
Elton Jantjies (Pau, 37 caps, 281 pts)
Handré Pollard (Montpellier, 48 caps 457 pts)
Morné Steyn (Vodacom Bulls, 66 caps, 736 pts)
Midfielders:
Lukhanyo Am (Cell C Sharks, 15 caps, 15 pts)
Damian de Allende (Munster, 47 caps, 30 pts)
Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles, 46 caps, 60 pts)
Wandisile Simelane (Emirates Lions, uncapped)
Frans Steyn (Toyota Cheetahs, 67 caps, 141 pts)
Outside Backs:
Aphelele Fassi (Cell C Sharks, uncapped)
Cheslin Kolbe (Toulouse, 14 caps, 40 pts)
Willie le Roux (Toyota Verblitz, 61 caps, 60 pts)
Makazole Mapimpi (Cell C Sharks, 14 caps, 70 pts)
Sbu Nkosi (Cell C Sharks, 11 caps, 40 pts)
Yaw Penxe (Cell C Sharks, uncapped)
Rosko Specman (Toyota Cheetahs, uncapped)
Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers, 6 caps, 5 pts)
