Five players with Lowveld roots selected for Springbok Rugby World Cup squad

Five former Lowvelders, four of which were born here, have been selected for the Springbok squad for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

The World Cup will be played in France from September 8 to October 28.

The Mbombela-born Duane Vermeulen (37) will play in his second Rugby World Cup. Vermeulen was named in the Springbok World Cup squad on Tuesday August 8.

In the last World Cup match played, the 2019 final between South Africa and England at the Yokohama Stadium in Japan, he was man of the match. South Africa won the match 32-12 to secure their third World Cup title.

Vermeulen was born in Mbombela on July 3, 1986. His early rugby days saw him barefoot on Laerskool Nelspruit’s sport fields. He went on to play for Hoërskool Nelspruit’s first team.

The Bushbuckridge-born Trevor Nyakane (34) is also in the squad. He will play in his third Rugby World Cup after competing in the 2015 and 2019 editions.

Nyakane was born on May 4, 1989, in Bushbuckridge. He attended a top Limpopo rugby school, Ben Vorster, however.

Faf de Klerk (31) is another former Lowvelder who will compete in his second World Cup. De Klerk was born in Mbombela on October 19, 1991.

From U9 level, he played for Laerskool Bergland’s A team and also captained the school’s first team. He attended Hoërskool Nelspruit in Grade Eight and Nine before he went to Hoërskool Waterkloof.

Kwagga Smith (30), born in Lydenburg on June 11, 1993, will play in his second World Cup.

He first played rugby for Laerskool Lydenburg, before attending HTS Middelburg.

Vincent Koch (33), another former Lowvelder, was also selected for the Springbok World Cup squad. It will be his second world championship tournament.

Koch made Mbombela his home when he played for the Pumas from 2013 to 2016.

Nienaber named 21 players with Rugby World Cup experience (nine of whom will be appearing at their third RWC tournament) when he revealed the defending champion’s squad of 33 players.

His squad featured a strong mix of experience and some of the best up-and-coming young players in the country, while there was disappointment for three of the starting XV from the 32-12 victory over England in Japan four years ago, who were ruled out by injury and illness.

Fly half Handré Pollard (calf), Lukhanyo Am (knee) and Lood de Jager (chest problem) have been placed on standby with six other players. The Springbok coaches were hopeful they may return to full training before the start of the tournament and be available for call-up in the event of injury.

Meanwhile, props Frans Malherbe and Trevor Nyakane, lock Eben Etzebeth, loose forwards Pieter-Steph du Toit, Siya Kolisi, Duane Vermeulen, centres Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel and full back Willie le Roux will feature in their third World Cup tournaments and are among a large group of players who were members of the 2019 Rugby World Cup-winning squad.

Also returning from 2019 are Steven Kitshoff and Vincent Koch (props), Bongi Mbonambi and Malcolm Marx (hookers), RG Snyman (lock), Kwagga Smith, (loose forward), Franco Mostert (utility forward), Faf de Klerk and Cobus Reinach (scrum halves), Damian Willemse (utility back), Cheslin Kolbe and Makazole Mapimpi (wings).

Making their first appearance at a Rugby World Cup are Ox Nche (prop), Jean Kleyn and Marvin Orie (locks), Marco van Staden and Jasper Wiese (loose forwards), Deon Fourie (utility forward), Jaden Hendrikse and Grant Williams (scrum halves), Manie Libbok (fly half), Andre Esterhuizen (centre), Kurt-Lee Arendse and Canan Moodie (outside backs).

The squad comprises 19 forwards and 14 backline players.

“This was one of the hardest selections we have ever had to make,” said Nienaber. “Any of the 42-man training squad would do a great job, but injuries have played a part in the final selection and time unfortunately ran out for some real champions.

“However, we said from the outset we wanted to name the best 33 players for the World Cup, and after giving 38 players a run in the last four Tests, we are pleased with the make-up of the group, and we know we have proper depth in each position.

“We’ve picked a squad with a bunch of the players who can also cover alternative positions, which we’ll need in a very tough World Cup.

“We were in a great position this year to have so many players knocking on the door for selection, but unfortunately we could only select 33. Injuries have had a hand in the final selection, but they are part of the game, and we are excited about the quality of the players who can step in and perform at World Cup level – as many of the players who featured against Argentina showed last weekend.”

Nienaber also announced that nine players would be placed on standby. They are Am (centre), De Jager (lock), Jean-Luc du Preez (utility forward), Thomas du Toit (prop), Joseph Dweba (hooker), Herschel Jantjies (scrum half), Pollard (fly half), Evan Roos (eighth man) and Gerhard Steenekamp (prop). The five travelling to the UK on Saturday are Du Toit, Du Preez, Dweba, Pollard and Am.

Nienaber said, “Since Rassie [Erasmus – SA Rugby’s director of rugby] and I returned to South Africa in 2018, we’ve been building to the 2023 World Cup, and we are pleased with where we are, going into this World Cup.

“The coaches and players have put in a helluva lot work in the last few years, and we have the luxury of naming a squad that features a big group of players who know what it takes to win a World Cup and who will enter the tournament with vast international experience.

“The younger players have also showed in the last two seasons that they can match some of the top players in the world, so we believe we are better prepared as a team going into this tournament.

“We still have two warm-up games left and a road to travel to build player combinations and fine tune the areas of our game we feel we need to improve on, so we are by no means the final product at this stage.”

Kolisi, who is expected to be back in action against Wales in two weeks, will captain the Springbok team for the second time at the Rugby World Cup when they take the field in France. Nche and Hendrikse – who have not appeared for the Boks in the past four matches – are also expected to return in the final two warm-up matches.

Am suffered a knee injury in the team’s 24-13 victory against Argentina in Buenos Aires and is expected to be out of action for four weeks, while De Jager is undergoing specialist evaluation for a chest problem. Pollard, meanwhile, has been on the sidelines with a calf injury since joining the team in June, and will continue to work with the Bok medical team to return to full fitness.

Springbok Rugby World Cup squad:

Forwards:
Props: Steven Kitshoff (Ulster – 74 caps, 10 points), Vincent Koch (Cell C Sharks – 45 caps, 0 points), Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers – 61 caps, 5 points), Ox Nche (Cell C Sharks – 19 caps, 0 points), Trevor Nyakane (Racing 92 – 61 caps, 5 points).
Hookers: Bongi Mbonambi (Cell C Sharks – 60 caps, 60 points), Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears – 61 caps, 75 points).
Locks: Eben Etzebeth (Cell C Sharks – 112 caps, 25 points), Jean Kleyn (Munster – 2 caps, 0 points), Marvin Orie (Perpignan – 14 caps, 0 points), RG Snyman (Munster – 26 caps, 5 points).
Loose forwards: Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz – 69 caps, 30 points), Siya Kolisi (captain – Racing 92 – 75 caps, 45 points), Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs – 33 caps, 25 points), Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls – 12 caps, 0 points), Duane Vermeulen (SA Rugby – 68 caps, 15 points), Jasper Wiese (Leicester – 22 caps, 5 points).
Utility forwards: Deon Fourie (DHL Stormers – 7 caps, 0 points), Franco Mostert (Honda Heat – 65 caps, 15 points).

Backs:
Scrum halves: Faf de Klerk (Canon Eagles – 48 caps, 44 points), Jaden Hendrikse (Cell C Sharks – 12 caps, 12 points), Cobus Reinach (Montpelllier – 25 caps, 45 points), Grant Williams (Cell C Sharks – 4 caps, 0 points).
Fly halves: Manie Libbok (DHL Stormers – 7 caps, 45 points), Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers – 31 caps, 36 points).
Centres: Damian de Allende (Panasonic Wild Knights – 72 caps, 50 points), Andre Esterhuizen (Harlequins – 13 caps, 0 points), Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles – 61 caps, 60 points).
Outside backs: Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls – 9 caps, 50 points), Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath – 25 caps, 81 points), Willie le Roux (Vodacom Bulls – 86 caps, 65 points), Makazole Mapimpi (Cell C Sharks – 38 caps, 115 points), Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls – 6 caps, 10 points).