Erasmus names strong squad for Argentina Test

Rassie Erasmus, the national coach, named a formidable 26-man squad for the Springboks' upcoming Test against Los Pumas in Buenos Aires on Saturday, 8 August. Among the players making a welcome return from injury are captain Siya Kolisi, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Lood de Jager, Eben Etzebeth, and Morne van den Berg.

The squad comprises several players who have either recovered from injuries or had limited playtime recently. They will travel in two groups to South America on Saturday. A number of players involved in the team's earlier matches, such as Cheslin Kolbe, Damian Willemse, Jesse Kriel, and Ruan Nortje, will regroup in Johannesburg on Sunday to prepare for the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry (RGR) Tour against New Zealand.

Erasmus explained the squad's composition, focusing on balancing the needs of returning players with those who have been actively participating in the season. "We tried to get the balance right between giving some guys who are returning from injury and who have not had too much game time in our last four matches a valuable run against Argentina, while at the same time managing the players who have played a lot of rugby this year," he said.

He added that the players who have recovered from injuries have been training hard and are ready to contribute significantly to the Test prior to the New Zealand matches. Several consistent performers will see their workloads managed, with players like Ox Nche and Franco Mostert continuing their recovery in the upcoming training camp.

Erasmus acknowledged that Argentina is a strong team, citing the competitive nature of their recent encounters and the importance of being prepared for a tough battle. "Argentina are a quality outfit and we know we will be in for a massive challenge in Buenos Aires, so we are preparing for a physical and gruelling battle over there," he stated.

Reflecting on the training camp that concluded on Thursday afternoon, Erasmus noted, "We had a series of productive sessions throughout the week, and all the players know what we expect of them, so everyone understands the importance of building on our season."

The Test match is scheduled to kick off at 21h00 on Saturday, 8 August, and will be broadcast live on SuperSport. The Springbok travelling squad to Argentina, listed in alphabetical order, includes:

Forwards: Lood de Jager, Ben-Jason Dixon, Thomas du Toit, Eben Etzebeth, Johan Grobbelaar, Cameron Hanekom, Siya Kolisi, Elrigh Louw, Wilco Louw, Zachary Porthen, Gerhard Steenekamp, Marco van Staden, Boan Venter, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Cobus Wiese.
Backs: Andre Esterhuizen, Aphelele Fassi, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Ethan Hooker, Quan Horn, Herchel Jantjies, Canan Moodie, Handre Pollard, Cobus Reinach, Morne van den Berg, Edwill van der Merwe.