Seabelo Senatla and fit-again Springboks Handré Pollard, Siya Kolisi, Frans Malherbe and Jaco Kriel have all been included in an extended Springbok training squad.
The camp will take place from 5-7 March and is the first of three preparation camps the Springboks will undertake as part of their plans before the start of the international season in June, when South Africa host France in a three-match series.
Five promising former Junior Springboks, Ox Nche, Joseph Dweba, Hanro Liebenberg, Warrick Gelant and Wilco Louw were also included.
Players from the Sharks or Kings were not considered for the Johannesburg camp, because of Super Rugby duty in Australia and Singapore, while Lions players will leave the camp after Monday’s activities as they are travelling with their franchise team to Argentina the following day.
Long-term injured players such as Juan de Jongh, Roelof Smit and Howard Mnisi were not considered for this camp.
Springbok coach Allister Coetzee said he is very happy to start working with the extended Bok squad so early in the year.
‘We did a lot of background planning and this camp will give us the opportunity to take the objectives we agreed on at the various indabas, to the training field.
‘This group was selected before the start of Super Rugby so that we could adhere to World Rugby regulations by giving notice of the camp 14 days in advance.’
Springbok training squad – Nizaam Carr, Uzair Cassiem, Damian de Allende, Lood de Jager, Faf de Klerk, Ruan Dreyer, Jean-Luc du Plessis, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Joseph Dweba, Eben Etzebeth, Warrick Gelant, Lizo Gqoboka, Hanro Liebenberg, Travis Ismaiel, Rohan Janse van Rensburg, Elton Jantjies, Siya Kolisi, Jaco Kriel, Jesse Kriel, Wilco Louw, Frans Malherbe, Lionel Mapoe, Malcolm Marx, Bongi Mbonambi, Teboho Mohoje, Franco Mostert, Ox Nche, Sikhumbuzo Notshe, Trevor Nyakane, Rudy Page, Sergeal Petersen, Handré Pollard, Raymond Rhule, Seabelo Senatla, Jan Serfontein, RG Snyman, Jamba Ulengo, Armand van der Merwe, Piet van Zyl, Francois Venter, Warren Whiteley.
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Photo: Marty Melville/AFP Images
