Duane Vermeulen has been included in a 20-man Springbok training squad, while Beast Mtawarira has been ruled out of the end-of-year tour due to injury.
Trevor Nyakane and Lood de Jager have also returned to the Bok squad for a week-long camp in Stellenbosch. Overseas-based players and those involved in the upcoming Currie Cup final between Western Province and the Sharks were not considered.
De Jager is back following a lengthy injury lay-off, while Nyakane, who joined the Boks for their last two Rugby Championship to continue his rehabilitation and conditioning, is also included in the group.
Vermeulen played for the Boks in the 2-1 series win over England in June but did not feature in the Rugby Championship due to his Japanese club commitments.
Mtawarira, the most experienced player in the Bok squad with 107 Test caps, was not considered due to an injury he sustained against the All Blacks in Pretoria earlier this month.
‘It is good to welcome back a player of the calibre of Lood – he will add experience to a position where we already have some very good competition for places. Duane, of course, will also bring similar valuable experience to the group,’ said Bok coach Rassie Erasmus.
‘It’s a tough tour and our preparation time is limited, but we have set ourselves some goals and as has been the case the entire season, we would like to see the squad continue to grow as a group and add to our depth with the 2019 World Cup less than a year away.’
The Springboks open their tour on Saturday, 3 November at Twickenham in London when they face England for a fourth time this year.
Siya Kolisi’s men then face France at the Stade de France in Paris, Scotland at Murrayfield in Edinburgh and Wales at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
Erasmus will announce the full Springbok tour squad after Saturday’s Currie Cup final.
Springbok training squad:
Forwards – Schalk Brits, Lood de Jager, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Eben Etzebeth, Steven Kitshoff, Siya Kolisi (c), Frans Malherbe, Malcolm Marx, Trevor Nyakane, RG Snyman, Duane Vermeulen, Warren Whiteley.
Backs – Damian de Allende, Aphiwe Dyantyi, André Esterhuizen, Elton Jantjies, Jesse Kriel, Embrose Papier, Handré Pollard, Ivan van Zyl.
Photo: Johan Pretorius/Gallo Images
