Kolisi back for Springboks as they pick squad to face Argentina
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CAPE TOWN, July 31 : South Africa captain Siya Kolisi has been included in the 26-man squad for next month’s test against Argentina in what is likely his final chance to hold on to a place in the team.
Kolisi returns from injury, along with Lood de Jager, Eben Etzebeth, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Morne van den Berg, for the warm-up international in Buenos Aires on August 8, before South Africa host New Zealand in their four-test series later in the month.
Kolisi’s injury woes have allowed several candidates to emerge as possible replacements for the 35-year-old skipper, who remains an icon of the world game as the first Black captain of the Boks but is now under serious threat of losing his place in the team.
De Jager, 33, and Etzebeth, 34, are also two-time World Cup winners who have struggled with niggling injuries over the last two years, along with a lengthy suspension for Etzebeth at the start of the year after an eye-gouging incident last November.
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The raft of injuries in the second row for the Boks was expected to pose a problem for the three home tests in the Nations Championship in July, but replacements Ruan Nortje and Cobus Wiese both make strong bids to become regular choices, while Paul de Villiers had three stellar performances in Kolisi’s place.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s return could not be more timely as he is expected to be key to home chances against the All Blacks. The flyhalf suffered an ankle injury in May during the United Rugby Championship playoffs.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus is also resting several regulars after the southern hemisphere leg of the Nations Championship, where South Africa won at home over England, Scotland and Wales.
“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,” Erasmus said in a statement on Friday.
“The guys who have recovered from their injuries have been training hard this week and are ready to go, so it will be great for them to get a tough test match under their belt before we face New Zealand.”
Squad:
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.
(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Clare Fallon)
Source: Reuters
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