Two front rowers will join the Springboks in Ireland on Sunday.
Hooker Bongi Mbonambi was one of the players named on coach Rassie Erasmus’ standby list for the tour, while prop Ntuthuko Mchunu earned the last of his three Test caps against Portugal in Bloemfontein last year.
“This is a longer tour than usual, and we have two big matches lined up against Ireland and Wales, which prompted the decision to call up Bongi and Ntuthuko,” said Erasmus.
This is a longer tour than usual, and we have two big matches lined up against Ireland and Wales, which prompted the decision to call up Bongi and Ntuthuko,” said Erasmus.
“Both players have done the job for us on the international stage, so we are excited to have them in the group.
“Several players will not be eligible for selection for the final Test on tour against Wales, as the match falls outside of the international window, so it makes sense to call up the players now to get back into the swing of things with us at training this week, while at the same time increasing the depth we have within the squad for our next challenge against Ireland.”
The Springboks will travel from Italy to Dublin on Sunday afternoon and will begin their on-field preparations for the match on Monday.
Rassie Erasmus has transformed Andre Esterhuizen from a “nearly man” at inside centre into Test rugby’s first true hybrid forward-back, writes MARK KEOHANE.
Writing for the reporters, Keohane says Esterhuizen’s evolution from squad backup to strategic weapon is a triumph of Erasmus’s eye for detail.
“When Erasmus first picked Esterhuizen in 2018, it wasn’t because the Boks needed another crash-ball 12. It was because Erasmus saw qualities most coaches miss in players who don’t fit neatly into defined lanes.”
That vision has paid off. Once seen as Damian de Allende’s understudy, Esterhuizen now moves seamlessly between the midfield and the loose forwards. He has scored three tries in his past three Tests – two of them as a blindside flank – and brought a physical edge that few can match.
