Erasmus rests seven players as he names Bok squad for Argentina tour

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus recalled hooker Johan Grobbelaar to his 28-man squad for their short Rugby Championship tour to Argentina.

The Boks face Los Pumas at Estadio Unico Madre Ciudades in Santiago on September 21 in their penultimate clash of the tournament.

Erasmus opted to rest seven players who have had a heavy workload in the last few months with an eye on the final round match against Argentina in Mbombela on September 28.

Grobbelaar is back in the squad after participating in the Australian leg of the tournament, where the Boks collected full points, and will cover hooker along with Malcolm Marx and Jan-Hendrik Wessels, who can also play prop.

The seven players who will not travel to Argentina are hooker Bongi Mbonambi, prop Frans Malherbe, loose forward Pieter-Steph du Toit, flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, centre Damian de Allende, wing Cheslin Kolbe and fullback Willie le Roux.

All of them will be placed on a specialised training programme to keep them sharp to rejoin the group in Mpumalanga when they return from Argentina.

The Springboks lead the Rugby Championship with 18 points from four victories while Argentina are on 10 points, followed by New Zealand (seven) and Australia (four).

South Africa need three more points to guarantee their first title since 2019. Should they achieve this feat, it would wrap up a magnificent tournament for them, after winning the Mandela Challenge Plate against Australia and the Freedom Cup against New Zealand. “We have been open about our policy to try to give as many players in our wider squad as possible a chance to play against the top teams in the world,” Erasmus said.

“We believe playing against Argentina in Santiago, where we are expecting a huge encounter in front of a hostile crowd, will serve as a great test for this group of players. The players we decided to rest have really done their bit this season and their bodies deserve a break, so we thought the best for them would be to enjoy a break and spend time with their families before joining us in Mbombela.

“All of the players in the 28-man squad have been in the set-up this year and have proved their worth, so we are delighted to give them an opportunity to face Argentina on their home ground.

“Argentina proved last week what a force they can be at home by defeating the Wallabies 67-27 in Santa Fe, so we know how tough the match will be and this is exactly what we want our players to experience as we continue to build the group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.”

Erasmus named only two specialist hookers in the squad in Grobbelaar and Marx, while Lukhanyo Am and Jesse Kriel are the only two specialist centres. While Wessels and Marco van Staden could provide cover at hooker, he said, Canan Moodie, who has played in the midfield for the Boks, could provide cover at centre, wing and fullback.

With the Boks in pole position, Erasmus said their main objective is to win the match in Argentina. “We know how gruelling it’s going to be over there and that it will take a huge effort to beat Argentina at home.

“But as we’ve shown all season, we have full faith in all the players in our wider group and we believe we have such a wealth of squad depth that any young player can step in and fill the boots of the more experienced players.”

The squad will assemble in Stellenbosch on Wednesday and depart for Argentina on Saturday.

Springbok squad for Argentina tour

Props: Thomas du Toit (Bath), Vincent Koch (Sharks), Ox Nche (Sharks), Gerhard Steenekamp (Bulls)

Hookers: Johan Grobbelaar (Bulls), Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears)

Locks: Eben Etzebeth (Sharks), Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg (Montpellier), Salmaan Moerat (Stormers), Ruan Nortje (Bulls)

Loose forwards: Ben-Jason Dixon (Stormers), Siya Kolisi (Sharks), Elrigh Louw (Bulls), Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs), Marco van Staden (Bulls), Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks)

Utility forward: Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Bulls)

Scrumhalves: Jaden Hendrikse (Sharks), Cobus Reinach (Montpellier), Grant Williams (Sharks).

Flyhalves: Manie Libbok (Stormers), Handré Pollard (Leicester Tigers).

Centres: Lukhanyo Am (Sharks), Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles).

Outside backs: Kurt-Lee Arendse (Bulls), Aphelele Fassi (Sharks), Makazole Mapimpi (Sharks)

SA Rugby