Springbok squad off to Japan for Rugby World Cup title

A Springbok blend led by Siya Kolisi and combining youth with gnarled experience was on Monday confirmed in Johannesburg to launch South Africa’s seventh assault on the Rugby World Cup title.

The squad naming was broadcast live by several national broadcasters in front of an excited audience at Multichoice City in Johannesburg. The team departs to Japan on Friday.

The squad named by Mr Mark Alexander, president of SA Rugby, features three players attending their third Rugby World Cup – Frans Steyn, Tendai Mtawarira and Francois Louw – and 12 players making their second expedition, providing a spine of experience.

Fourteen of the squad made their Test debut since the last tournament in 2015, while six of those have been capped in the past two seasons since Rassie Erasmus, director of rugby, took over the team’s coaching duties. The half dozen are Herschel Jantjies, Cheslin Kolbe, Sbu Nkosi, Makazole Mapimpi, Kwagga Smith and RG Snyman.

There are five players with more than 50 caps – Eben Etzebeth, Willie le Roux, Louw, Steyn and Mtawarira – the latter being the most experienced players in the squad with 110 caps.

To see what Erasmus had to say about the composition of the squad, click here.

The Springboks have given opportunities to 60 players in 18 Tests in the past two years to arrive at their 2019 combination.

All 31 – apart from skipper Siya Kolisi who only returned from injury nine days ago – appeared at some point in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship-winning campaign.

The squad is split between 14 backs and 17 forwards and only seven have fewer than 10 caps. They are Lukhanyo Am, Warrick Gelant, Jantjies, Kolbe, Nkosi and Smith.

The Springboks open their Rugby World Cup campaign against New Zealand in Yokohama on Saturday, 21 September before further Pool B matches against Namibia (28 September), Italy (4 October) and Canada (8 October).

It will be the first time the Springboks have met Namibia since 2011 and the first meeting with Canada since 2000.

The Springboks have beaten Italy 13 times in 14 meetings and, after a long period of New Zealand dominance have restored some balance in the past four meetings – none of which was decided by more than two points.

The top two teams from the Springboks’ pool will face quarter-finals against the top two teams from Pool A featuring Ireland, Scotland, Japan, Russia and Samoa.

The Springboks will play a final warm-up match against Japan on Friday, 6 September in Kumagaya.

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