Following this weekend’s closing Rugby Championship match in opposition to Los Pumas at Ellis Park, the Springboks could have yet another recreation, their first warm-up in opposition to the identical opponents in Buenos Aires subsequent weekend, earlier than coach Jacques Nienaber names his 33-man World Cup squad.
A slimmed down group will head to Argentina for the match, which implies that just a few gamers shall be getting a closing chance to make a late play for choice to the World Cup squad.
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Nienaber admitted earlier this week that they’ll solely take as many gamers which can be wanted for the short journey to South America and again.
“We definitely won’t take all of our squad for next week’s game over there. We will fly there, have to get over the jetlag, spend two or three days training, play a Test match and fly back,” defined Nienaber.
“I believe we’ll go along with a squad of about 26 gamers. The 23 gamers that may play in the match after which we might want to take an additional prop and hooker as a result of if somebody will get injured or unwell you possibly can’t play the Test match with out them. And then we’ll in all probability take an additional again.
“But I don’t want to limit it to 26. There might be injury concerns (after this weekend’s match), so we might take 27 or 28 (players). But it won’t be 35 guys going (the size of the squad that travelled to New Zealand earlier in the Rugby Champs). So that’s the plan for going to Argentina.”
Edge of choice
Plenty of gamers who’re on the sting of choice to the World Cup squad would want to go to Argentina and play in that match if they’re to make the ultimate reduce.
Lock Jean Kleyn, centre Andre Esterhuizen and hooker Joseph Dweba shall be among the gamers determined to make that touring squad to push their circumstances for choice.
A query mark can also be hanging over the top of scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse, who resulting from damage and a household bereavement, has but to play a recreation for the Boks this season.
Other gamers who shall be hoping for extra recreation time embody wings Canan Moodie and Makazole Mapimpi, utility forwards Deon Fourie and Franco Mostert, eighthman Jasper Wiese and lock Lood de Jager.
“Hopefully we can build good momentum in this (final Rugby Championship) Test match and it would be nice to give guys who haven’t had a lot of game time or haven’t had a game yet a go against Argentina in Argentina, which will be a very tough game as well,” mentioned Nienaber.
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