Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has rewarded Vodacom URC form as well as recognising promise in the names included on the list of players invited to next week’s national alignment camp, with the young duo of Sibabalwe Mahashe and Zekhethelo Siyaya the headline inclusions.
Fidelity Securedrive flanker Mahashe has been in outstanding form in the URC and has had a big influence on the Johannesburg team’s strong challenge for a place in the playoffs, which will down to the wire this weekend as they head into the final match of the regular season in the competition against Munster on Saturday night.
Siyaya was the South African Schools fullback last year and the Westville Boys High School product has made an electrifying start to his senior professional career even though he is just 18-years of age. Hollywoodbets Sharks coach JP Pietersen surprised by blooding Siyaya at fullback in the tour game against the Ospreys a few weeks ago, and then after another strong performance against Edinburgh a week later he was switched to flyhalf for the most recent game against Benetton.
The youngster was a revelation in the position and his flatter line of setting up appeared to play a part in bringing back the missing attacking shape to the home team, who scored eight tries in a 46-7 win. There hasn’t been much news coming out of the Sharks camp this week but it is anticipated he will wear the No 10 jersey again for Saturday’s final URC game of the season against Zebre in Durban.
PAPIER BACK IN THE MIX
Mahashe and Siyaya are however not the only players added to the camp based on recent form, with a clutch of players forcing themselves into the reckoning after not being part of previous camps this year. The return after a gap of several seasons to the Bok plans for Embrose Papier will be widely welcomed after his excellent performances at scrumhalf for the Vodacom Bulls this year, while it is also good to see DHL Stormers hooker Andre-Hugo Venter back in the mix being omitted from national squads over the past year or so.
Francke Horn, the Lions No 8, and his teammate Henco van Wyk, who has always looked the business as a centre, are two other players who have been part of alignment camps in the past and are returning.
The 40-man squad comprises 25 forwards and 15 backs and there is a clear intent on Erasmus’ part to use the camp, which will be held in Cape Town from Tuesday to Thursday of next week, not only as a part of his planning for this season and next year’s Rugby World Cup in Australia but also with the World Cup cycle that comes after this in mind.
Mahashe and Siyaya are far from the only standouts in impressive list of young players on the list, and it needs to be noted that Erasmus has been quite strict this time on omitting injured players from what he has described as “purpose and goal-driven” squad, meaning that the players will be taking part in on-field sessions.
A MIX OF OLD AND YOUNG MISSING BECAUSE OF INJURY
Apart from the long list of experienced players missing because of injuries, headlined by the likes of Eben Etzebeth, Aphelele Fassi, Cobus Reinach and other members of the first choice team, there are also other young stars such as Markus Muller, the 18-year-old who was at the previous camp and has subsequently been ruled out by injury, and the Sharks’ now Bulls bound 19-year-old Luan Giliomee who probably would have been included had they been fit.
In all the squad includes 10 uncapped players in Paul de Villiers, Bathobele Hlekani, Francke Horn, Mahashe, Riley Norton, Haashim Pead, Siyaya, Emmanuel Tshituka, Van Wyk and Jaco Williams, six of whom were invited to the first alignment camp in March.
With several experienced national players, who have been in the set-up for several seasons, sidelined due to injury, Erasmus said the purpose of the camp is to expose these players to the team’s structures and systems with an eye on the next two seasons, and beyond.
“This is an exciting group of players, and it's been pleasing to see them make their presence felt in the Vodacom URC and during their teams’ Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup campaigns this season,” said Erasmus.
“This camp will be a good opportunity to expose those invited to our setup and the standards expected of the national coaches. We're looking forward to involving Sibabalwe, Zekhethelo, Andre, Embrose, Francke, and Henco at this camp as we continue to build our squad depth.”
Erasmus added: “There are several players who are not currently fit to play, and we look forward to seeing them back in action in the near future, knowing they have a good sense of how the team operates and what will be expected of them when they return.”
BUILDING BOTH FOR NEXT YEAR AND BEYOND
Erasmus pointed out that it was important to see the group in the context of the camp’s objective which is to “expose these players to our environment, our standards, and the way we operate.”
He stressed that players who will not be present, be it through work load or injury, remain in the Boks plans.
“Each one of them is on his own path with his own set of timelines,” said the Bok coach.
“This week will give us the chance to align those who are fit and firing now with the way we want to operate, so that when an opportunity arises either this year or further down the line, they are ready to step up and deliver at international level.”
It also needs to be noted when looking at the group called up for this camp that it excludes overseas based players, and if you add those players in it gives a full picture of just how wide Erasmus is extending his depth creating exercise.
The international season will start with a double-header in Gqeberha on Saturday, 20 June, when the Boks face the Barbarians and the SA ‘A’ team take on Zimbabwe, before three home matches in the Nations Championship – against England in Johannesburg (4 July), Scotland in Pretoria (11 July), and Wales in Durban (18 July).
They will then meet Argentina in Buenos Aires (8 August) and the All Blacks in four tests in the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series in August and September.
An away test against the Wallabies in Australia (27 September) follows, before the second leg of the Nations Championship kicks off in Europe, with matches against Italy (7 November), France (13 November) and Ireland (21 November), ahead of the Finals Weekend in London (27 to 29 November).
Players invited to the second in-person Springbok alignment camp:
Forwards: Paul de Villiers, Ben-Jason Dixon, Neethling Fouche, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Salmaan Moerat, Riley Norton, Zachary Porthen, Evan Roos, Andre-Hugo Venter (all DHL Stormers); Bathobele Hlekani, Francke Horn, Sibabalwe Mahashe, Asenathi Ntlabakanye (all Fidelity Securedrive Lions); Johan Grobbelaar, Cameron Hanekom, Elrigh Louw, Wilco Louw, Ruan Nortje, Gerhard Steenekamp, Marco van Staden, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Cobus Wiese (all Vodacom Bulls); Siya Kolisi, Ox Nche, Emmanuel Tshituka (all Hollywoodbets Sharks).
Backs: Kurt-Lee Arendse, Canan Moodie, Embrose Papier, Handre Pollard (all Vodacom Bulls); Andre Esterhuizen, Zekhethelo Siyaya, Edwill van der Merwe, Grant Williams, Jaco Williams (all Hollywoodbets Sharks); Quan Horn, Haashim Pead, Henco van Wyk, Morne van den Berg (all Fidelity Securedrive Lions); Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Damian Willemse (both DHL Stormers).