Bloemfontein – Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer has named his 36-man training squad which will assemble in Durban from 25 to 28 May.
The squad includes a total of nine Cheetahs, including flanker Heinrich Brüssow. It’s the players first call-up to the national setup since the Springboks 2011 Rugby World Cup quarter-final loss to the Wallabies.
It also sees the first time call-up of lock Lood de Jager, loose forward Oupa Mohoje and ex-Springbok Sevens stalwart, Cornal Hendricks.
Prop Trevor Nyakane also received a re-call after being dumped by the coach last year due to ill discipline within the camp.
The men in green-and-gold kick-off their international season against Nick Mallet’s World XV at Newlands in Cape Town on 7 June.
The following two weeks they will face Wales in two tests at Kings’ Park in Durban and Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit.
The squad will be trimmed down ahead of the first match.
Springbok training group:
Forwards : Tendai Mtawarira (Sharks), Trevor Nyakane (Cheetahs), Marcel van der Merwe (Bulls), Jannie du Plessis (Sharks), Frans Malherbe (Stormers), Coenie Oosthuizen (Cheetahs), Bismarck du Plessis (Sharks), Adriaan Strauss (Cheetahs), Eben Etzebeth (Stormers), Lood de Jager (Cheetahs), Victor Matfield (Bulls), Flip van der Merwe (Bulls), Heinrich Brüssow (Cheetahs), Marcell Coetzee (Sharks), Siya Kolisi (Stormers), Willem Alberts (Sharks), Jacques du Plessis (Bulls), Oupa Mohoje (Cheetahs), Duane Vermeulen (Stormers), Schalk Burger (Stormers).
Backs : Fourie du Preez (Suntory, Japan), Francois Hougaard (Bulls), Johan Goosen (Cheetahs), Marnitz Boshoff (Lions), Jean de Villiers (Stormers), Damian De Allende (Stormers), Jan Serfontein (Bulls), Juan de Jongh (Stormers), JJ Engelbrecht (Bulls), S’bura Sithole (Sharks), Frans Steyn (Sharks), Lwazi Mvovo (Sharks), Bjorn Basson (Bulls), JP Pietersen (Sharks), Cornal Hendricks (Cheetahs), Willie le Roux (Cheetahs).
