Former Junior Springbok prop and captain Zachary Porthen earned his first Springbok call-up on Monday as national coach Rassie Erasmus named a quality 36-man squad for the Castle Lager Outgoing Tour in November, which features four players who will return to the Bok set-up for the first time this season.
Erasmus also placed 10 players on standby, including uncapped Ulster and former World Rugby U20 Championship Player of the Tournament, Juarno Augustus, and Vodacom Bulls back Sebastian de Klerk.
The Boks will face Japan in the first of five Tests on consecutive Saturdays at Wembley Stadium in London on 1 November, before lining up against France at Stade de France in Paris (8 November), Italy at the Allianz Stadium, Turin (15 November), Ireland at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin (22 November), and Wales at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff (29 November).
Porthen, who made his DHL Stormers’ Vodacom United Rugby Championship debut in May and is currently on tour with the team in Italy, is the only uncapped player in the 36-man squad, who will depart for London in different groups from their respective franchises and clubs on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Ben-Jason Dixon (flanker), Johan Grobbelaar (hooker), and Gerhard Steenekamp (prop) will make their first appearances for the team this season, while Jean Kleyn (lock), who suffered an injury during the team’s opening match of the year against the Barbarians, Kurt-Lee Arendse, and Edwill van der Merwe (both wings), are all back from injury.
The squad includes 21 forwards and 15 backline players, while the standby list features seven forwards – Augustus (No 8), Neethling Fouche (prop), Bongi Mbonambi (hooker), Salmaan Moerat (lock), Asenathi Ntlabakanye (prop), Evan Roos (No 8), and Vincent Tshituka (utility forward) – and three backs in Lukhanyo Am (centre), De Klerk (utility back), and Makazole Mapimpi (wing).
Springbok captain Siya Kolisi is in line to become only the ninth South African Test centurion on the tour after racking up his 98th Test cap in the team’s 29-27 victory against Argentina in their final Castle Lager Rugby Championship match at the Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, earlier this month, which saw the Boks clinch the southern hemisphere title for the second time in a row.
Among the injured players not considered for selection are Cameron Hanekom, Elrigh Louw, Frans Malherbe, Trevor Nyakane, Jean-Luc du Preez, and Aphelele Fassi.
Springbok squad for the Castle Lager Outgoing Tour:
Forwards: Lood de Jager (Wild Knights), Ben-Jason Dixon (DHL Stormers), Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz), Thomas du Toit (Bath), Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Johan Grobbelaar (Vodacom Bulls), Jean Kleyn (Munster), Siya Kolisi (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Wilco Louw (Vodacom Bulls), Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears), Franco Mostert (Honda Heat), Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls), Zachary Porthen (DHL Stormers), Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs), RG Snyman (Leinster), Gerhard Steenekamp (Vodacom Bulls), Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls), Boan Venter (Edinburgh), Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Vodacom Bulls), Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks).
Backs: Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls), Damian de Allende (Wild Knights), Andre Esterhuizen (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers), Ethan Hooker (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath), Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles), Manie Libbok (Kintetsu Liners), Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls), Handre Pollard (Vodacom Bulls), Cobus Reinach (DHL Stormers), Morne van den Berg (Lions), Edwill van der Merwe (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers), Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks).
Players on standby:
Forwards: Juarno Augustus (Ulster), Neethling Fouche (DHL Stormers), Bongi Mbonambi (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Salmaan Moerat (DHL Stormers), Asenathi Ntlabakanye (Lions), Evan Roos (DHL Stormers), Vincent Tshituka (Hollywoodbets Sharks).
Backs: Lukhanyo Am (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Sebastian De Klerk (Vodacom Bulls), Makazole Mapimpi (Hollywoodbets Sharks).