Springboks Unveil Powerhouse Lineup for Blockbuster Ireland Test Series

In a pivotal move ahead of their upcoming home Test series against Ireland, Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus has unveiled a 39-man squad. This announcement comes as the reigning world champions prepare to take on Ireland on South African soil for the first time since their back-to-back Rugby World Cup triumphs.

byCassian Duskmourne

June 25, 2024

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Springboks Announce 39-Man Squad for Upcoming Ireland Test Series

In a pivotal move ahead of their upcoming home Test series against Ireland, Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus has unveiled a 39-man squad. This announcement comes as the reigning world champions prepare to take on Ireland on South African soil for the first time since their back-to-back Rugby World Cup triumphs.

The Springboks’ squad features a mix of familiar faces and new additions, reflecting Erasmus’ commitment to building depth as the team sets its sights on the 2027 Rugby World Cup. Siya Kolisi, the double Rugby World Cup-winning captain, makes a return to the lineup after concluding his first season with French club Racing 92.

Joining Kolisi are several other notable inclusions, such as Cobus Reinach, who helped Montpellier retain their Top 14 status, and the uncapped duo of Bulls hooker Johan Grobbelaar and front-rower Jan-Hendrik Wessels. The squad also welcomes the availability of Premiership players, with in-form Bath prop Thomas du Toit earning a recall.

Despite the exciting additions, the Springboks will have to contend with a number of injury setbacks. The confirmed injury list includes several key players, including Steven Kitshoff, Jean Kleyn, Lood de Jager, and Damian Willemse, who will miss the upcoming Test series.

In response to these challenges, Erasmus has named a standby list of six capped Springboks, indicating the team’s commitment to maintaining a robust squad depth as they prepare for the 2023 Rugby World Cup and beyond.

“We named the best squad available for the Castle Incoming Series, and with squad depth being one of our key pillars as we build toward to the 2027 Rugby World Cup and the Test against Portugal, we thought it would be beneficial to us to name a standby squad with a few players who will join us at training sporadically in the next few weeks,” said Erasmus.

The Springboks’ upcoming three-week schedule, which includes training and the Ireland Test Series, will provide opportunities for the standby players to integrate with the team and continue familiarizing themselves with the systems as the team looks towards the future.