VIDEO: Look who is rejoining the Boks
RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT: The Springboks will be significantly bolstered when their next campaign gets underway in August.
Bok coach Rassie Erasmus, speaking to the media in the build-up to the second Test between South Africa and England, revealed that a host of senior players are set to return from injury for the Rugby Championship.
The Boks are minus a substantial number of key players for the three-Test series against England – in which they lead one-nil, after winning the opening encounter 42-39 in Johannesburg karsts week.
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All three the overseas-based players currently involved in the Bok set-up – Francois de Klerk, Duane Vermeulen and Willie le Roux – will be available for selection for the Rugby Championship.
Vermeulen won’t feature in all the matches, but he can be recalled at any stage if required,
“[With] Duane, we want to try a few things and see how we get along without him in some of the Rugby Championship matches,” Erasmus said.
He added that players like Warren Whiteley, Malcolm Marx, Eben Etzebeth, Lizo Gqoboka and Coenie Oosthuizen – who are currently unavailable through injury – will be available.
“It is a good time for us to build leadership without Duane,” the coach said, adding: “We can obviously, with Regulation Nine, call him [Vermeulen] back and say you have to play.
“However, we want to start building leadership.”
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