Centre Jurenzo Julius’ top performances in the United Rugby Championship for the Sharks, has earned him a Springbok training camp call up. BackpagePix
The Springbok coach will give a first taste of Springbok life to Sharks centre Jurenzo Julius, Sharks hooker Ethan Bester, and Bulls locks JF van Heerden and Reinhardt Ludwig at the March 7-12 camp while giving a second bite to Celimpilo Gumede, Suleiman Hartzenberg, Asenathi Ntlabakanye and Henco van Wyk.
An interesting inclusion is Bulls hooker Akker van der Merwe. The “Angry Warthog” last played for the Boks in 2018.
Erasmus will also host virtual alignment camps with the overseas-based players, plus a group of talented youngsters, and injured players who were not invited to this camp.
The alignment camp will comprise two gym sessions and a series of boardroom meetings to get the players up to speed on the requirements and expected standards for the season.
The group includes 18 members of the 2023 World Cup-winning squad – 10 of which were also crowned champions at the 2019 event, and five of whom participated in the 2015 tournament – with an additional 22 capped players.
Erasmus said the squad featured a balance of new and old faces.
“Our alignment camps have proven invaluable in the last few years as they offer us the opportunity to present our structures for the season, as well as the Springbok culture and way of doing things,” he said.
“The focus will be to get everyone on the same page for the 2025 season, which will be vital in laying a good foundation for us to build on with a challenging campaign coming up.”
Zooming in on the composition of the group, Erasmus said:
“Most of these players have formed part of our structures at some stage in the last seven years, and their experience and familiarity with the way we do things at the Springboks will be invaluable in guiding the younger players, while others have been exposed to our structures before, so they have a good understanding of the way we operate.
“I’m also excited for the new players in the mix. They have made their mark at franchise level and we are excited to see them get a taste of what is expected at the highest level.”
Erasmus added that the coaches have already laid a good foundation in terms of preparation and analysis in the last few months.
“We have been locked in several coaches’ meetings and each coach has kept an eye on the players’ performances during the United Rugby Championship, Champions Cup, and Challenge Cup, so from a planning perspective, we are on a good wicket. The next step is to work through our structures with the players.”
This will mark the first of three alignment camps as the Springboks lay the foundation for the international season.
Players invited to Springbok alignment camp:
Forwards: Ethan Bester, Phepsi Buthelezi, Eben Etzebeth, Vincent Koch, Siya Kolisi, Bongi Mbonambi, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Ox Nche, Trevor Nyakane (all Sharks); Ben-Jason Dixon, Joseph Dweba, Neethling Fouche, Deon Fourie, Frans Malherbe, Salmaan Moerat, Evan Roos, Andre-Hugo Venter (all Stormers); Renzo du Plessis, Francke Horn, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Ruan Venter (all Lions); Johan Grobbelaar, Celimpilo Gumede, Cameron Hanekom, Wilco Louw, Reinhardt Ludwig, Ruan Nortje, Gerhard Steenekamp, Akker van der Merwe, JF van Heerden, Marco van Staden, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Cobus Wiese (all Bulls).
Backs: Lukhanyo Am, Andre Esterhuizen, Aphelele Fassi, Jaden Hendrikse, Jordan Hendrikse, Ethan Hooker, Jurenzo Julius, Makazole Mapimpi, Grant Williams (all Sharks); Paul de Wet, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Suleiman Hartzenberg, Manie Libbok, Damian Willemse (all Stormers); Quan Horn, Morne van den Berg, Edwill van der Merwe, Henco van Wyk (all Lions); Sebastian de Klerk, David Kriel, Willie le Roux, Canan Moodie, Embrose Papier (all Bulls).