Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has added five players to his squad for the final Test of the Castle Lager Incoming Series against Portugal in Bloemfontein on Saturday. The 41-man squad includes seven uncapped players.

Lock Franco Mostert and winger Edwill van der Merwe are both out of the squad through injury, with more details expected on Monday, while Damian de Allende has left the camp for personal reasons.

New signings include Springboks centre-forward Elrigh Louw and prop Ntuthuko Mchunu; and non-forward full-back Quan Horn, hook shooter Andre-Hugo Venter and centre-forward Ruan Venter, who joined Bok formation camps in May.

Rassie Erasmus on the sadness of losing Willie le Roux early in the second Test match against Ireland

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus admitted his team’s attacking play against Ireland in Durban was lacklustre after Willie le Roux was forced off the field

Rassie Erasmus describes the pain of losing Willie le Roux early in the second Test match against Ireland

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus admitted his team’s attacking play against Ireland in Durban was lacklustre after Willie le Roux was forced off the field

Eight of the nine players sent to the state leagues for last week’s Carling Currie Cup have returned to the squad.

Erasmus announced that several players will be released on Wednesday after the completion of the main on-field preparations for the historic Test match against Portugal at the Toyota Stadium.

South Africa

Ireland

The Springboks arrived in Bloemfontein on Sunday and will begin their on-field preparations on Monday, aiming to bounce back from their 25-24 defeat to Ireland in Durban.

“It was always part of our planning to introduce a number of players to senior international rugby against Portugal, with our aim to increase squad depth with a focus on the 2027 Rugby World Cup,” Erasmus said.

“Some players have had international rugby experience against Wales at Twickenham, others got the opportunity to come off the bench against Ireland and Andre-Hugo Venter came with us to London for the Wales Test, so we are very pleased with the quality of players that have come through the squad.

“Portugal are a quality team, as they showed last year when they beat Fiji in the Rugby World Cup, and we have no doubt they will want to make a strong statement against us. We will select a quality team that we believe can get our season back on track, even if we mess things up a bit in this Test.”

“The players we plan to release will continue to work hard to prepare the team to face Portugal, as we usually do with players who do not play. This is invaluable in preparing the team as well as possible,” Erasmus said.

Erasmus admitted the loss to Ireland was a setback but stressed the importance of rest for players who will be released ahead of the gruelling Castle Lager Rugby Championship. The campaign includes back-to-back Tests against Australia in Brisbane and Perth, two home Tests against New Zealand in Johannesburg and Cape Town, a Test against Argentina in Santiago and the final against the Pumas in Nelspruit.

“This is a long and tough season and it would have been great to win both games against Ireland but it is vital that we manage the players well and ensure they regenerate to maximise their performances throughout the season,” Erasmus said.

“The players will have 10 days off which means they will be fresh when they rejoin the squad ahead of the Castle Lager Rugby Championship.”

Erasmus will announce his squad for the match against Portugal on Tuesday.

CREW

Accessories: Ntuthuko Mchunu, Ox Nche, Gerhard Steenekamp, ​​​​Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Frans Malherbe, Vincent Koch, Trevor Nyakane, Thomas du Toit.

Prostitutes: Bongi Mbonambi, Malcolm Marx, Johan Grobbelaar, Andre-Hugo Venter.

Locks: Eben Etzebeth, Salmaan Moerat, R. G. Snyman.

Free forwards: Siya Kolisi, Elrigh Louw, Marco van Staden, Phepsi Buthelezi, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Ben-Jason Dixon, Evan Roos, Ruan Venter, Kwagga Smith, Jasper Wiese.

Scrumhalfs: Faf de Klerk, Grant Williams, Cobus Reinach, Morne van den Berg.

Flyhalves: Handre Pollard, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Manie Libbok.

Centers: Lukhanyo Am, Andre Esterhuizen, Jesse Kriel.

External waits: Kurt-Lee Arendse, Cheslin Kolbe, Willie le Roux, Makazole Mapimpi, Aphelele Fassi, Quan Horn.