Springbok squad announced for Rugby World Cup 2011

Aug 23 • General News, International, National, Rugby World Cup News, RWC 2011, Springbok News, Springboks • 29361 Views • Comments Off on Springbok squad announced for Rugby World Cup 2011

Bok line-up in Port Elizabeth (Photo: Denese Lups/Rugby15)

Eighteen members of South Africa’s triumphant 2007 Rugby World Cup-winning squad were included in the 2011 party when the 30 players selected to attempt to retain the title were revealed in a live broadcast announcement on Tuesday.

John Smit will again lead the challenge, and he is supported by 11 other survivors of the victorious 2007 starting XV. Smit is one of six players who will be appearing at their third Rugby World Cup.

There are no uncapped players in the squad and all bar three have appeared in this season’s Tri-Nations tournament. The exceptions are looseforwards Schalk Burger and Francois Louw and lock Johann Muller who were ruled out by injury at various stages of the competition. Other 2007 winners, Juan Smith and BJ Botha, were ruled out of selection by injury along with preliminary squad members Andries Bekker and Duane Vermeulen.

“The squad has a backbone of proven title-winning ability and experience as well as a strong component of new stars,” said Springbok coach Peter de Villiers.

“Injury has denied us one or two players who could have been very important to us, but I am very happy with the squad we have picked. We have good coverage for every position and front line players who have shown over the past half dozen seasons that they know how to win big games.”

The squad is made up of nine players who appeared in Super Rugby for the Bulls this season; eight from the Sharks and seven from the Stormers – although a number of players are now moving on to overseas clubs. The squad includes four overseas-based players in the Ulster duo of Ruan Pienaar and Johann Muller and Racing Metro’s Frans Steyn. Louw has already moved to Bath in England, from the Stormers, but has yet to play a competition fixture for them.

The squad has a split of 16 forwards and 14 backs and boasts an average of 40 caps per player with ten of them having made more than a half century of Test appearances, while Pienaar is one short of a half century.

“This squad has the experience and ability to make a strong challenge for the title, but we know it will be very difficult,” said De Villiers. “It has been a tough season to date and we have had some challenges with the amount of rugby the players have had to play, but I’m very happy with the squad. We are on target with the off-field plans we set in place before the season started.”

The Springboks depart for New Zealand on September 1 with a public farewell from Sandton Square in Johannesburg. They play their first Rugby World Cup match against Wales on September 11 in Wellington, kick-off 20h30 (10h30 SA time).

Springbok Squad – Rugby World Cup 2011 (in alphabetical order)

CAREER

RUGBY WORLD CUP

Name

Province/Club

Age*

Ht

Wt

Position

Caps

Pts

Tries

Cons

Pens

DGs

RWCs

Caps

Pts

Tries

Cons

Pens

DGs

Willem Alberts The Sharks

27

1.91

120

Loose Fwd

4

15

3

Gio Aplon Western Province

28

1.75

78

Wing

15

15

3

Bakkies Botha Blue Bulls

32

2.02

120

Lock

74

35

7

03/07

12

15

3

Heinrich Brüssow Free State

25

1.81

103

Loose Fwd

15

5

1

Schalk Burger Western Province

28

1.93

114

Loose Fwd

63

65

13

03/07

8

10

2

Juan de Jongh Western Province

23

1.77

85

Centre

8

5

1

Jean de Villiers Western Province

30

1.90

99

Centre

69

95

19

07

1

Bismarck du Plessis The Sharks

27

1.89

115

Hooker

38

25

5

07

5

Jannie du Plessis The Sharks

28

1.88

121

Prop

26

5

1

07

2

Fourie du Preez Blue Bulls

29

1.83

88

Scrumhalf

57

65

13

07

6

10

2

Jaque Fourie Western Province

28

1.90

98

Centre

64

150

30

03/07

10

35

7

Bryan Habana Western Province

28

1.80

93

Wing

70

190

38

07

7

40

8

Francois Hougaard Blue Bulls

23

1.79

92

Scrumhalf

10

Butch James Golden Lions

31

1.84

98

Flyhalf

41

154

3

26

28

1

07

6

9

1

2

Pat Lambie The Sharks

20

1.77

90

Utility back

7

6

3

Francois Louw Bath, England

26

1.90

113

Loose Fwd

7

10

2

Victor Matfield (vc) Blue Bulls

34

2.01

107

Lock

107

30

6

03/07

11

Tendai Mtawarira The Sharks

26

1.88

120

Prop

28

5

1

Johann Muller Ulster, Ireland

31

2.00

106

Lock

23

07

5

Odwa Ndungane The Sharks

30

1.83

93

Wing

8

10

2

Ruan Pienaar Ulster, Ireland

27

1.86

90

Scrumhalf

49

107

6

13

17

07

4

10

2

JP Pietersen The Sharks

25

1.91

103

Wing

38

60

12

07

7

20

4

Chiliboy Ralepelle Blue Bulls

24

1.78

105

Hooker

20

5

1

Danie Rossouw Blue Bulls

33

1.98

119

Lock

58

40

8

03/07

10

20

4

John Smit (c) The Sharks

33

1.88

118

Hooker

106

40

8

03/07

12

5

1

Pierre Spies Blue Bulls

26

1.94

108

Loose Fwd

42

35

7

Gurthrö Steenkamp Blue Bulls

30

1.89

122

Prop

33

25

5

07

2

Frans Steyn Racing Metro, France

24

1.91

104

Utility back

43

97

6

5

16

3

07

7

17

1

4

Morné Steyn Blue Bulls

26

1.84

91

Flyhalf

29

348

4

38

78

6

CJ van der Linde Golden Lions

31

1.90

123

Prop

72

20

4

07

6

5

1

*Age as at September 9, 2011

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Springbok Rugby World Cup management: Peter de Villiers (head coach), Gary Gold (assistant coach), Dick Muir (assistant coach), Percy Montgomery (kicking coach), Jacques Nienaber (defence coach/physiotherapist), Malome Maimane (technical analyst), Rassie Erasmus (technical specialist), Neels Liebel (conditioning coach), Dr Derik Coetzee (conditioning coach), Dr Craig Roberts (team doctor), Rene Naylor (physiotherapist), Vivian Verwant (physiotherapist), Daliah Hurwitz (massage therapist), Charles Wessels (logistics manager), Mkiti Malakoane (baggage master), Annelee Murray (PR Manager), Andy Colquhoun (media manager).

Heinrich Brussow one of the Boks' key players caught on camera by Denese Lups/Rugby15

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