Springboks: Eligibility law loophole boosts Rassie Erasmus’ options against Wales
The Springboks preparations are well underway ahead of their opening Test match of the year against Wales at Twickenham Stadium.
Head coach Rassie Erasmus has named his squad for the opening game against Warren Gatland’s men, and while the fixture is outside World Rugby’s official window, the Bok boss has still named an impressive training squad.
Andre Esterhuizen boost for Springboks
A number of stars residing in Japan have been granted permission to connect with the Pretoria team and will be open for selection.
Regnum nine, however, has prevented Erasmus from choosing players from France and England. As a result, Siya Kolisi, the captain of the Springboks who has won two World Cups, has not yet been included to the team because the French season is still in progress.
None of Jake White’s stars are on the roster for the Bulls, who are still in the running for the URC final, which is scheduled for the same day as the match against Wales. Celimpilo Gumede is the sole player that joined following Cheslin Kolbe’s injury.
Leicester Tigers stars Handre Pollard and Jasper Wiese were also included in the squad but only for training purposes, with the former unavailable for selection due to the clash being outside the window and the latter ruled out through suspension.
Another noteworthy addition was center André Esterhuizen of the Harlequins, who wrapped up his Premiership campaign before joining the Sharks the following year.
In contrast to Pollard, Planet Rugby is aware that Esterhuizen has committed to play for the Sharks in the upcoming season, meaning Erasmus will be allowed to choose him for the Test match against Wales.
After requesting clarification, it was established that Esterhuizen can wear the Green and Gold shirt on June 22 if chosen by Erasmus and his coaching staff. Originally, it was uncertain whether the powerful midfielder would be available to them. His availability expands the midfield options available to the Springboks, while Canan Moodie and Lukhanyo Am both out.
What it means for Jasper Wiese
This is bound to have a knock-on effect for Wiese, too, as the game against Wales is set to cover one of his eight-game suspensions following his red card in his final Premiership match for Leicester.
There were exclusions for the Wales and Portugal matches when the RFU confirmed the duration of the disciplinary hearing for the number eight, who is headed to Japan. However, as Esterhuizen appears to be exempt from World Rugby Regulation 9, Wiese would also be subject to it.
In addition to missing the two Test matches against Ireland, Wiese would also miss the two Rugby Championship matches against Australia and New Zealand, respectively, if the Test matches against Wales and Portugal were not taken into consideration for his suspension.
With Gumede’s call-up, Erasmus’s first official training squad of the year consisted of 12 players instead of the original 11 uncapped players.
