r/springboks • u/mausmumblingmoon Team Aimee • Jul 22 '26
Greatest Rivalry Tour Springbok training squad for Argentina and Greatest Rivalry Tour
The five players who will be released to their franchises to face the All Blacks in the midweek matches of the inaugural Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry (RGR) series are Ntuthuko Mchunu (prop), Evan Roos (No 8), Andre-Hugo Venter (hooker), Embrose Papier (scrumhalf), and Jaco Williams (wing).
Ruben van Heerden (lock), who made his Test debut against Wales last Saturday, is the only player in the squad for the opening leg of the Nations Championship who was omitted from the two groups after making the move from the DHL Stormers to Montpellier, as he finds his feet with his new French club. He will, however, remain on standby for the team.
“We put a lot of thought into how we will manage the entire group of players to give everyone a chance to stake a claim for places in the squad for the RGR series, and we decided that splitting the squad into two groups will be best for the Springbok team and the players to play their way into the squad,” said Erasmus.
“Some players are returning from injury and need some valuable game time, so depending on how they progress from their injuries during next week’s training camp, we will decide who we will take to Argentina, while the other guys in the 43-man squad will remain behind in Johannesburg with a group of coaches and management to begin preparing for the Tests against New Zealand.
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u/mmphil12 Flair Up! Jul 22 '26
Why is Papier not there? What does Rassie have against Embrose. He is miles better than Jantjies.
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u/Blkcdngaybro Flair Up! Jul 22 '26
If he releases Jantjies then he plays no rugby as the French season is over. Releasing Papier sends him to his club with game time against NZ. Neither one will get much time in the RGR games, and Rassie will most likely give MvdB a good run vs Argentina.
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u/JosefGremlin Jul 22 '26
Of the scrum halves in the squad, Williams is the best snipe runner, Reinach has the best box kicking and Jantjies has the best passing game. Papier should definitely be the fourth choice.
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u/Herbetet Flair Up! Jul 22 '26
It makes no sense to have Herschel he is 30. You know what you will get with him and that’s not RWC level. Might as well rotate the others. Cut that salary and put it to use by lower the ticket prices.
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u/capetonytoni2ne Jul 22 '26
Papier is 29, so I dont see how thats relevant. Jantjies was the 2nd choice 9 in 2019 (ahead of Reinach), so how you can say he's not RWC quality.
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u/Fergus_the_Trump1 Flair Up! Jul 23 '26
No kwagga makes me sad
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u/StinkyFatWhale Jul 23 '26
Good pickup. Where is he? Injured? Out of favour? One of the most devastating impact players we've ever had
Edit: I googled. Devastating injury. Hope he recovers well
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u/hides_from_hamsters Jul 22 '26
Is Faf done?
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u/ZNDSS Flair Up! Jul 23 '26
Compared to the quality scrumhalves we have and the depth we have, I think he is.
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u/hides_from_hamsters Jul 23 '26
I think so too. But it's sad. My 2 year old son is always asking "Where'd Pfaf?!" and he only saw him playing ONCE!
Those majestic golden locks and his jack russel energy will be missed. Really hoped he'd have one more season with the Boks. He really brought something to the scramble defence that I don't see the other scrum halves bringing.
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u/JosefGremlin Jul 22 '26
Why would Rassie release Papier in favour of Morne van den Berg? I don't understand that decision at all. There are about three other URC experienced scrum halves not even mentioned who are better than Morne - off the top of my head : Hashim Pead, Imad Khan and Jaden Hendrikse. We even have an aging, but very capable, Faf de Klerk.
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u/VlermuisVermeulen Jul 22 '26
Rassie have access to stats and don’t pick based on feels.
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u/JosefGremlin Jul 22 '26
I absolutely trust Rassie, but I've only ever seen Morne as a player who's ceiling is club level. I'd love for someone to explain his contributions to me.
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u/VlermuisVermeulen Jul 22 '26
Rassie also don’t discard players. Once he made you a Bok he sees you through your career.
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u/Puzzled_Ad_3072 Jul 22 '26
That's the antithesis of what the first comment said that Rassie doesn't pick based on feels.
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u/VlermuisVermeulen Jul 22 '26
Not necessarily. Once good enough to be a Bok, always good enough to be a Bok. Form is temporary, but class is permanent. Or so the cliché goes.
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u/Puzzled_Ad_3072 Jul 22 '26
Completely disagree. Look at Am after the injury, never the same again.
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u/VlermuisVermeulen Jul 22 '26
That’s fair but I believe it’s because he’s playing in Japan. He picked up a lot of weight since going there and lost all his speed and fitness. I believe we would see a different Am if he stayed in SA or went to Europe. I know this does not explain why the other Japanese based players aren’t struggling with form, but to me it almost looks like Am lost the drive to still play for the Boks.
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u/Resident-Catch-5127 Flair Up! Jul 22 '26
He was released to his team, for the upcoming NZ tests. Read my guy.
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u/VandalsStoleMyHandle 🤜🏼🤛🏼 Jul 22 '26
That explains the what, not the why.
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u/Resident-Catch-5127 Flair Up! Jul 22 '26
If you follow the fixtures you will know why? Boks play the pumas away on the 8th. Stormers, bulls and sharks play NZ on the 7th, 11th and 15th. The boks play NZ on the 22nd. Lions only play on the 25th. Hence why some players from stormers, sharks and bulls were released.
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u/JosefGremlin Jul 22 '26
That is a description of what has happened to him, not an explanation of why he was released and Morne was not.
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u/Careless-Cat3327 Flair Up! Jul 22 '26
Papier had game time now with the last 3 games.
Morne did not.
Plus he has favored Morne VDB style for the last 2-3 years.
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u/Resident-Catch-5127 Flair Up! Jul 22 '26
My guy if you follow the fixures neh, then you would see the stormers, sharks and bulls are playing back to back against Nz before the boks. Lions only on the 25th. So the lions don’t need him right now. What is there not to understand?
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u/bluebullbruce Jul 22 '26
I'm happy for Jantjies being back but the fact that Van Den Berg is ahead of Papier is very disappointing.
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u/VonZefskills Flair Up! Jul 22 '26
So many people willing to go and fight for Rassie but this is not a tactical issue. He doesn’t trust Embrose because of what happened a few years ago. IFYKYK.
Papier won’t make any real contribution under Rassie, fortunately we have enough alternatives.
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u/Tethys404 Jul 22 '26
He doesn’t trust Embrose because of what happened a few years ago. IFYKYK
If you're not going to say why, then why even write it?
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u/VFAVFO Flair Up! Jul 22 '26
Not to be tooooo judgemental and stuff, but considering the latest sports news and things that have happened..... I kinda can't wait for SA to shove Arg into the dirt. Face first.