Springboks fans fume at Nienaber for not copying rival coach
By Rugby Onslaught

Springboks fans fume at Nienaber for not copying rival coach

Jacques Nienaber has named his 32-man South Africa squad that will tour Europe in November and has already faced a backlash from fans for not naming a more youthful squad.

Off the back of a gruelling season where the Springboks faced the British & Irish Lions immediately before the Rugby Championship, Nienaber has only named two uncapped players in his squad, lock Salmaan Moerat and scrum-half Grant Williams.

This announcement comes just a day after Eddie Jones named his England squad, in which he axed plenty of experienced players, including 2021 Lions tourists Jamie George and Mako Vunipola. While Jones only named four uncapped players compared to Nienaber’s two, there is an additional 14 players with ten caps or fewer for England compared to six with the Springboks.

But with injuries already to pivotal players such as Pieter-Steph du Toit, Faf de Klerk and Cheslin Kolbe, this perhaps meant that this was never the time to be too experimental.

England and South Africa face each other at Twickenham on November 20 in what will be the final match of 2021 for both sides.

This is what South African fans have said online:

South Africa squad:

Props:
Thomas du Toit (Cell C Sharks) – 13 caps, 0 pts
Steven Kitshoff (DHL Stormers) – 56 caps, 5pts (1t)
Vincent Koch (Saracens) – 28 caps, 0 pts
Ox Nché (Cell C Sharks) – 6 caps, 0pts
Trevor Nyakane (Vodacom Bulls) – 51 caps, 5pts (1t)

Hookers:
Joseph Dweba (Bordeaux Bègles) – 1 cap, 0 pts
Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 43 caps, 45 pts (9t)
Bongi Mbonambi (DHL Stormers) – 45 caps, 45 pts (9t)

Locks:
Lood de Jager (Sale Sharks) – 53 caps, 25 pts (5t)
Eben Etzebeth (Toulon) – 94 caps, 15 pts (3t)
Salmaan Moerat (DHL Stormers) – Uncapped
Marvin Orie (DHL Stormers) – 7 caps, 0 pts

Loose forwards:
Siya Kolisi (captain, Cell C Sharks) – 60 caps, 30 pts (6t)
Kwagga Smith (Yamaha Júbilo) – 16 caps, 5 pts (1t)
Marco van Staden (Leicester Tigers) – 9 caps, 0 pts
Duane Vermeulen (Ulster) – 58 caps, 15 pts (3t)
Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers) – 8 caps, 0 pts

Utility forward:
Franco Mostert (Honda Heat) – 48 caps, 5pts (1t)

Scrumhalves:
Herschel Jantjies (DHL Stormers) – 18 caps, 25 pts (5t)
Cobus Reinach (Montpellier) – 18 caps, 40pts (8t)
Grant Williams (Cell C Sharks) – Uncapped

Flyhalves:
Elton Jantjies (NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes) – 41 caps, 309 pts (2t, 64c, 56p, 1d)
Handré Pollard (Montpellier) – 57 caps, 558 pts (6t, 83c, 120p, 4d)

Midfielders:
Lukhanyo Am (Cell C Sharks) – 23 caps, 25 pts (5t)
Damian de Allende (Munster) – 55 caps, 35 pts (7t)
Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles) – 48 caps, 60 pts (12t)

Outside backs:
Aphelele Fassi (Cell C Sharks) – 2 caps, 10pts (2t)
Willie le Roux (Toyota Verblitz) – 70 caps, 60 pts (12t)
Makazole Mapimpi (Cell C Sharks) – 22 caps, 85 pts (17t)
Sbu Nkosi (Cell C Sharks) – 25 caps, 45 pts (9t)

Utility backs:
Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers) – 14 caps, 5pts (1t)
Frans Steyn (Toyota Cheetahs) – 71 caps, 141pts (11t, 7c, 21p, 3d)

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