Cape Town – Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus confirmed in Johannesburg on Monday that Rynhardt Elstadt was identified as the likely replacement for Siya Kolisi had his captain not been passed fit for the 2019 World Cup in Japan, but he was not able to confirm his official standby list for the tournament just yet.
Erasmus named his 31-man squad for the global showpiece at the SuperSport studios in Sandton, and Elstadt was the unlucky omission.
He is expected to be one of the players named on the official standby list, but Erasmus confirmed on Monday that he need a little more time before confirming what that list is.
Much of that probably has to do with the fact that Western Province have been knocked out of the Currie Cup.
Wilco Louw, Scarra Ntubeni, Dillyn Leyds and Damian Willemse are all Western Province players in the Bok mix who did not crack the nod to Japan, and Erasmus was likely banking on seeing them in action in the Currie Cup semi-finals this weekend.
Willemse is set for a short-term loan at Saracens, while Louw is off for a stint at Toulon.
Erasmus said he would confirm his standby list in due course, but he wants to see how some of the players go in this weekend’s Currie Cup action.
Marvin Orie, Thomas du Toit, Andre Esterhuizen, Lizo Gqoboka and Marco van Staden will all feature this weekend.
“It is such a dynamic thing at this stage,” Erasmus said of his standby list.
“There might be three or four guys that will be added, but I just want to find out about injuries and I want to see about how the Currie Cup games go this weekend.
“There are a few guys who we are asking to go play overseas so they can keep on playing and stay fit.
“Like the Western Province guys who fall out, you can imagine a guy who is on the standby list but now he hasn’t played rugby.
“It’s great that some of their guys are going to get loaned out overseas so that they stay fit there.
“The moment that it’s official, I will send that list out to you and you will know who is on standby.”
The Boks, meanwhile, play their first match at RWC 2019 against defending champions and pre-tournament favourites New Zealand in Yokohama on September 21.
Springboks’ 31-man Rugby World Cup squad:
Forwards (17)
Schalk Brits (Bulls), Lood de Jager (Bulls), Pieter-Steph du Toit (Stormers), Eben Etzebeth (Stormers), Steven Kitshoff (Stormers), Vincent Koch (Saracens, England), Siya Kolisi (captain, Stormers), Francois Louw (Bath, England), Frans Malherbe (Stormers), Malcolm Marx (Lions), Bongi Mbonambi (Stormers), Tendai Mtawarira (Sharks), Franco Mostert (Gloucester, England), Trevor Nyakane (Bulls), Kwagga Smith (Lions), RG Snyman (Bulls), Duane Vermeulen (Bulls)
Backs (14)
Lukhanyo Am (Sharks), Damian de Allende (Stormers), Faf de Klerk (Sale Sharks, England), Warrick Gelant (Bulls), Elton Jantjies (Lions), Herschel Jantjies (Stormers), Cheslin Kolbe (Toulouse, France), Jesse Kriel (Bulls), Makazole Mapimpi (Sharks), S’bu Nkosi (Sharks), Willie le Roux (Toyota Verblitz, Japan), Handre Pollard (Bulls), Cobus Reinach (Northampton Saints, England), Frans Steyn (Montpellier, France)
