Former Springbok wings Rosko Specman and Travis Ismaiel had been each named in an skilled Blitzboks squad for the Rugby Africa Olympic Video games qualifier in Harare.
Springbok Sevens head coach Sandile Ngcobo additionally recalled fit-again Selvyn Davids, Zain Davids and Ronald Brown for the necessary weekend on the Harare Sports activities Membership, the place victory will lead to a 3rd consecutive look for the Blitzboks on the Olympic Video games.
The trio all missed massive chunks of final season’s World Sequence marketing campaign, however at the moment are again in a squad laden with expertise, together with 2022 Rookie of the Yr, Ricardo Duarttee. Donovan Don and Ismaiel are the one gamers who haven’t performed in at the least 10 SVNS occasions.
Nevertheless, common Blitzbok captain Siviwe Soyizwapi has been dominated out with an damage. whereas like Mfundo Ndhlovu and Shaun Williams are additionally nonetheless recovering from pre-season operations.
In consequence, Impi Visser will put on the captain’s armband in Harare, with Zain Davids named as his deputy.
“Now we have a really skilled group, which helped in our preparations,” stated Ngcobo.
“This can be a huge match for us, and it was nice to have such a robust management group accessible for choice contemplating the damage to ‘Shakes’ a month in the past.
“Impi had captained us in match play earlier than and can have the ability to deal with that duty with out it affecting his regular sport.”
Ngcobo stated Specman’s return got here on the proper time: “He’ll mainly change ‘Shakes’ within the squad and can primarily play on the wing for us on this match. Everyone knows what he brings to a group.
“The return of playmakers corresponding to Selvyn (Davids), Justin (Geduld) and Ronald (Brown) does give us good choices, however this should be a group effort.
“Our forwards are essential to permit the playmakers the chance to specific themselves. Nothing has modified from our ‘group first’ perspective and philosophy,” Ngcobo added.
South Africa’s pool fixtures (Saturday, 16 September):
10h.50am: Cote D’Ivoire
1.34pm: Tunisia
4.18pm: Madagascar
Blitzbok squad (with World Sequence stats):
Christie Grobbelaar – 18 tournaments, 150 factors (30 tries)
Ryan Oosthuizen – 43 tournaments, 200 factors (40 tries)
Impi Visser (captain) – 32 tournaments, 150 factors (30 tries)
Zain Davids – 40 tournaments, 188 factors (37 tries)
Travis Ismaiel – 5 tournaments, 10 factors (2 tries)
Ricardo Duarttee – 10 tournaments, 212 factors (15 tries, 67 conversions, 1 penalty purpose)
Ronald Brown – 13 tournaments, 338 factors (34 tries, 84 conversions)
Selvyn Davids – 29 tournaments, 586 factors (73 tries, 109 conversions, 1 penalty purpose)
Justin Geduld – 54 tournaments, 1077 factors (116 tries, 247 conversions, 1 penalty purpose)
Donavan Don – 4 tournaments, 10 factors (2 tries)
Rosko Specman – 30 tournaments, 416 factors (76 tries, 18 conversions)
Shilton van Wyk – 13 tournaments, 135 factors (27 tries)
Picture: Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix
