Aplon confirmation only real surprise in new Bok squad

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus’ 36-man end-of-year tour squad – which will play against England, France, Scotland and Wales – was as much a triumph of necessity as it was simple box-ticking.

There was the obligatory three potential new caps in centre Ruan Nel, wing Sergeal Petersen and lock JD Schickerling; expected returnees in prop Trevor Nyakane, lock Lood de Jager and loose forward Duane Vermeulen; and the cover-based inclusions of fullback Gio Aplon and scrum half Louis Schreuder.

Former Blitzbok Nel had been part of the Springboks’ squad in the home leg of the Rugby Championship without earning a test cap, while Petersen and Schickerling were rewarded for a Currie Cup campaign in which one was the premier wing (eight tries in eight matches) and the other looked to be realising his immense potential, even if their beloved Western Province lost the final.

As deserved as their call-ups were, Petersen and Schickerling’s selections still had a box-ticking element to them because wing and lock are probably the most densely populated positions in South African rugby at the moment.

Aphiwe Dyantyi, Cheslin Kolbe and Sbu Nkosi ahead of the former and Eben Etzebeth, RG Snyman and Franco Mostert – with utility forward Pieter-Steph du Toit a career lock before recently blooming as a world-class blindside flank – are blocking the latter’s path.

The only thing that prevented Nyakane and De Jager from playing any part in the Boks’ international season thus far was a rib and pectoral injury, respectively. De Jager was the form South African lock in Super Rugby before his injury, while utility prop Nyakane’s Currie Cup semifinal heroics at loose head prop against Province last weekend suggested he was the perfect cover for the injured Beast Mtawarira.

Gio Aplon during a Sevens rugby match in South Africa. Picture: Wessel Oosthuizen/Gallo Images/File

Vermeulen, who was literally the difference between the Boks and England during the June series won 2-1 by Erasmus’ men, was kept out of the team by a combination of club duty for the Kubota Spears in Japan and a hamstring injury when they tried to rope him in for the All Blacks game in Wellington.

The cover aspects of Erasmus’ selections came in the form of forgotten Grenoble fullback Gio Aplon, who, at the ripe old age of 36, has been called as experienced back up – six years after his last international – for when Bok fullback Willie le Roux is not available as per agreement with his club Wasps for the four-test tour.

And having had the full benefit of Sale Sharks scrum half Faf de Klerk’s service throughout the 10 games the Boks have played this season, Erasmus has had to call on Louis Schreuder, who captained the Sharks to Currie Cup final victory yesterday.

Schreuder was anointed by Bok scrum half great Fourie du Preez as his potential replacement years ago, but, to date, still only has one test cap despite all that supposed promise. Quite where he fits in the pecking order featuring De Klerk’s perennial bench-warmers Ivan van Zyl and Embrose Papier is anyone’s guess.

If there were eyebrow-raising omissions, and there aren’t really, they would be Sharks flanker Jean-Luc du Preez and Montpellier inside centre Jan Serfontein, two players who, one gets the impression, were beaten by time in terms of proving their fitness after returning from injury.