By Mark Gleeson
CAPE TOWN (Reuters) – Veterans Victor Matfield and Schalk Burger plus eight uncapped players were included by South Africa in a 36-man squad to attend a training camp later this month to prepare for this year’s international fixtures.
The 37-year-old lock Matfield, who came out of retirement to play for the Bulls in the Super Rugby competition this season, and the 31-year-old Burger, who has been hampered by injury over the last 18 months, were named by coach Heyneke Meyer on Monday.
The Springboks will prepare for tests against Wales and Scotland next month plus the annual Rugby Championship against Argentina, Australia and New Zealand in August-October.
The pair, plus Cheetahs flanker Heinrich Brussow, are back in the squad for the first time since the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
“Victor and Schalk have been out of rugby for a long time. They’ve really been in great form recently and the fact that they have not been with the Boks for more than two years, has made them hungry for test rugby yet again,” Meyer said in a statement released by the South African Rugby Union.
“It’s great to welcome them back into the Springbok fold and I know both of them can still add a lot of value to the team with the Rugby World Cup in 2015 looming.”
The eight new caps include two former rugby sevens internationals in Cornal Hendricks and S’bura Sithole.
The others are Lood de Jager (lock), Teboho Mohoje (loose forward), Marcel van der Merwe (prop), Jacques du Plessis (flank/lock), Marnitz Boshoff (flyhalf) and Damian De Allende (centre/wing).
Players based in France, England and Ireland were not considered for the camp but experienced scrumhalf Fourie du Preez, based in Japan, will be attending as he is available for the tests against Wales and Scotland as well as the game against a World XV in Cape Town on June 7.
The camp will being held in Durban from May 25-28.
Squad:
Backs: Bjorn Basson (Bulls), Marnitz Boshoff (Lions), Damian De Allende, Juan de Jongh, Jean de Villiers (both Stormers), Fourie du Preez (Suntory), JJ Engelbrecht (Bulls), Cornal Hendricks (Cheetahs), Francois Hougaard (Bulls), Johan Goosen, Willie le Roux (both Cheetahs), Lwazi Mvovo, JP Pietersen (both Sharks), Jan Serfontein (Bulls), S’bura Sithole, Frans Steyn (both Sharks)
Forwards: Willem Alberts (Sharks), Heinrich Brussow (Cheetahs), Schalk Burger (Stormers), Marcell Coetzee (Sharks), Lood de Jager (Cheetahs), Bismarck du Plessis (Sharks), Jacques du Plessis (Bulls), Jannie du Plessis (Sharks), Eben Etzebeth, Siya Kolisi, Frans Malherbe (all Stormers), Victor Matfield (Bulls), Teboho Mohoje (Cheetahs), Tendai Mtawarira (Sharks), Trevor Nyakane, Coenie Oosthuizen, Adriaan Strauss (both Cheetahs), Flip van der Merwe, Marcel van der Merwe (both Bulls), Duane Vermeulen (Stormers)
(Editing by Sudipto Ganguly)
