Lock shock as Janse van Rensburg makes surprise Springbok return after three years

Montpellier lock Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg has been recalled to the Springbok squad for the first time in three years in a move that underlines a second-row mini-crisis for Rassie Erasmus’ men.

With World Cup winners Jean Kleyn, Franco Mostert and Lood de Jager unavailable through injury, the 30-year-old Van Rensburg has been recalled. It’s a move that appears to come from left field, even for a coach as bold as Erasmus.

Janse van Rensburg earned his only Test cap against Argentina in Gqeberha in the Covid-plagued 2021 season. He toured Australia during the Rugby Championship later that year.

But by October 2021, Janse van Rensburg asked to be released from the squad for “personal reasons” as the toll and toil of being restricted in a three-month-long bio-secure environment, or bio-bubble lockdown, wore him down.

Whether or not that request cost him a place in the squad for the past three years and was the reason for his absence in subsequent seasons, he is back and might even be in the selection frame immediately.

Erasmus opted not to call Rugby World 2023 winner Marvin Orie.

RG Snyman has been named but he is still struggling with a foot injury sustained in training in Brisbane before the Boks’ 33-7 win over the Wallabies.

Salmaan Moerat, who captained the Boks against the Wallabies in Perth last week, will have to pass all his concussion protocols between now and 31 August when the Boks meet the All Blacks at Ellis Park.

There is a chance neither Moerat nor Snyman will be considered for the Doornfontein showdown. That would open the door for a sensational return for Janse van Rensburg.

With lineout-calling such a specialised skill within a team these days, Janse van Rensburg has been recalled as much for those attributes as for his playing prowess.

“Nicolaas has had a good season with Montpellier and is a capped Springbok, so we are excited to welcome him back into the fold,” was all Erasmus ventured about the two-metre-tall second rower’s recall.

There will be some concern about Janse van Rensburg’s lack of recent game time since the end of the European season in early July. But he started 16 of Montpellier’s 19 Top 14 matches and amassed 1,219 minutes of playing time last season. He is currently in pre-season with his club and will join the Boks this week.

Back from injury

While the lock situation might be furrowing Bok coaching brows, there was good news on other fronts.

Double World Cup-winning prop Steven Kitshoff has been named in the squad for the first time this year after recovering from a knee injury. He played for Western Province in the Currie Cup last week.

Utility back Canan Moodie was also named, giving him his first chance to do effective on-field work with attack coach Tony Brown. Moodie has recovered from finger surgery and played for the Bulls in the Currie Cup at the weekend.

Sharks scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse is also recalled after injury, which means Morne van den Berg drops out. Faf de Klerk is not in the squad because of a thigh muscle injury.

Hendrikse sustained a shoulder injury in May, but he has also played in the Currie Cup and might come into immediate selection consideration with Cobus Reinach and Grant Williams, the other two halfbacks in the group.

There are also returns for No 8 Jasper Wiese and centre Andre Esterhuizen, who have both completed suspensions. Erasmus’ squad features 31 of the 33 players who travelled to Australia

With Hendrikse back from injury and Jan-Hendrik Wessels equally adept at prop and hooker, hooker Johan Grobbelaar, in addition to Van den Berg, was excluded from the group for these two Tests.

The pair will remain on standby along with the other players included in Erasmus’ initial 45-man group in the event of injuries.

Apart from Mostert, De Jager and Kleyn, the other players ruled out of contention for selection due to injury are Evan Roos (No 8), Herschel Jantjies and Faf de Klerk (both scrumhalves).

“New Zealand are ranked third in the world, and they always test us to the limit,” said Erasmus.

“We also saw last week what they can do under pressure when they defeated Argentina 42-10 after going down in their first Test against the Pumas.

“We know these two tests will provide a completely different challenge to what we’ve faced against an Australian team that is still finding their feet with a new coach and a bunch of young players coming through the ranks.”

Erasmus added: “It’s good to have Steven, Jaden and Canan back from injury, along with Jasper and Andre. They are all Rugby World Cup winners who have delivered quality performances consistently against the top teams in the world, so they’ll bring experience and their unique skillsets to this squad.

“As a team, we are in a good position in terms of squad depth with 32 of the 33 players on tour playing against the Wallabies – the only exception was RG Snyman who suffered a foot niggle – and we have full faith in the young players to showcase their talent once again against a completely different opponent in New Zealand.

“Adding to that, all these players, with the exception of Nicolaas, were members of our training squad in Pretoria in July and our alignment camps earlier in the year, and they have been regular members of the squad in the last few years, so they understand our systems and should slot in with ease.” DM

Props: Thomas du Toit (Bath), Steven Kitshoff (DHL Stormers), Vincent Koch (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Frans Malherbe (Stormers), Ox Nche (Sharks), Gerhard Steenekamp (Vodacom Bulls), Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Bulls).

Hookers: Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears), Bongi Mbonambi (Sharks).

Locks: Eben Etzebeth (Sharks), Salmaan Moerat (Stormers), Ruan Nortjé (Bulls), RG Snyman (Leinster), Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg (Montpellier).

Loose forwards: Ben-Jason Dixon (Stormers), Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz), Siya Kolisi (captain, Racing 92), Elrigh Louw (Bulls), Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs), Marco van Staden (Bulls), Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers).

Scrumhalves: Jaden Hendrikse (Sharks), Cobus Reinach (Montpellier), Grant Williams (Sharks).

Flyhalves: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (Stormers), Manie Libbok (Stormers), Handré Pollard (Leicester Tigers).

Centres: Lukhanyo Am (Sharks), Damian de Allende (Wild Knights), André Esterhuizen (Sharks), Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles).

Outside backs: Kurt-Lee Arendse (Bulls), Aphelele Fassi (Sharks), Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath), Willie le Roux (Bulls), Makazole Mapimpi (Sharks), Canan Moodie (Bulls) DM