No rest for Springbok World Cup winners

By Online Editors

Tuesday 12 Nov 2019

BARBARIANS SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: While their teammates will be able to kick back and enjoy their World Cup success, three Springboks will head straight from their victory tour to Twickenham.

World Cup superstars Lukhanyo Am, Makazole Mapimpi and Tendai Mtawarira will be in action for the Barbarians in their three-match end-of-year series.

It starts when the BaaBaas take on Fiji at Twickenham on Saturday, followed by encounters with Brazil in Sao Paolo and Wales in Cardiff.

Rookie Bok scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies was originally also named in the invitational club's squad, but has subsequently been replaced by uncapped Stormers scrumhalf Jano Vermaak - one of 11 players with South African connections.

Apart from Mtawarira, Mapimpi and Am - who completed a gruelling five-day victory tour to show off the Webb Ellis Cup to their fans - Vermaak, Marco van Staden, Josh Strauss, Hencus van Wyk, Morné Steyn, Curwin Bosch, Andre Esterhuizen and Dillyn Leyds are the other South Africans in the squad.

While Am and Mapimpi will all be making their Barbarians debuts - after appearing in all six of South Africa's matches at the World Cup - South Africa's most capped prop and third most capped player ever Mtawarira will be making appearance number three for the invitational side.

With a World Cup gold medal to add to his 117 caps, Mtawarira will be looking to bring the same skill in the scrum that England struggled to manage to the Barbarians' matches.

Meanwhile, Mapimpi will hope to add to his 2019 haul of tries, including the six during the Tournament that saw him secure joint-top try-scorer alongside Welsh wing Josh Adams.

For centre Am, making his debut for the Barbarians will cap off an incredible year in which he has gone from strength-to-strength, becoming the undisputed form No.13 in Super Rugby and his country's first-choice outside centre.

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Six Australians have also been named in the squad to be coached by England mentor Eddie Jones - whose team lost 12-32 to the Boks in the World Cup Final 10 days ago.

Wallabies Joe Powell, Pete Samu, Luke Jones and Matt Philip have been named in the BaaBaas squad, along with uncapped Rebels duo Billy Meakes and Angus Cottrell.

England's World Cup Finalist defence coach and former Barbarian John Mitchell and South African legend Schalk Brits will join Jones' coaching staff.

Barbarians squad:

Forwards: Tendai Mtawarira (South Africa), Rory Best (Ireland), Enrique Pieretto (Argentina), Luke Jones (Australia), Matt Philip (Australia), Pete Samu (Australia), Marco van Staden (South Africa), Josh Strauss (Scotland), Andrew Makalio (uncapped/Crusaders), Campese Ma'afu (Fiji), Hencus van Wyk (Uncapped/Sunwolves), Tyler Ardron (Canada), Angus Cottrell (uncapped/Rebels).

Backs: Makazole Mapimpi (South Africa), Mathieu Bastareaud (France), Lukhanyo Am (South Africa), Jano Vermaak (South Africa), David Havili (New Zealand), Morné Steyn (South Africa), Santiago Iglesias (Argentina), Curwin Bosch (South Africa), Billy Meakes (uncapped/Rebels), Bautista Ezcurra (Argentina), Andre Esterhuizen (South Africa), Joe Powell (Australia), Dillyn Leyds (South Africa).