Bok fullback headlines Benetton squad for SA trip

SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: Benetton revealed their 30-man travelling squad for matches against the Bulls and the Lions in the United Rugby Championship.

The squad includes Springbok Andries Coetzee (fullback), who was not involved in Benetton's Challenge Cup play-off defeat to Toulon over the weekend.

The other South Africans in the squad are Corniel Els (hooker), Irné Herbst (lock), Carl Wegner (lock), Dewaldt Duvenage (scrumhalf) and Rhyno Smith (utility back).

Coetzee, who is a former Lions player, has 13 Test caps to his name. His last match in the Test arena was against Wales at the Millennium Stadium in 2017.

Meanwhile, Smith previously played for the Sharks and Cheetahs, while Duvenage is a former Stormers and Western Province player.

Els was with the Bulls before he made the move to Italy and Wegner was a stalwart for the Cheetahs for a number of seasons.

Herbst previously played for the Bulls and Southern Kings.

Benetton travelling squad: Simone Ferrari, Thomas Gallo, Ivan Nemer, Tiziano Pasquali, Federico Zani, Corniel Els, Giacomo Nicotera, Niccolò Cannone, Irné Herbst, Federico Ruzza, Carl Wegner, Lorenzo Cannone, Michele Lamaro, Matteo Meggiato, Giovanni Pettinelli, Manuel Zuliani, Dewaldt Duvenage, Alessandro Garbisi, Luca Petrozzi, Tomas Albornoz, Leonardo Marin, Nacho Brex, Filippo Drago, Tommaso Menoncello, Joaquin Riera, Mattia Bellini, Monty Ioane, Edoardo Padovani, Andries Coetzee, Rhyno Smith.