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Just three months after making his professional rugby debut, KuGompo City’s Sibabalwe Mahashe has caught Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus’s eye, earning a first training camp invitation.
The former Hudson Park loose forward was on Wednesday named in the 40-man squad for the Boks’ second in-person alignment camp in Cape Town that starts next week.
Erasmus said the inclusion of the 22-year-old Mahashe was to generate squad depth ahead of the Boks’ busy calendar as some experienced national players, who had been in the set-up for several seasons, were sidelined due to injury.
“We’re looking forward to involving Sibabalwe at this camp as we continue to build our squad depth,” Erasmus said.
He said the camp was a good opportunity to expose Mahashe and the other newcomers in the Bok setup so they could understand the standards expected of the national coaches.
Mahashe will be joined by Sharks youngster Zekhethelo Siyaya as one of the newcomers in the Bok camp setup.
Former Border Craven Week player Mahashe has quickly established himself as a key “X-factor” loose forward for the Johannesburg-based Lions, in both the United Rugby Championship and the EPCR Challenge Cup.
His high work rate, dominant tackles and clean ball-carrying have been instrumental for the Lions; hence, the team is close to making it to the URC knockout stages.
Mahashe has been part of the SA Rugby system since coming out of Hudson less than five years ago.
He has been part of the SA Schools, Academy and U20 setup, which Erasmus has publicly said he pays attention to and gives advantage to youngsters in making it quickly into the senior Boks group.
“It’s important to be clear about the objective of this alignment camp, and that is to expose these players to our environment, our standards and the way we operate,” Erasmus said.
“The players who will not be present, whether through injury or workload, remain in our plans, and each one of them is on his own path with his own set of timelines.
“This week will give us the chance to align those who are fit and firing now with the way we want to operate so that when an opportunity arises either this year or further down the line, they are ready to step up and deliver at an international level,” he said.
Erasmus said the second virtual alignment camp would be hosted after the conclusion of this session.
The Springboks begin their international season on June 20 against the Barbarians at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha.
That will be followed by home Tests against England, Scotland and Wales before a four-Test Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series against the All Blacks.
Then, later in the year, they will have an away Test against the Wallabies, Italy, France and Ireland.
The players invited to the second in-person Springbok alignment camp:
Forwards: Paul de Villiers, Ben-Jason Dixon, Neethling Fouche, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Salmaan Moerat, Riley Norton, Zachary Porthen, Evan Roos, Andre-Hugo Venter, Bathobele Hlekani, Francke Horn, Sibabalwe Mahashe, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Johan Grobbelaar, Cameron Hanekom, Elrigh Louw, Wilco Louw, Ruan Nortje, Gerhard Steenekamp, Marco van Staden, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Cobus Wiese, Siya Kolisi, Ox Nche, Emmanuel Tshituka
Backs: Kurt-Lee Arendse, Canan Moodie, Embrose Papier, Handre Pollard, Andre Esterhuizen, Zekhethelo Siyaya, Edwill van der Merwe, Grant Williams, Jaco Williams, Quan Horn, Haashim Pead, Henco van Wyk, Morne van den Berg, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Damian Willemse.
Daily Dispatch
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