Mbonambi and Mchunu drafted in as Springboks brace for Ireland and Wales

Bongi Mbonambi and Ntuthuko Mchunu will join the Springboks in Ireland on Sunday as coach Rassie Erasmus and his coaching team prepare for the final two matches of their end-of-season tour, against Ireland and Wales.

Veteran hooker Mbonambi, who was a member of the Rugby Championship squad, was one of the players named on Erasmus’s standby list for the tour, while loosehead prop Mchunu earned the last of his three Test caps against Portugal in Bloemfontein in 2024.

“This is a longer tour than usual, and we have two big matches lined up against Ireland and Wales, which prompted the decision to call up Bongi and Ntuthuko,” said Erasmus. “Both players have done the job for us on the international stage, so we are excited to have them in the group.

“Several players will not be eligible for selection for the final Test on tour against Wales, as the match falls outside of the international window. It makes sense to call up the players now to get back into the swing of things with us at training this week, while at the same time increasing the depth we have within the squad for our next challenge against Ireland.”

Among the players unavailable for the Wales game are the UK-based front-rowers Thomas du Toit (Bath) and Boan Venter (Edinburgh).

The Springboks have lost lock Lood de Jager to suspension and face an anxious wait to see if the same fate is in store for another lock, Franco Mostert, who was red-carded against Italy at the weekend.

The Springboks travelled from Italy to Dublin on Sunday afternoon and will begin their on-field preparations for the match against Ireland on Monday.