Share

Johnson out of RWC squad?

Herman Mostert 

Cape Town - The Cheetahs have included eightman Ashley Johnson in their team to take on Griquas in a Currie Cup match on Saturday, which in all likelihood suggests he won't be included in the Springbok squad for the World Cup.

The Springboks announce their 30-man squad for the showpiece in New Zealand at 19h30 on Tuesday evening.

This will come as a shock to many, as earlier reports indicated that Johnson should make coach Peter de Villiers's squad.

Die Burger newspaper reported on Tuesday that Johnson's versatility and skills should be enough for him to board the plane to New Zealand.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Blue Bulls included Boks Zane Kirchner (fullback), wings Bjorn Basson and Akona Ndungane, centre Wynand Olivier, lock Flip van der Merwe and props Werner Kruger and Dean Greyling in their side to take on the Leopards in a Currie Cup clash.

Jean Deysel, Lwazi Mvovo and Charl McLeod were also all present at the Sharks' training on Tuesday ahead of their clash against the Golden Lions.

This could indicate that all these players won't be part of De Villiers's World Cup plans, unless given special dispensation to play in the Currie Cup this weekend.

With Johnson potentially not making the squad, the inclusion of Bath loose forward Francois Louw seems all the more likely.

Media reports indicated on Monday that Louw may well be in De Villiers's plans.

Teams:

Griquas:


TBA

Free State Cheetahs: 15 Riaan Smit, 14 Philip Snyman, 13 Robert Ebersohn, 12 Corne Uys, 11 Cameron Jacobs, 10 Sias Ebersohn, 9 Tewis de Bruyn, 8 Ashley Johnson, 7 Pieter Labuschagne, 6 Johan Wessels, 5 Izak van der Westhuizen, 4 Francois Uys, 3 W.P. Nel, 2 Adriaan Strauss (captain), 1 Coenie Oosthuizen

Substitutes: 16 Hercu Liebenberg, 17 Marcel van der Merwe, 18 Wilhelm Steenkamp, 19 Boom Prinsloo, 20 Pieter van Zyl, 21 Johan Goosen, 22 Philip Burger.
We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
loading... Live
Sekhukhune United FC 0
Cape Town Spurs FC 0
loading... Live
Lamontville Golden Arrows 1
Royal AM 1
loading... Live
Sheffield United 0
Burnley 2
loading... Live
Luton Town 0
Brentford 2
loading... Live
Bulls 0
Munster 0
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
33% - 1819 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1781 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1084 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 461 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 187 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 254 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE