South Africa names six uncapped players for November tour

South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus has named six uncapped players in a 37-man squad for the Springboks’ November Nations Championship tour, while four established players are unavailable through injury. Yaqeen Ahmed, Sebastian de Klerk, Luan Giliomee, Markus Muller, Riley Norton and Emmanuel Tshituka have all been selected for the tour. The squad will play Tests against Italy, France and Ireland before the competition’s Finals Weekend in London. Erasmus said the six had been on the team’s radar and had performed consistently for their franchises over the previous two seasons. He also pointed to their experience within the wider Springbok setup. Ahmed, Giliomee, Muller and Tshituka have represented South Africa A, while Norton played for the Springboks against the Barbarians. De Klerk attended a national alignment camp last season. The selection gives the players a chance to earn their first Test caps, but squad inclusion does not establish who will take the field. Erasmus said the tour would provide a different challenge from franchise rugby, and that the coaching staff had confidence in the newcomers. Cheslin Kolbe, Eben Etzebeth, André Esterhuizen and Handré Pollard are ruled...