By Ashfak Mohamed
Pieter de Villiers has been named coach of a powerful South African Emerging team to take part in an IRB Nations Cup tournament in Romania next month.
The 26-man squad includes a number of Super 14 stars in Ryan Kankowski, Heini Adams, Heinke van der Merwe, Odwa Ndungane and Ross Skeate.
The 20-year-old Lions wing Louis Ludik, Hilton Lobberts of the Bulls, the Cheetahs' Kabamba Floors, Bevin Fortuin and Jonathan Mokuena and Western Province's Schalk Brits, Peter Grant and Morgan Newman are some of the exciting talents in the squad.
Springboks Solly Tyibilika, Eddie Andrews, Tonderai Chavhanga and Jaco Pretorius are some of the surprise inclusions in the team.
Talented Cape flyhalf Isma-eel Dollie, the star of the SA under-21 team last year, is part of a group of players short-listed as back-up for the tournament.
Stormers forwards coach Jerome Paarwater will be De Villiers' assistant.
De Villiers told the Cape Times last night that he was upbeat about the tournament and the make-up of his squad.
"These are most of the players who missed out on the Springbok squad for the England Tests, but we have also called up some talented youngsters who we think can become Springboks in the near future.
"I think that this tournament can become a useful vehicle to bring through the next group of players for the national team. It is a two-way thing - we want to give these guys game time at an international level, while also getting them ready for the Boks, as they are on standby," he said.
Argentina A, Italy A, Romania, Georgia and Namibia are the other teams taking part in the tournament, which will take place in Bucharest, Romania, from June 5-16.
De Villiers said that the IRB had organised the tournament to give the smaller nations an opportunity to test themselves against quality opposition. "Romania, Georgia and Namibia have qualified for the World Cup, so this is part of bringing them up to speed.
Adrian Jacobs is on stand by in case the injured Bradley Barritt is forced to pull out.
SA Emerging Squad
Heini Adams, Marius Delport, Hilton Lobberts, Bandise Maku, Wilhelm Steenkamp (all Blue Bulls), Kabamba Floors, Bevin Fortuin, Jonathan Mokuena (all Free State Cheetahs), Louis Ludik, Jaco Pretorius, Solly Tyibilika, Heinke van der Merwe, Jano Vermaak (all Golden Lions), Ashton Constant (Pumas), Bradley Barritt/Adrian Jacobs, Nikolai Blignaut, Ryan Kankowski, Sangoni Mxoli, Odwa Ndungane, Howard Noble (all Sharks), Schalk Brits, Tonderai Chavhanga, Peter Grant, Morgan Newman, Ross Skeate, Eddie Andrews (all Western Province).