Are these three surprise Springbok World Cup selections?

On Tuesday, 8 August, the Springbok coaches will unveil their 33-man for the World Cup, and there are likely to be both surprise inclusions and omissions.

Below we take a look at three players who we think could turn out to be relatively surprise selections.

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COULD THESE SPRINGBOK PLAYERS EARN A TICKET TO FRANCE?

Andre Esterhuizen

Will the Springboks opt for a specialist back up to Damian de Allende, or rely on the likes of Handre Pollard and Damian Willemse to provide enough cover? It’s an interesting selection headache. However, Esterhuizen enjoyed one of his best game in a Springbok jersey against the Wallabies, which has done wonders for his World Cup chances. He is likely to play against Argentina in the first World Cup warm up game in Buenos Aires next weekend, and another big performance could see him earn a ticket to France.

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Grant Williams

The talented scrumhalf has produced two cameos off the bench in the first two Tests of the Rugby Championship, and the opportunity to make his first start is a clear indication that the Springboks are keen on taking him to the World Cup. If Williams does crack the nod, it will be interesting to see who would then be the third scrumhalf to join him and Faf de Klerk at the World Cup. Potentially, only one spot will be left between Herschel Jantjies, Cobus Reinach and Jaden Hendrikse.

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Marco van Staden

Van Staden produced arguably his best game in a Springbok jersey during the opening Test of the year against Australia, and he will receive another big opportunity to stake a claim for World Cup selection when he starts again this Saturday. With Siya Kolisi still recovering from injury, Van Staden now seems to have the inside lane to cement his place as first-choice back up.

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