Rassie Loads Up On Experience For RGR Rescue Job

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has loaded up on experience for the crunch second Test of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series against the All Blacks in Cape Town on Saturday.

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In a sign of intent, Erasmus reverted to naming his match 23 on Monday after deviating from this trademark tactic last week. The pressure is on the Boks after they lost the first match of the four-Test series 33-16 at Ellis Park at the weekend, prompting Erasmus to turn to many of his most trusted veterans to ensure they bounce back in the Mother City.

Siya Kolisi, the starting halfback pairing of Cobus Reinach and Handre Pollard, Deon Fourie and Lood de Jager have all been roped in. Kolisi has been tentatively named in the starting line-up and will replace Paul de Villiers if he gets through training comfortably this week.   

Pieter-Steph du Toit will retain the captaincy in what will be a particularly special Test for him as he’ll become just the 11th Bok centurion of all time. Ox Nche will also reach a magical milestone as the powerful loosehead prop will start in his 50th Test in an unchanged tight five. 

Aside from the change in halfback combination, Ethan Hooker replaces Cheslin Kolbe after the pocket rocket picked up a niggle in the first Test, with Kurt-Lee Arendse moving from the left wing to the right wing.

If Kolisi runs out at DHL Stadium, it will be the most experienced Bok team ever to take the field, with a combined total of 1012 Test caps in the starting XV.

Thirty-nine-year-old Fourie – who last wore the green and gold jersey in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final – is the big surprise on the bench, where he joins Gerhard Steenekamp and Thomas du Toit as the back-up front row. De Jager will add extra experience as the replacement lock, while Cameron Hanekom will get an opportunity to shine.

Hybrid Andre Esterhuizen retains his place on the pine, and Morne van den Berg and the versatile Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu are the two replacement backs.

“Cheslin and Grant (Williams) suffered niggles last weekend, which ruled them out of contention for selection, while we have bracketed Siya alongside Paul to allow us time to monitor how Siya comes through training this week,” said Erasmus.

“The changes we made are in line with what we want to achieve on the field this week, and it is valuable that almost all of the players have been involved in the last two games, so they will be able to cope with the intensity and physicality of this match.”

Erasmus said it was exciting to have flyhalves with different skillsets in the squad: “Handre has delivered for us under extreme pressure, and we feel that what he and Cobus have the potential to bring at the beginning of the game, and then have Morne and Sacha come on later with their different styles of play will be good for us this weekend.”

Looking forward to the match, Erasmus said: “One could see the hurt on everyone’s faces after Saturday’s match, and we know what we have to do to bounce back strongly this week. While we are fully aware of the challenging task ahead, we have regrouped and identified the areas of our game we need to fix, so we are ready and excited for the match in Cape Town.”

The Bok coach was full of praise for Du Toit and Nche, saying, “Pieter-Steph and Ox have been pillars of strength for us on and off the field, and they both deserve these accolades. It is a remarkable achievement to play 100 Test matches, and for Pieter-Steph to deliver week in and week out the way he has over the years is incredible.

“We are equally proud of Ox for the player and team man he has grown into, and to see him reach 50 Test caps is fantastic. That said, as a team, our focus is completely on Saturday’s game, and so is theirs, so our main objective is to deliver on the field. If we can do that, hopefully we will make it a memorable day for them.”

Erasmus expected another gruelling encounter against New Zealand on Saturday, saying, “There were a handful of positives and negatives last week, but the main thing that let us down was that we created so many chances, but mistakes at crucial times cost us.

“We’ll put in a lot of work this week to ensure that we are sharp in that regard this weekend because if we had used even some of those chances, the result could have been completely different.

“That said, we know New Zealand will be charged up after winning last week, and they will want to build on that. But the key for us will be to focus on our game and ensure that we are as effective as possible all around.”

Fast facts:

•  Pieter-Steph du Toit will become the 11th player in Bok history to feature in 100 Tests on Saturday after making his international debut against Wales in 2013. He will also be the second player in as many weeks to achieve this significant milestone after Damian de Allende earned his 100th last weekend.
  
• Prop Ox Nche will join the select club of players who have played 50 Tests.
  
• Eben Etzebeth will extend his record as the most-capped Bok player of all time to 144 caps.
  
• Should he take the field, Deon Fourie will become the oldest Bok player to play in a Test match at 39 years old, surpassing Victor Matfield and Schalk Brits who were 38 years old in their last Test matches.
  
• This game will mark Fourie’s first game back since the RWC final in France, which also happened to be against the All Blacks, with the Boks winning the match 12-11 to lift the trophy.
  
• The last time the Springboks met the All Blacks in Cape Town was in the Rugby Championship in 2024, with the Boks winning the match 18-12.
  
• The Greatest Rivalry series marks the first time since 1996 that the All Blacks have embarked on a traditional rugby tour to South Africa.
  
• The Boks have won five of the last seven matches between the teams dating back to August 2023.
  
• With Kolisi starting, the total Test caps in the Springbok starting line-up is 1012 – the highest ever fielded by South Africa. There are 428 caps in the backline, with 584 caps among the forwards. On the bench, there are a further 204 caps.
  
• The average caps per player in the backline is 61, the forwards 73, while the players on the bench average 26.

South Africa: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Ethan Hooker, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit (c), 6 Siya Kolisi/Paul de Villiers, 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nché.

Replacements: 16 Deon Fourie, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 Lood de Jager, 20 André Esterhuizen, 21 Cameron Hanekom, 22 Morne van den Berg, 23 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.