Rassie Erasmus, the coach of South Africa’s rugby team, has made the decision to include 12 starting players from the victorious 2023 Rugby World Cup final, in his side set to face off against Ireland. The match, being the first of two eagerly-anticipated home tests, will take place at the Loftus Stadium this Saturday.
Exempt from the original starting lineup were Willie le Roux, the reliable fullback, Kwagga Smith who dons the number eight and prop Ox Nche. All of these players, though coming on as substitutes, participated in the narrow 12-11 win against New Zealand for the deciding match last October.
The lineup for this upcoming match also shows the return of Handre Pollard at outhalf, following his absence during Springboks’ significant 41-13 win against Wales in London last month. Many first-choice players were also missing from this fixture due to its scheduling outside the international window.
From the squad that’s set for the forthcoming Ireland match, only prop Gerhard Steenekamp, lock Salmaan Moerat and utility back Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu didn’t participate in the World Cup glory in France.
Erasmus expressed his faith in his team’s capacity to take on the highly-ranked Irish side, highlighting the significant depth and experience, including several rugby world cup winners, the Springboks squad possesses. Most have previously gone head to head with Ireland, intensifying their readiness for the upcoming challenge, despite not having defeated them since 2016.
Erasmus’s strategy involves a 6-2 division of forwards and backs among the reserves, with the versatility of players like Feinberg-Mngomezulu, capable of covering positions such as flyhalf, centre and fullback, and Grant Williams, typically a scrumhalf who can also play on the wing.
Interestingly, Ireland has never secured a test series win in South Africa. They were, however, the only team to defeat the Springboks during last year’s World Cup with a 13-8 victory in Paris before their own defeat to New Zealand in the quarterfinals. Head coach, Andy Farrell, is expected to reveal his team on Thursday.
The South African team line-up consists of Willie le Roux, Cheslin Kolbe, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Handre Pollard, and Faf de Klerk. Front row forwards are Ox Nche, Bongi Mbonambi, and Frans Malherbe, while the second-row forward spots are held by Eben Etzebeth and Franco Mostert. With Siya Kolisi leading as captain, the team is completed with flankers Pieter-Steph du Toit and Kwagga Smith. As replacements, the team has Malcolm Marx, Gerhard Steenekamp, Vincent Koch, Salmaan Moerat, RG Snyman, Marco van Staden, Grant Williams, and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu. All rights reserved. Thomson Reuters 2024.