Updated Springbok team to face Argentina in Durban:

15 Damian Willemse(DHL Stormers) – 43 caps, 66 points (6t, 9c, 4p, 2 dg)

14 Cheslin Kolbe(Tokyo Sungoliath) – 44 caps, 121 points (20t, 3c, 5p)

13 Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls) – 18 caps, 40 pts (8t)

12 Damian de Allende(Wild Knights) – 91 caps, 55 points (11t)

11 Ethan Hooker(Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 3 caps, 0 points

10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers) –13 caps, 58 points (17c, 8p)

9 Cobus Reinach (DHL Stormers) –44 caps, 75 pts (15t)

8 Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks) – 37 caps, 10 points (2t)

7 Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz)– 91 caps, 60 pts (12t)

6 Siya Kolisi (captain,Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 96 caps, 65 points (13t)

5 Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls) –11 caps, 0 pts

4 Eben Etzebeth(Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 136 caps, 35 points (7t)

3 Thomas du Toit (Bath) –28 caps, 5 pts (1t)

2 Malcolm Marx(Kubota Spears) – 82 caps, 120 pts (24t)

1 Boan Venter (Edinburgh) –4 caps, 5 pts (1t)

Replacements:

16 Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls) –30 caps, 15 pts (3t)

17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Vodacom Bulls) –7 caps, 10 pts (2t)

18 Wilco Louw (Vodacom Bulls) –22 caps, 0 pts

19 RG Snyman(Leinster) – 44 caps, 15 points (3t)

20 Kwagga Smith(Shizuoka Blue Revs) – 57 caps, 55 points (11t)

21 Morne van den Berg(Lions) – 3 caps, 10 points (2t)

22 Manie Libbok (Kintetsu Liners) –22 caps, 128 pts (1t, 42c, 13p)

23 Andre Esterhuizen (Hollywoodbets Sharks) –23 caps, 10 pts (2t)

Erasmus opts for consistency in selection against Pumas in Durban

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus opted for consistency in selection for their penultimate Castle Lager Rugby Championship match, against Argentina at Hollywoodbets Kings Park in Durban on Saturday, making minimal changes to the side that secured a record 43-10 victory against the All Blacks in Wellington less than two weeks ago.

Erasmus made only two personnel changes to his starting XV – which will be led by Siya Kolisi in what will mark his 97^th Test – with the experienced Eben Etzebeth and Damian Willemse taking over from the injured Lood de Jager and Aphelele Fassi at lock and fullback. As a result, Damian de Allende returns at inside centre alongside Canan Moodie in an exciting midfield combination.

The three changes on the replacements bench, which again feature five forwards and three backs, are the inclusion of Boan Venter at prop, which sees Jan-Hendrik Wessels serve as the replacement hooker, while scrumhalf Morne van den Berg takes over from Grant Williams, who is nursing a niggle.

“We were very pleased with the way the team rose to the challenge against the All Blacks in Wellington, and looking at the Pumas team and their strengths, we believe this would be the best team for this specific match,” said Erasmus.

“The make-up of this team not only allows us consistency in selection, but we’ll also have the vast experience of Eben and Damian de Allende in the starting team, who are excited to get back on the field again.

“On the bench, Jan-Hendrik covers prop and hooker equally efficiently, so Boan gets another chance along with Morne.”

Erasmus expected a monumental battle against the Pumas (9 pts), who trail the top-placed Wallabies (11 pts) on the Castle Lager Rugby Championship standings by only two points, while the Springboks are in second place and the All Blacks third, tied on 10 points.

“This is a vital match for both us and the Pumas, and if one takes into consideration that they beat New Zealand and Australia in the first four rounds of the competition, as well as the British & Irish Lions earlier in the season, there’s no doubt we’ll treat them the respect they deserve,” said Erasmus.

“They’ve made big strides in the last few seasons, and have an astute coach inFelipe Contepomi, so we know they are going to throw everything at us. Adding to that, they boast a strong forward pack and extremely talented backs, so they pose threats all around.”

The Bok coach, however, said the Boks were geared up for the challenge: “We’ve had a good few training sessions since assembling last Thursday, and the players know what they’ll be up against.

“Similarly to us, Argentina are a tremendously proud and passionate team, and they give everything for their country. They know that two good results could place them in a decent position to win the competition, so it’s going to be a hard grind of a match.

“As things stand, any team could win the title, so we need to capitalise on the point-scoring chances we create and play for the full 80 minutes if we want to get the desired result.

“Over and above that, we’ve faced them in Durban three times, and they’ve beaten us once, and that, combined with their self-belief, means the historical results between the teams will have no significance going into the clash.

“They are also ranked sixth in the world ahead of the Wallabies, so we do not underestimate them.”

The match kicks off at 17h10 and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.

Springbok team to face Argentina in Durban:

15 Damian Willemse(DHL Stormers) – 43 caps, 66 points (6t, 9c, 4p, 2 dg)

14 Cheslin Kolbe(Tokyo Sungoliath) – 44 caps, 121 points (20t, 3c, 5p)

13 Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls) – 18 caps, 40 pts (8t)

12 Damian de Allende(Wild Knights) – 91 caps, 55 points (11t)

11 Ethan Hooker(Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 3 caps, 0 points

10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers) –13 caps, 58 points (17c, 8p)

9 Cobus Reinach (DHL Stormers) –44 caps, 75 pts (15t)

8 Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks) – 37 caps, 10 points (2t)

7 Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz)– 91 caps, 60 pts (12t)

6 Siya Kolisi (captain,Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 96 caps, 65 points (13t)

5 Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls) –11 caps, 0 pts

4 Eben Etzebeth(Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 136 caps, 35 points (7t)

3 Thomas du Toit (Bath) –28 caps, 5 pts (1t)

2 Malcolm Marx(Kubota Spears) – 82 caps, 120 pts (24t)

1 Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks) –45 caps, 0 pts

Replacements:

16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Vodacom Bulls) –7 caps, 10 pts (2t)

17 Boan Venter (Edinburgh) –4 caps, 5 pts (1t)

18 Wilco Louw (Vodacom Bulls) –22 caps, 0 pts

19 RG Snyman(Leinster) – 44 caps, 15 points (3t)

20 Kwagga Smith(Shizuoka Blue Revs) – 57 caps, 55 points (11t)

21 Morne van den Berg(Lions) – 3 caps, 10 points (2t)

22 Manie Libbok (Kintetsu Liners) –22 caps, 128 pts (1t, 42c, 13p)

23 Andre Esterhuizen (Hollywoodbets Sharks) –23 caps, 10 pts (2t)

Stats and facts:

Springbok record against Argentina

Played 38; Won 33; Lost 4; Drawn 1; Points for: 1 315, Points against: 727; Tries scored 155, Tries conceded 70; Highest score 73-13; Biggest winning margin 60 points. Win % 86.8%.

Miscellaneous:

• The Springboks have won 10 of their last 12 matches against the Pumas dating back to 2018, with their only two defeats being in Argentina, in Santiago Del Estero (last season) and in Mendoza (in 2018).
• The teams have crossed paths in Durban three times, and it was in 2015 – the first time they played in KwaZulu-Natal – that the Pumas registered their first victory over the Boks (by 37-25), with the hosts winning the other two.
• Springbok flanker Siya Kolisi will play his 97^th Test match, leaving him only three matches short of becoming the ninth Springbok centurion in the history of the game.
• Eben Etzebeth will extend his record as the most capped Springbok of all time to 137 Tests when he takes the field on Saturday.
• Four players in the Springbok team boast over 90 Test caps – Etzebeth (136), Kolisi (96), Pieter-Steph du Toit and Damian de Allende (both on 91 caps).
• The total Test caps in the Springbok starting line-up is 782.There are 256 caps in the backline, with 526 caps among the forwards. On the bench, there are a further189 caps.
• The average caps per player in the backline is37, the forwards 66, while the players on the bench average 24.

https://youtu.be/sl8gK9l2U7U

Rassie Erasmus and Siya Kolisi comments after record win over NZ

Erasmus names new-look backline for second All Black Test

 Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus named a new-look backline for the second Test against the All Blacks in Wellington on Saturday, where Ethan Hooker will earn his first start in the green and gold jumper.

The fourth-round Castle Lager Rugby Championship encounter at Sky Stadium will decide which team claims the Freedom Cup.

Erasmus made seven personnel changes to his starting XV, with 16 players in the match-23 retained from the side that went down 24-17 against the All Blacks in Auckland last week.

The Bok coach tinkered with his backline, with Cobus Reinach and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu pairing up at halfback, Damian Willemse and Canan Moodie in the midfield, Hooker and Cheslin Kolbe on the wings, and Aphelele Fassi at fullback, in a team that will be led by regular captain Siya Kolisi.

Up front, Kolisi returns to flanker along with Pieter-Steph du Toit, while No 8 Jasper Wiese will return to the field for the first time since facing Italy in the Castle Lager Incoming Series after serving his four-match suspension.

The only change in the pack was at lock, where Lood de Jager will pack down next to Ruan Nortje, while Erasmus stuck with the same front row of props Ox Nche and Thomas du Toit, and hooker Malcolm Marx.

Erasmus again opted for a split of five forwards and three backs on the replacements’ bench, where Marnus van der Merwe (hooker), Jan-Hendrik Wessels and Wilco Louw (props), RG Snyman (lock) and Kwagga Smith (loose forward) will provide further forward cover. The backs on the bench are halfbacks Grant Williams, Manie Libbok, and centre Andre Esterhuizen.

“This is an exciting team, which we believe will provide us with the forward power we require, and spark in the backline against a quality All Blacks side,” said Erasmus.

“We’ve maintained consistency in selection to a large degree in the last few matches, but apart from what we feel some of the players selected can add to our attack, we’d like to see what some of the players can do against the top-ranked team in the world.

“This is a vital match for our Castle Lager Rugby Championship campaign, and we feel some fresh legs and energy are what we need to come away with the desired result.”

Erasmus added: “Every player in this squad knows we believe in them and back them, and this will serve as a great occasion for them to show us what they are capable of against a team such as the All Blacks.

“They have all done the job for us against some of the top teams in the world earlier this year, and others over the last few years, and we know they’ll relish this opportunity to face New Zealand in their backyard.”

The Bok coach said they are expecting another epic encounter against their arch rivals: “Both teams will be up for the challenge this week after having to cope with heavy rain at times in Auckland, and after the disappointing performance we delivered in the opening stages of that match, we know we need to be much more effective in all departments this week and produce a performance both us and our supporters can be proud of.

“We need a top-class performance to ensure that we are in contention to win the Castle Lager Rugby Championship.

“We know where we went wrong last week and what we must fix, and we’ll leave no stone unturned to fix those errors. There’s no doubt that we have to deliver a proper 80-minute performance to do well, and we will give everything to achieve that.”

The match kicks off at 09h05 (SA time) and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.

Springbok team to face the All Blacks in Wellington:

15 Aphelele Fassi(Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 14 caps, 35 points (7t)

14 Cheslin Kolbe(Tokyo Sungoliath) – 43 caps, 111 points (18t, 3c, 5p)

13 Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls) – 17 caps, 40 pts (8t)

12 Damian Willemse(DHL Stormers) – 42 caps, 61 points (5t, 9c, 4p, 2 dg)

11 Ethan Hooker(Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 2 caps, 0 points

10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers) –12 caps, 58 points (17c, 8p)

9 Cobus Reinach (DHL Stormers) –43 caps, 75 pts (15t)

8 Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks) – 36 caps, 10 points (2t)

7 Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz)– 90 caps, 60 pts (12t)

6 Siya Kolisi (captain,Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 95 caps, 65 points (13t)

5 Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls) –10 caps, 0 pts

4 Lood de Jager(Wild Knights) – 70 caps, 25 points (5t)

3 Thomas du Toit (Bath) –27 caps, 5 pts (1t)

2 Malcolm Marx(Kubota Spears) – 81 caps, 120 pts (24t)

1 Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks) –44 caps, 0 pts

Replacements:

16 Marnus van der Merwe(Scarlets) – 2 caps, 10 points (2t)

17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Vodacom Bulls) –6 caps, 10 pts (2t)

18 Wilco Louw (Vodacom Bulls) –21 caps, 0 pts

19 RG Snyman(Leinster) – 43 caps, 10 points (2t)

20 Kwagga Smith(Shizuoka Blue Revs) – 56 caps, 50 points (10t)

21 Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks) –22 caps, 25 pts (5t)

22 Manie Libbok (Kintetsu Liners) –21 caps, 115 pts (1t, 37c, 12p)

23 Andre Esterhuizen (Hollywoodbets Sharks) –22 caps, 5 pts (1t)

Stats and facts:

Springbok record against New Zealand:

Played: 109, Won: 42, Lost: 63, Drawn: 4. Points for: 1 807; Points against: 2 259; Tries scored: 175; Tries conceded: 247. Win %: 38.6%.

Miscellaneous:

• Should the Springboks win the match, they will retain the Freedom Cup against New Zealand, which they won for the first time last year since 2009.
• The last time the teams met at the Sky Stadium was in 2019, where they played to a 16-16 draw, with the Boks winning the previous encounter between the sides 36-34 at the stadium.
• Springbok flanker Siya Kolisi will play his 96^th Test match, leaving him only four matches short of becoming the ninth Springbok centurion in the history of the game. He will lead South Africa for the 64^th time.
• Jasper Wiese will return to the Springbok team for the first time since the team’s 45-0 victory against Italy in Gqeberha after serving a four-match suspension.
• The total Test caps in the Springbok starting line-up is 626.There are 173 caps in the backline, with 453 caps among the forwards. On the bench, there are a further193 caps.
• The average caps per player in the backline is25, the forwards 57, while the players on the bench average 24.