Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber made only two changes to his starting team for Saturday’s Rugby World Cup final, recalling the 2019 final halfback pairing of Handré Pollard and Faf de Klerk to the run-on side, making them the most capped nine-and-ten combination in Springbok history.

The pair start together for the 25^th time, moving past Joost van der Westhuizen and Henry Honiball (24 Tests), to make them the most experienced halfbacks in Springbok history.

They are among a starting team which features 10 players who started in the RWC final four years ago and is the most experienced in Springbok history with a combined total of 987 caps (eclipsing the record set the previous week against Egland of 895 Test caps).

A further four players on the bench also featured in the match-23 in the final at Yokohama Stadium, while 15 of the players in the squad appeared in the Springboks’ 35-7 victory the last time South Africa and New Zealand met at Twickenham in August.

Only two players in Nienaber’s forward pack did not start the 2019 final – lock Franco Mostert and prop Steven Kitshoff – with both playing off the bench four years ago. Mostert is paired once again with Eben Etzebeth, while Kitshoff partners hooker Bongi Mbonambi and prop Frans Malherbe in the front row.

Springbok captain Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit (both flankers) and Duane Vermeulen (No 8) will again unite in an impactful loose trio.

In the backline, Pollard and De Klerk – who started on the replacements’ bench in the semi-final against England and the quarter-final against France – replace the duo of Manie Libbok and Cobus Reinach, who both drop out of the 23 to accommodate a split of seven forwards and one back on the bench.

The rest of the backline remains unchanged with Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel patrolling the midfield and the back three of Cheslin Kolbe, Kurt-Lee Arendse (both wings) and Damian Willemse (fullback) further sparking the backline.

No 8 Jasper Wiese and lock Jean Kleyn are drafted onto the bench, having been among the non-playing squad last week.

The only enforced change among the replacements is at prop where Trevor Nyakane replaces Vincent Koch, who is nursing a knee injury. He joins Ox Nche and Deon Fourie as front-row cover, while the Munster duo of RG Snyman and Kleyn will serve as the back-up locks, and Kwagga Smith and Wiese the back-up loose forwards.

The backline player on the bench is fullback Willie le Roux.

“This is an experienced team with several players who played in the last Rugby World Cup final and who know exactly what to expect at Stade de France on Saturday and what it will take to retain the title,” said Nienaber.

“The players who will be playing in their first World Cup final have also proven their worth as warriors throughout this campaign and they are all ready for this massive occasion.

“We have said many times that we pick teams for varying gameplans depending on the opponent and that we use all 23 players to try and achieve those goals.

“We’ve gone from a five-three bench split to a seven-one split to give us the best chance of being successful. We have plans in place to mitigate for injuries in the backline, but we’re excited about our plan and we embrace the risk.”

Nienaber thanked the non-playing members of the squad for their contribution to a season-long campaign which has seen the coaches manage the load and develop combinations among 42 players in 12 matches.

“This a huge day for the entire squad – and the guys who played for us earlier in the season,” he said.

“As a coaching team we are proud of the contribution that every player in the larger squad made in getting us to the final to create this opportunity.

“We know we are in for a colossal battle. Every point and inch will count in this match and we know it will take another top-class effort to come out on top on Saturday.”

Nienaber stressed the importance of taking every point-scoring chance that is created while delivering a powerful and accurate performance in the set pieces and on defence. He said the squad was focused on making the country and the team’s 60 million plus supporters proud this weekend.

“The messages of support and videos from home have inspired us immensely and we know the magnitude of this occasion, not just for the players and management – who have made huge sacrifices to get us here – but for what this day means for our country,” said Nienaber.

“We are proud of the fact that we have given some hope and excitement to so many people in the last few months, and we’ll give everything to bring further joy to our wonderful nation on Saturday.”

The Bok coach expected a powerful onslaught from the All Blacks and said they posed threats in every aspect of the game: “Matches between the Springboks and All Blacks are always special and hard-fought, and with this being a World Cup final, the rivalry is expected to be more intense. They have an experienced squad with a physical pack and a backline that can create magic from nothing, so we’ll have to be at our best on attack and defence to get the result.”

Springbok team to face New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup final:

15 - Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers) – 38 caps, 56 pts (4t, 9c, 4p, 2d)

14 - Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls) - 14 caps, 65 points (13t)

13 - Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles) – 67 caps, 75 points (15t)

12 – Damian de Allende (Wild Knights) – 77 caps, 55 points (11t)

11 – Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath) – 30 caps, 91 points (14t, 3c, 5p)

10 – Handré Pollard (Leicester Tigers) – 68 caps, 686 points (7t, 96c, 148p, 5dg)

9 – Faf de Klerk (Canon Eagles) – 54 caps, 50 points (5t, 5c, 5pg)

8 – Duane Vermeulen (SA Rugby) – 75 caps, 15 pts (3t)

7 – Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz) 75 caps, 40 points (8t)

6 – Siya Kolisi (captain – Racing 92) - 82 caps, 50 points (10t)

5 – Franco Mostert (Honda Heat, Japan) – 72 caps, 15 points (3t)

4 – Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 118 caps, 30 points (6t)

3 – Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers) – 68 caps, 5 points (1t)

2 – Bongi Mbonambi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 67 caps, 65 points (13t)

1 - Steven Kitshoff (Ulster) – 82 caps, 10 points (2t)

Replacements

16 - Deon Fourie (DHL Stormers) – 12 caps, 10 pts (2t)

17 - Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 27 caps, 0 pts

18 - Trevor Nyakane (Racing 92) – 66 caps, 5 pts (1t)

19 - Jean Kleyn (Munster) – 6 caps, 0 pts (Ireland 5 caps)

20 - RG Snyman (Munster) – 33 caps, 10 points (2t)

21 - Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs) – 39 caps, 35 pts (7t)

22 - Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers) – 26 caps, 5 pts (1t)

23 - Willie le Roux (Vodacom Bulls) – 92 caps, 75 pts (15t)

Stats and facts:

Springbok record against New Zealand:

Played: 105, Won: 39. Lost: 62, Drawn: 4. Points for: 1 729; Points against: 2 185; Tries scored: 168; Tries conceded: 239. Win %: 37.1%.

Milestones:

• Faf de Klerk and Handre Pollard will start together as halfback combination for the 25th time, moving past Joost van der Westhuizen and Henry Honiball (24 Tests) as most experienced halfbacks in Springbok history.
• Bongi Mbonambi will move into joint-fourth place on the list of most starts at hooker, passing Malcolm Marx with his 35th start. The first four on the list are John Smit (81), Bismarck du Plessis (50), James Dalton (40) and Adriaan Strauss (35).

Miscellaneous:

• The Boks have played 12 Tests against four different opponents at the Stade de France, winning nine and losing three.
• If used off the bench, Trevor Nyakane will play his 49th Test as a replacement for South Africa. Only Steven Kitshoff (54) has more appearances as a substitute.
• The Springboks and the All Blacks have met on five previous occasions at a Rugby World Cup. The Boks won the first two (the final in 1995 and the third-place playoff in 1999) and New Zealand the other three (quarter-final in 2003, semi-final in 2015 and pool match in 2019).
• This is the most experienced team in Springbok history with a combined total of987caps (eclipsing the record set the previous week against England of 895 Test caps).
• There are 348 caps in the backline, with639 caps among the forwards. On the bench there are a further 301 caps.
• The average caps per player in the backline is50, the forwards 80, while the players on the bench average 38.

Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber and captain Siya Kolisi lauded the team’s fighting spirit in their nail-biting Rugby World Cup semi-final victory against England on Saturday night to book their place in back-to-back finals and stay in the race to defend their world champions title.

The Springboks staged a dramatic second-half fightback from 15-6 down with ten minutes to go to score a converted try and vital penalty goal into snatch the dramatic victory by 16-15.

“Credit to England – they had a good tactical plan and they put us under pressure,” said Nienaber.

“We’ll have to improve on that if New Zealand uses the same tactic (in the final). But one has to commend the strength of this team for the way they find a way to get a result.

“It took us 70 minutes to get a foothold in the match, and the players refused to give up and fought until the end. I’m very proud of them for that.”

Kolisi echoed his coach’s sentiments: “England are a world class team, and a very different team to a year ago. We had to dig deep to get the win and I’m proud of the way the players fought.”

The Bok skipper added: “It’s great to be in a position to defend our title. It was not about how ugly the game was, for us it was about South Africa winning the game.

“England were outstanding on the night with the way they played, and we had to fight to make it through to the final.”

They both praised the team effort, with the starting lineup laying a solid foundation for the replacements to make a big impact in the second half.

RG Snyman scored a late try, converted by Handre Pollard, who then added a 50m penalty goal to edge the Boks in front with two minutes left on the clock.

“They (Snyman’s try and Pollard’s penalty goal) were both big moments,” said Nienaber.

“Similarly, to 2019, we needed something special to break the game, and we scored the only try of the match against England, which was great.”

Asked if Kolisi had any doubt that Pollard would slot over the winning penalty goal he said: “I had no doubt at all that he would kick it. He’s done it for us before.

“But this victory was a squad effort. The bench and even the players who didn’t play made a massive contribution and that’s what makes everything work.”

Kolisi also praised the supporters for their passionate support and the inspiration they give the team – both from South Africa and the Africa as a whole.

“We feel and see the support, and even at our hotel one of our sponsors has a screen with all the messages of support,” said Kolisi.

“I don’t think there’s anywhere in the world where people go to the malls to watch our matches, and they do that in South Africa.

“As a team we are not only representing South Africa, but the whole African continent, and we appreciate the support.”

The team will have Sunday off to recover and will return to the training field on Monday to prepare for the final against New Zealand at the Stade de France on Saturday. The match kicks off at 21h00 and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.

Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber showed faith in his match-winning Rugby World Cup quarter-final squad by retaining the same starting XV and replacements’ bench for Saturday’s semi-final against England at the Stade de France in Paris.

The selection is the most experienced in Springbok history – with a combined total of 895 caps – with 15 of the 23 having played against England in the 32-12 victory in the RWC final four years ago in Japan when the Boks lifted the Webb Ellis Cup for the third time.

It is also only the second time that Nienaber (and director of rugby, Rassie Erasmus) named an identical line-up in 64 Tests since they took charge of the team in 2018. The only other occasion was in the opening match of the 2019 tournament, which was lost 13-23 to New Zealand.

Nienaber opted for the same squad following the performance in the quarter-final against France last week in Paris when the starting team laid a solid foundation, while the bench made a significant impact to edge the match 29-28 for a place in the semi-final.

Manie Libbok and Cobus Reinach will control play at halfback, with centres Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel returning with a back three of Cheslin Kolbe, Kurt-Lee Arendse and Damian Willemse.

Steven Kitshoff, Frans Malherbe and Bongi Mbonambi will pack down in the front row, with locks Eben Etzebeth and Franco Mostert behind them, and the loose trio of Bok skipper Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Duane Vermeulen completing the forward pack.

The replacements’ bench features forwards Deon Fourie (hooker / flanker), Ox Nche and Vincent Koch (props), RG Snyman (lock), Kwagga Smith (loose forward), and three backs in Faf de Klerk (scrumhalf), Handre Pollard (flyhalf), and Willie le Roux (fullback).

“We’ve been building a quality Rugby World Cup squad for the last few years so that we could be in this position going into the knockout matches,” said Nienaber.

“We have a squad of 33 players, all of whom are very closely matched in terms of their skill and quality of play which made it tempting to make changes this week and it was tough to select this group both last week and this week. But we feel it’s now time to go with the players in the squad who we believe are in their best form.”

Nienaber noted that eight of the team started against England in the 2019 final (Kolisi, Du Toit, Vermeulen, Mbonambi, Etzebeth, Malherbe, De Allende and Kolbe) while another seven other players from that match are also in the 23 (starting forwards Mostert and Kitshoff, as well as back replacements Le Roux, Pollard and De Klerk, and forward replacements Snyman and Koch).

“This may not have much significance, but the fact remains that these players have been here before, and they know what it will take to defeat a top-quality team such as England,” said Nienaber.

“Competition for places in the team is very tight and the coaches had a few in depth discussions before finalising the team.

“We have players like Lukhanyo Am, Canan Moodie, Andre Esterhuizen, Jasper Wiese, Jean Kleyn, and the list goes on, who are all good enough to be in this team and would have fitted in and done the job just well as the other players.

“But we can only select 23 and everyone in this group is aligned and understands that the country comes first,” said Nienaber.

“We are playing for our friends, family and the 60 million people at home who have been supporting us through thick and thin and we are determined to continue giving them hope and something to smile about.”

Nienaber said he expected a humdinger of a challenge from England: “They come off five victories in a row and they are high on confidence. They have a quality pack and world-class backs who can create magic on the field, and those who are writing them off are making a major mistake.

“Like us, they are one game away from a World Cup final and we’ve seen through the history of the tournament that England raise their game for these matches. If we lose, we have to play the third-place playoff – which no team wants to do.

“We are closely matched in terms of average player age and caps, both teams are used to playing on the biggest stage. This is do-or-die if either of wants to the lift the trophy next week, so neither side will give an inch.”

Springbok team to face England in Paris:

15 – Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers) – 37 caps, 56 pts (4t, 9c, 4p, 2d)

14 – Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls) – 13 caps, 65 pts (13t)

13 – Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles) – 66 caps, 75 pts (15t)

12 – Damian de Allende (Wild Knights) – 76 caps, 55 pts (11t)

11 – Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath) – 29 caps, 91 pts (14t, 3c, 5p)

10 – Manie Libbok (DHL Stormers) – 13 caps, 84 pts (1t, 26c, 9p)

9 – Cobus Reinach (Montpellier) – 30 caps, 60 pts (12t)

8 – Duane Vermeulen (SA Rugby) – 74 caps, 15 pts (3t)

7 – Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz) – 74 caps, 40 pts (8t)

6 – Siya Kolisi (captain, Racing 92) – 81 caps, 50 pts (10t)

5 – Franco Mostert (Honda Heat) – 71 caps, 15 pts (3t)

4 – Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 117 caps, 30 pts (6t)

3 – Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers) – 67 caps, 5pts (1t)

2 – Bongi Mbonambi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 66 caps, 65pts (13t)

1 – Steven Kitshoff (Ulster) – 81 caps, 10 pts (2t)

Replacements:

16 – Deon Fourie (DHL Stormers) – 11 caps, 10 pts (2t)

17 – Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 26 caps, 0 pts

18 – Vincent Koch (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 48 caps, 0pts

19 – RG Snyman (Munster) – 32 caps, 5pts (1t)

20 – Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs) – 38 caps, 35 pts (7t)

21 – Faf de Klerk (Canon Eagles) – 53 caps, 48 pts (5t, 4c, 5p)

22 – Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers) – 68 caps, 678 pts (7T, 95C, 146P, 5D)

23 – Willie le Roux (Vodacom Bulls) – 91 caps, 75 pts (15t)

Stats and facts:

Springbok record against England:

Played: 45; Won 27; Lost 16; Drawn 2; Points for 972; Points against 769; Tries scored: 88; Tries against: 58; Highest score: 58-10; Biggest win 48 points. Win percentage 60%.

Milestones:

• It will be Eben Etzebeth’s 11^th Test match against England, joining Tendai Mtawarira, John Smit and Joost van der Westhuizen all in second place. Four other Springboks are on a record 12 career caps against England.
• The loose trio of Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Duane Vermeulen will start as combination for the 15^th time, putting them alone in second place on the list behind Francois Louw, Willem Alberts and Vermeulen (17).
• Eben Etzebeth and Franco Mostert will move into third place on the list of lock combinations with their 26th start as second row partners, behind Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha (63), and Etzebeth and Lood de Jager (39).

Miscellaneous:

• Handré Pollard has scored seven conversions (second place) in his six appearances against England but holds the record with 19 penalty goals.
• Saturday's semi-final is the sixth RWC clash between the Boks and England. South Africa won in the 1999 quarter-final (44-21) in Paris; the pool game (36-0) and final (15-6) in 2007, both in Paris; and the final (32-12) in Yokohama in 2019. England won the pool game in Perth in 2003 (25-6).
• Kurt-Lee Arendse starts the match with a full-house of tries, with 13 five-pointers in in 13 Tests to date.
• This will be the fourth time the Springboks and England clash in a Rugby World Cup match in Paris, after the playoff in 1999 and two encounters in 2007.

• England have scored just one try across their five meetings with South Africa in the RWC – during their 25-6 pool win in 2003.
• South Africa (8.0) and England (8.6) have conceded fewer penalties per game than any other sides to have reached the semi-finals of this year’s Rugby World Cup, with only France and Japan (7 each) averaging fewer overall.
• The Springbok starting team on Saturday will be the most experienced ever selected for South Africa with a combined total of895 Test caps - four more than the 891 against Samoa in Birmingham in 2015.
• There are264 caps in the backline, with 631 caps among the forwards. On the bench there are a further367 caps.
• The average caps per player in the backline is37, the forwards 78, while the players on the bench average 45.

Springbok captain Siya Kolisi declared in the early hours of Monday morning that they knew it would take something special to beat France in the Rugby World Cup quarter-final on Sunday, and both him and Bok head coach Jacques Nienaber lauded the team’s character to pull through the victory to book their place in the semi-final.

The Springboks – who beat France by 29-28 in a thrilling contest in Paris – will face England in the last four on Saturday, while Argentina and New Zealand will meet in the first semi-final on Friday.

“We worked together as a team and we talked a lot about never giving up. We knew it would take something special and we did it today,” said Kolisi.

“France asked a lot of questions of us, but the character we showed stood out. We had a clear plan on what we needed to do, especially at the breakdown, and we had to fight for one another, especially in the last eight minutes of the yellow card. I’m proud of the guys and the discipline they showed.”

Nienaber was equally proud of the team: “We knew how tough it would be to come to France and face the French. They’ve been playing well and were consistent in their performances.

“They’ve also been building well as a team, so we knew it was going to be a proper Test match and it was always going to be tight. Many of the games (in the tournament) have been won and lost in the last eight minutes.”

Kolisi added to the coach’s sentiments.

“To latch onto what Jacques said, their team has been building for four years and we knew it would take everything (to win),” said Kolisi.

“For their captain to come back from an injury and the play the way he did was good.

“We knew how loud and intense it would be at the stadium, but the French people can be proud of their team. It was a tough game, and we knew it would take something special.”

While Nienaber was open about his excitement, he said the Boks still had work to do if they wanted to defend their title.

“There were good things and other things we didn’t do so well,” said Nienaber, “but there was the pressure of a knock-out game, and we know there is a lot we need to work on going forward.”

The Springboks will move hotels in Paris on Monday and will have the day off to rest and recover before returning to training on Tuesday for the semi-final.

Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber named an experienced team – including 15 players who featured in the 2019 final – for their Rugby World Cup quarter-final against France at the Stade de France in Paris on Sunday evening.

A further four players in the match-23 to face the in-form hosts were also part of the 2019 squad while only four were not present in Japan among a team bristling with experience.

“Most of these players have Rugby World Cup experience and several of them were involved in the 2019 final, so they know what it takes to perform in big moments,” said Nienaber.

“Twenty of these players were also in the matchday squad that played France in Marseille last season, which was a good dress rehearsal for what we can expect from France and their supporters.”

Eight of Sunday’s starting XV started in the 32-12 victory over England four years ago: Siya Kolisi, who will captain the Boks again, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Duane Vermeulen, Bongi Mbonambi, Eben Etzebeth, Frans Malherbe, Damian de Allende and Cheslin Kolbe.

Seven other players from the 2019 final are also in the 23 in starting forwards Franco Mostert and Steven Kitshoff, as well as back replacements Willie le Roux, Handre Pollard and Faf de Klerk, and forward replacements RG Snyman and Vincent Koch.

The only players in the 23 who do not have a winners’ medal are Kurt-Lee Arendse, Manie Libbok and replacements Deon Fourie and Ox Nche.

The starting team shows 11 personnel changes to the side that defeated Tonga 49-18 in Marseille two weeks ago but, more pertinently, shows only two changes from the team that faced Ireland – with De Klerk moving to the bench and Vermeulen selected at No 8 in place of Jasper Wiese.

Kitshoff, Mbonambi and Malherbe will pack down in the front row, while Etzebeth and Mostert will pair up at lock, with Kolisi, Du Toit and Vermeulen forming the loose trio.

In the backline, Libbok and Cobus Reinach will join forces in an exciting attacking halfback combination, with De Allende and Kriel on duty in the midfield, Kolbe and Arendse on the wings, while Damian Willemse will be at fullback.

Nienaber’s replacements bench features five forwards and three backs. Fourie serves as the impact hooker, with Nche and Koch (both props), Snyman (lock) and Smith (loose forward).

The three backline players among the replacements are also very experienced, with a combined total of 209 caps between De Klerk, Pollard and Le Roux, who started at scrumhalf, flyhalf and fullback in Yokohama four years ago.

“We’ve been working with most of these players since 2018 and we’ve been building a squad capable of defending our title,” said Nienaber.

“We believe this group will offer us the impetus we need against a quality French side that will be playing in front of a passionate home crowd.”

Nienaber said he relished the prospect of facing the hosts at one of the world’s iconinc rugby stadiums in the quarter-final.

“It’s going to be a massive clash for the players and supporters and we’re really excited about the prospect,” he said. “We’ve been working toward this World Cup since 2018 and we can now book a place in the semi-final, so we have to go out there and give everything.

“It’s do-or-die in the tournament, so we have to be accurate in executing our game plan and we have to capitalise on our opportunities because the margins will be small.

“We know the match is going to be as intense as last year, if not more intense. We had a red card in that match but we were still in with a chance to win it with three or four minutes to go, so discipline will again be important and we’ll have to maintain our good disciplinary record.”

Springbok team to face France in Paris:

15 – Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers) – 36 caps, 56 pts (4t, 9c, 4p, 2d)

14 – Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls) – 12 caps, 60 pts (12t)

13 – Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles) – 65 caps, 75 pts (15t)

12 – Damian de Allende (Wild Knights) – 75 caps, 50 pts (10t)

11 – Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath) – 28 caps, 86 pts (13t, 3c, 5p)

10 – Manie Libbok (DHL Stormers) – 12 caps, 80 pts (1t, 24c, 9p)

9 – Cobus Reinach (Montpellier) – 29 caps, 60 pts (12t)

8 – Duane Vermeulen (SA Rugby) – 73 caps, 15 pts (3t)

7 – Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz) – 73 caps, 40 pts (8t)

6 – Siya Kolisi (captain, Racing 92) – 80 caps, 50 pts (10t)

5 – Franco Mostert (Honda Heat) – 70 caps, 15 pts (3t)

4 – Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 116 caps, 25 pts (5t)

3 – Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers) – 66 caps, 5pts (1t)

2 – Bongi Mbonambi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 65 caps, 65pts (13t)

1 – Steven Kitshoff (Ulster) – 80 caps, 10 pts (2t)

Replacements:

16 – Deon Fourie (DHL Stormers) – 10 caps, 10 pts (2t)

17 – Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 25 caps, 0 pts

18 – Vincent Koch (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 47 caps, 0pts

19 – RG Snyman (Munster) – 31 caps, 5pts (1t)

20 – Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs) – 37 caps, 35 pts (7t)

21 – Faf de Klerk (Canon Eagles) – 52 caps, 48 pts (5t, 4c, 5p)

22 – Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers) – 67 caps, 673 pts (7t, 94c, 145p, 5d)

23 – Willie le Roux (Vodacom Bulls) – 90 caps, 75 pts (15t)

Stats and Facts:

Springbok record against France:

Played 45; Won 27; Lost 12; Drawn 6. Points for: 965, Points against: 692. Tries scored 107, Tries conceded 61. Highest score 52-10; Biggest win 42 points. Average score: 21-15. Win % 60%.

Milestones:

• Eben Etzebeth will equal Tendai Mtawarira’s 117 Test caps, meaning they will share third place on the list of most-capped Springboks.
• The 880 caps in the starting team is the second-most ever for the Springboks – the most experienced team, with 891 combined caps – ran out against Samoa at Rugby World Cup in 2015.
• The starting pack is the most experienced ever fielded by the Springboks sharing 623 caps. All eight have made a half century of test appearances and average 78 caps per man.
• Eight players who will feature on Sunday, played against Samoa in 2015: Willie le Roux, Damian De Allende, Handre Pollard, Duane Vermeulen and Eben Etzebeth started, with Frans Malherbe, Siya Kolisi and Jesse Kriel on the bench.
• The two replacement props, Ox Nche and Vincent Koch, are the only players in the match-23 who have not yet scored any Test points.
• Kurt-Lee Arendse enters the match with an impressive try-scoring record of 12 tries in his 12 Test matches.
• Pollard, with 665 Test points in the Springbok jersey, in in third place behind Morne Steyn (742) and Percy Montgomery (893).

Miscellaneous:

• This is just the second time France and South Africa have met at the Rugby World Cup. The previous meeting was in 1995 when the Springboks edged the semifinal 19-15 in a Durban downpour.
• France (10 times) and South Africa (eight times) are two of just three teams to have reached the quarter-finals in each edition of the Rugby World Cup that they have participated in (also New Zealand, 10).
• The total Test caps for the Springbok starting line-up is880.
• There are257 caps in the backline, with 623 caps among the forwards. On the bench there are a further359 caps.
• The average caps per player in the backline is37, the forwards 78, while the players on the bench average 45.