Predicted Springboks team: Will Rassie Erasmus welcome the ‘Bomb Squad’ back or stick to the ‘winning formula’?
Springboks captain Siya Kolisi, fly-half Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and head coach Rassie Erasmus.
The Springboks are back in South Africa for round five of the Rugby Championship and will clash with Argentina in Durban.
The defending champions return home after handing the All Blacks their biggest-ever defeat in their history, running in six tries in a comprehensive 43-10 victory in Wellington.
Springboks boss Rassie Erasmus is bound to make alterations to his squad after two starters, Lood de Jager and Aphelele Fassi, sustained injuries in the first half of the meeting with New Zealand.
It’s also rare to see the head coach sticking with the same matchday 23 for back-to-back weeks. So without further ado, here is our predicted team to tackle Los Pumas on the coast.
15 Damian Willemse
Erasmus said that Damian Willemse was a bit down on confidence, but those concerns have been completely wiped after his outrageous performance in Wellington. It was perhaps the 27-year-old’s best game in the Green and Gold jumper, which is saying something in itself, and while he started the match in the number 12 jersey, he played a large chunk of it at full-back.
He looks to be the frontrunner for the jersey following Fassi’s injury and the release of Willie le Roux. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu is another possibility, while one can never rule out a bold selection from Erasmus, which could see Cheslin Kolbe start in the number 15 jersey. Kolbe is easily one of, if not the best, wingers in world rugby, but is no stranger to the full-back role. He has started there just once for the Boks but has regularly played in the position for the likes of Toulouse, Toulon, the Stormers and Suntory throughout his career.
Still, Willemse looks to be the straightforward and most likely starting full-back, considering the injuries in the position, his performance last time out, and it allows for some continuity.
14 Cheslin Kolbe
Need we say more? An easy call. If he is fit and raring to go, surely he starts. Kolbe suffered a head knock last time out, and if he has recovered in time, he will almost certainly be tasked with causing havoc for the Argentine defence.
The Pumas have real threats out wide in the form of Mateo Carreras, Rodrigo Isgro and Bautista Delguy, and while Kolbe’s attacking prowess is always heralded, his defensive work is just as important, as is his brilliance under the high ball, which could well be crucial to limiting Argentina’s threats.
Erasmus is not short on options on the wing with Makazole Mapimpi in the squad, as too is Canan Moodie and Ethan Hooker, while the return to fitness of Edwill van der Merwe could also add further depth.
13 Canan Moodie
Again, there is no shortage of options in the number 13 jersey, and while the Boks have chopped and changed throughout 2025, surely Erasmus will be rewarding the performances in New Zealand.
It’s never easy to predict who will run out in the Green and Gold jersey on any given weekend, but Moodie surely has to feature in some shape or form. He could turn out on the wing as well, but we predict that he will retain the starting 13 jersey in an incredibly tough call between him and Jesse Kriel. The Springboks really can’t go wrong with either player turning out in the role, with Kriel’s standing in the squad clearly evident, having captained the team multiple times this year.
12 Damian de Allende
The injuries at full-back mean there will be an alteration in the midfield, and while Andre Esterhuizen would be more than deserving of a start against the Pumas, Damian de Allende’s return looks more likely.
His all-court game will be a massive boost against the world-class pairing of Santiago Chocobares and Lucio Cinti, who have been fantastic yet again for Los Pumas this campaign. De Allende starting ahead of Esterhuizen will allow the latter to feature off the bench again, having proved to be mightily effective in fulfilling that role in recent matches.
It would also allow the Boks to get another look at a De Allende-Moodie combination against world-class opposition, having only started once together previously against Georgia.
11 Ethan Hooker
Another selection rewarding the form in Wellington. Hooker was sublime in his first start for the Springboks and would be fully deserving of back-to-back inclusions in the starting XV. He offers the size in the wider channels and will be well aware of the tricky conditions that Durban produces.
While South Africa will be eager to back their attacking game once again, the conditions on the coast do make it more difficult to achieve and having a back who spent the entire season playing at Kings Park Stadium could make all the difference.
10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu
Three classy fly-half options to choose from, and Erasmus can’t really go wrong with any of them. Handre Pollard steered the ship right in Cape Town against Australia, and while he wasn’t as commanding at Eden Park, it was hardly a poor performance.
Meanwhile, Feinberg-Mngomezulu impressed off the bench in the first Test against the All Blacks but was forced off the pitch early in the second. Again, this is another selection that will likely be decided on fitness.
If not Pollard or Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Manie Libbok was sublime as the Springboks ripped through the All Blacks’ defence in ruthless fashion. He also impressed off the tee, usually the weak point in his game. We predict that Libbok will be included on the bench again, with Feinberg-Mngomezulu favoured in the starting lineup, but there is a possibility that both could be named in the run-on team, the latter at full-back.
9 Cobus Reinach
With four strong contenders in the squad for the scrum-half role, it is rather difficult to predict who Erasmus will turn to for the number nine jersey. Cobus Reinach and Grant Williams have been favoured in recent matches, but Morne van den Berg shone in the July internationals and hasn’t featured in the Rugby Championship yet due to a niggle sustained in training.
Faf de Klerk is also in the mix, and there is a real chance that the Boks could back the double World Cup winner and Van den Berg in the matchday 23 for the Durban showdown.
It is also entirely possible that the two number nines picked for the round five clash could be omitted in round six for the trip to Twickenham.
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8 Jasper Wiese
Back to his brutally effective best against the All Blacks, and was incredibly disciplined too. The Springboks certainly missed Jasper Wiese’s presence at the back of the scrum, and he is one of the most straightforward calls in the starting lineup.
Erasmus has rotated his squad to keep the players fresh and provide opportunities, but considering that Wiese has just come from his suspension, he will be more than capable of playing back-to-back matches.
7 Pieter-Steph du Toit
It’s an incredibly rare occurrence that Pieter-Steph du Toit does not start for the Springboks when fit, and we don’t expect that to change this week.
Not enough has been said about just how brilliant the 2024 World Rugby Player of the Year has been this season for the Springboks, despite not playing a single minute of club rugby for his Japanese club, Toyota Verblitz, in 2024/25. His work-rate has been of his usual standard – off the charts – while he has been a real force at lineout time too.
In the highly unlikely event that Du Toit does not start in the number seven jersey, the likes of Kwagga Smith and Marco van Staden could be drafted in to attack the Pumas’ breakdown. That would be a real risk considering Argentina’s lineout prowess.
Franco Mostert or Ruan Nortje could also slot into the blindside flanker role, providing a similar work rate around the park and lineout excellence.
6 Siya Kolisi
Another Springbok who was in stunning form in Wellington. There is a bit of a catch with Siya Kolisi featuring against Argentina as he edges ever closer to raising the bat and playing his 100th Test match for his country.
He is four caps away from his century, and the coaching staff has made no secret about getting players to special milestones on home soil. With seven matches left in the season, could Kolisi be left out for that reason, or will the Bok skipper celebrate his 100th during the November internationals? It is a bit of a conundrum, but on this occasion, perhaps Kolisi and the staff may have to just concede that the skipper will have to raise the bat outside of South Africa.
If they do opt to limit Kolisi’s involvement in a ploy for him to reach 100 on home soil, then Van Staden looks to be the easy call in the number six jersey. The Bulls’ loose forward has been in excellent form in the Springboks jumper all year. Smith is another player who Erasmus could turn to but he continues to produce his best outings off the bench.
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5 Ruan Nortje
With De Jager ruled out, the loosehead lock role will go to Ruan Nortje, RG Snyman or Mostert. Again, there isn’t really a wrong answer here.
Snyman was sublime after replacing De Jager early at Sky Stadium, while Mostert never lets the Boks down. However, we are predicting that Bulls captain Nortje will get the nod again. He rarely has a poor outing and is getting more and more comfortable at the highest level. With the lineout still showing frailties, maintaining some consistency in selection can go a long way in getting the set-piece firing again.
4 Eben Etzebeth
“You can’t play Eben every single game; the guy is going to burn out, and we still want him to play for a couple of years,” Duane Vermeulen told reporters ahead of the clash against the All Blacks in Wellington.
Having missed the comprehensive thrashing of New Zealand and a week off thereafter, Etzebeth is primed to make his return against Argentina and extend his record as the most-capped Springbok of all-time.
He is the only out-and-out tighthead lock in the squad, and while Snyman could fulfil that role too, Etzebeth looks a better fit for the starting role and will be tasked with pestering the likes of Gonzalo Garcia and the returning Tomas Albornoz when the duo are kicking.
3 Thomas du Toit
If it isn’t broken, why try to fix it? Thomas du Toit, Malcolm Marx and Ox Nche were outstanding as the starting trio for the Springboks in New Zealand and look set to be entrusted with continuing in that manner against Los Pumas.
Argentina’s scrum continues to struggle, and South Africa will target the set-piece as an area of the game where they can really turn the screws. There is an opportunity for Erasmus to provide opportunities against a weaker scrummaging outfit, but with the Rugby Championship on a knife-edge, it seems unlikely.
2 Malcolm Marx
Perhaps the Bok coaches could name this trio on the bench with those who featured in the second half in Wellington elevated to the starting XV. As mentioned repeatedly, it is tough to predict how Erasmus will select his team and even more so when one considers the lack of game-time Bongi Mbonambi has had in recent weeks.
Jan-Hendrik Wessels is yet to start a Test at hooker for South Africa. He has dovetailed between loosehead prop and hooker off the bench for the side and has been in excellent form, so throwing him into the mix against a fantastic lineout competing team could also be a route that the coaches consider.
1 Ox Nche
If he isn’t the form loosehead prop in the world right now, Ox Nche is certainly the best number one in the Rugby Championship. He has been dominant in the scrum and immaculate around the park, too.
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Replacements: 16 Marnus van der Merwe, 17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Grant Williams, 22 Manie Libbok, 23 Andre Esterhuizen
There are several members of the squad who are lacking game-time, which only muddies the predicted bench. Vincent Koch is yet to play in the Rugby Championship this year, while Mbonambi has just one cameo off the bench. Mostert missed both games in New Zealand, while Mapimpi, De Klerk and Van den Berg last played in July.
One can never write off a bold selection call from Erasmus, last time out being a blatant example of just that, but we believe he will be rewarding performances in New Zealand and stick with the winning formula, considering just how finely balanced the competition is.
There will also be the temptation to reintroduce the Bomb Squad against an abrasive and athletic Pumas’ pack, but in recent matches, South Africa have needed the additional backline players, which will be at the forefront of the coaches’ minds.
