Springboks team: Five takeaways including the ‘ace’ up Rassie Erasmus’ sleeve as Boks go ‘full-strength’ to end Dublin drought
Springboks Andre Esterhuizen and an inset of Rassie Erasmus.
Following the Springboks’ announcement of their 23-man matchday squad to take on Ireland in Dublin on Saturday, here are our five key takeaways from Rassie Erasmus’ selection.
The top line
As expected, Springboks boss Erasmus has named an almost full-strength team for this eagerly anticipated encounter with several of his first-choice players recalled to the starting line-up after last weekend’s hard-fought triumph over Italy in Turin.
Experienced captain Siya Kolisi, Boan Venter, Damian Willemse and Canan Moodie are the only survivors from the run-on side which did duty in their 32-14 triumph against the Azzurri.
Kolisi will form a formidable loose trio with fellow flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit and number eight Jasper Wiese, with Ruan Nortje and Eben Etzebeth combining in the second-row.
Meanwhile, loosehead prop Venter is joined in the front-row by experienced hooker Malcolm Marx while Thomas du Toit will pack down at tighthead.
In the backline, Moodie shifts from outside centre to the right wing – after Kurt-Lee Arendse was omitted due to concussion which will also keep him on the sidelines for the Boks’ final Autumn Nations Series Test with Wales – while Cheslin Kolbe lines up on the left wing and Willemse at full-back to complete the back three.
The old firm of Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel return to continue with their experienced midfield partnership, while Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Cobus Reinach are also back as the starting half-backs.
Johan Grobbelaar, Gerhard Steenekamp, Wilco Louw, RG Snyman and Kwagga Smith are the forwards amongst the replacements with Andre Esterhuizen providing a hybrid option alongside the backline duo of Grant Williams and Manie Libbok.
Momentous occasion for RG Snyman
Although most of his appearances at Test level have come off the replacements bench, the gargantuan second-row is a valuable member of the Springboks squad and on Saturday he will make his 50th appearance for the world champions.
Snyman made his Springboks debut against England in 2018 and despite two serious injuries to the same knee in 2020 and 2021, which kept him on the sidelines for a lengthy period at both club and international levels, he made a successful comeback and has cemented his place in the Boks’ matchday squad.
It will be a fitting occasion that the 30-year-old reaches this important achievement at the Aviva Stadium as he plays his club rugby for Irish heavyweights Leinster, who play several of their matches at the famous stadium.
And although there will be pleasantries exchanged with his Leinster clubmates on Saturday, the double World Cup winner would love nothing more than to walk off the pitch with a Springboks victory in the bag to celebrate his personal milestone.
Boks determined to end Dublin misery
Although the Springboks are firmly entrenched as the top-ranked side in World Rugby’s official rankings and are back-to-back Rugby World Cup champions, the elephant in the room ahead of Saturday’s showdown with Ireland is the visitors’ poor record in Dublin in recent years.
Since the turn of the century, these sides have faced off in Dublin on nine occasions, with the home side winning six of those Tests, and the Springboks have only been victorious on three occasions.
What makes matters worse is that the Boks’ last triumph on Irish soil was registered in 2012 when they clinched a hard-fought 16-12 victory under the guidance of former head coach Heyneke Meyer.
Saturday’s clash will be the fourth time since that result that South Africa take on Ireland in Dublin, with the hosts notching wins in all three previous clashes in 2014 (29-15), 2017 (38-3) and 2022 (19-16).
By selecting his strongest possible team for this weekend’s encounter, Erasmus has indicated that he is determined to end his side’s losing streak against the Irish in the city.
Third number five in as many games
For the third successive week, the world champions will head into a Test with a new number five in their starting line-up, and Nortje is the man who will be packing down alongside the experienced Etzebeth in the second-row at the Aviva Stadium.
This, after Lood de Jager and Franco Mostert wore the number five jersey in the victories over France and Italy, respectively but both players received red cards for illegal tackles.
De Jager has been suspended for four matches after receiving a red card for a shoulder-to-head tackle on Les Bleus full-back Thomas Ramos while Mostert’s red card for a hit on Azzurri fly-half Paolo Garbisi has been rescinded, although his services are deemed surplus to requirements for the Ireland Test with Nortje preferred for the starting role and Snyman offering lock cover from the bench.
Nortje’s selection is a deserved one though as he did brilliantly off the bench against France and Italy, bringing plenty of energy to the Boks’ cause when he entered the fray.
As expected, the 27-year-old shone in the execution of his lineout duties and although the Boks played with 14 men for long periods in each of the aforementioned Tests, Nortje also caught the eye with a high work-rate on attack and defence and he will be keen to continue in that vein from the kick off on Saturday.
Bomb Squad options
Under the guidance of Erasmus and his coaching team, the Boks have become trendsetters in the international arena, and their much vaunted Bomb Squad is sure to play a significant role in the outcome of this weekend’s encounter.
For this weekend’s Test, Erasmus has selected another strong bench with his options amongst the forwards set to make a big impact when they are introduced.
In Grobbelaar, Steenekamp and Louw, the Boks have a powerful front-row who could walk into most international teams, and what makes them so good as a unit is the fact that they all ply their trades at the Bulls as club players.
Meanwhile, the ace up Erasmus’ sleeve in recent Tests is Esterhuizen, who has emerged as a genuine hybrid player who is able to make a big impact amongst the forwards as well as the backs when he comes on.
The Sharks star brings an element of mystique to the Boks onslaught off the bench as he could come on and influence the game as a replacement back from the inside centre position but there is also a chance that he could come on amongst the forwards alongside Smith and Snyman as straight swaps for Nortje, Etzebeth and Kolisi and those changes could also give the Boks an edge, especially during the latter stages of this fixture.
