Springboks team: Rassie Erasmus hands Ruan Nortje crucial role after Lood de Jager’s failed appeal while star back ruled out
Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus and banned second-row forward Lood de Jager.
Ruan Nortje will fill the void left by Lood de Jager and Franco Mostert after the Springboks named their side to take on Ireland in Dublin.
De Jager and Mostert were both sent-off over consecutive weekends against France and Italy respectively.
The former was banned and his subsequent appeal then failed according to Rapport, thus ruling him out of the encounter, while the latter had his red card rescinded, but he has not made the South Africa squad despite being available.
Nortje duly partners Eben Etzebeth at lock while RG Snyman is on the bench and will earn his 50th cap if he comes on.
Rassie Erasmus has largely restored the team that stunningly defeated France 32-17 almost two weeks’ ago, with the only major alteration being that of Nortje and the selection of Canan Moodie following Kurt-Lee Arendse’s concussion.
“The majority of this team were rested last week to ensure that they recover from the physically taxing match against France, and it was always our plan to name an experienced outfit against Ireland,” the Springboks head coach said.
“Most of these players have faced Ireland in Dublin, as well as in the 2023 Rugby World Cup, and Castle Lager Incoming Series, so they understand the magnitude of this challenge and what to expect from the hosts. So, we believe this is the right group of players for this match.”
Composition of the Springboks 23
Moodie partners Damian Willemse and Cheslin Kolbe in the back three while Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel form the centre partnership, and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Cobus Reinach are at half-back.
The back-row sees Jasper Wiese, Pieter-Steph du Toit and captain Siya Kolisi combine with the starting XV completed by a front-row of Boan Venter, Malcolm Marx and Thomas du Toit.
On the bench, South Africa have once again opted for the hybrid option as Andre Esterhuizen dons the 21 jersey, potentially giving them both a 6-2 or 5-3 split.
The out-and-out forwards are Johan Grobbelaar, Gerhard Steenekamp, Wilco Louw, Snyman and Kwagga Smith, with Grant Williams and Manie Libbok covering the backs.
On Snyman’s milestone, Erasmus said: “We are thrilled for RG and we’ll do everything we can to hopefully make this a special occasion for him. He’s a great player and team man, and had it not been for injuries along the way, he would have probably earned 50 caps a while ago. He deserves this achievement, and it speaks volumes about the quality of the player he is.”
The Springboks have so far defeated Japan, France and Italy this month, but Ireland will be another stern challenge for the tourists.
“Ireland have been among the top-ranked teams in the last few years, and they are a force to be reckoned with at home,” Erasmus added.
“They have a good balance of experienced and exciting young players in their squad, and they pose threats up-front and with their talented backs, so it’s going to require a massive effort to beat them.
“This group of players have never won a match in Ireland before, so we know how tough it’s going to be to win here, and that will certainly motivate us. It will take a colossal effort, but we are excited about the challenge, and we know that we have to be razor sharp in all departments to get the desired result.”
Springboks team to face Ireland
Springboks: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Canan Moodie, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Cheslin Kolbe, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Boan Venter
Replacements: 16 Johan Grobbelaar, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 RG Snyman 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Andre Esterhuizen, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Manie Libbok
Date: Saturday, November 22
Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Kick-off: 17:40 GMT (19:40 SAST)
Referee: Matthew Carley (RFU)
Assistant referees: Karl Dickson (RFU), Christophe Ridley (RFU)
TMO: Andrew Jackson (RFU)
FPRO: Dan Jones (RFU)
READ MORE: ‘I miss the Springboks’ – Jacques Nienaber addresses future beyond Leinster