Springboks team: Eben Etzebeth to break all-time record as Rassie Erasmus makes bold Manie Libbok call for Rugby Championship decider
Eben Etzbeth is set to become the most capped Springboks player of all-time in South Africa's Rugby Championship decider against Argentina.
Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus has named his matchday 23 for the Rugby Championship decider against Argentina in Nelspruit.
The match will not only decide who will win the tournament but will also mark a special occasion for lock Eben Etzebeth, who is set to become the most capped Springboks player of all-time having equalled Victor Matfield’s tally of 127 last time out.
For the clash, Erasmus has welcomed back several players who were rested for the clash in Argentina and remained in South Africa to prepare for the final Springboks home game of the year.
Etzebeth breaks Springboks record
After coming off the bench in round five of the tournament, Etzebeth returns to the starting XV alongside lock Ruan Nortje. In doing so he will earn his 128th Test cap, setting a new record as the most capped Springbok player of all time.
Etzebeth is joined by Manie Libbok and Jaden Hendrikse is being promoted to the starting XV from the defeat to Los Pumas in Argentina as Erasmus makes nine changes in total and one positional switch from last week’s encounter.
Six double Rugby World Cup winners have been added to the starting XV in Bongi Mbonambi, Frans Malherbe, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Cheslin Kolbe, Damian de Allende and Siya Kolisi, who resumes as captain. The changes mean that Erasmus named the same starting pack that defeated New Zealand 18-12 in Cape Town.
Aphelele Fassi is retained at full=back and starts in the back-three with Kolbe and Kurt-Lee Arendse. Jesse Kriel and De Allende are named as the starting centres and extend their record as the most-capped combination in the midfield to 34.
Cobus Reinach and Handre Pollard drop to the bench to accommodate Hendrikse and Libbok in the starting XV.
Kolisi skippers the side from the flanker where he features in the loose trio along with Jasper Wiese and the excellent Du Toit. The pack is completed with Etzebeth and Nortje in the second-row with Malherbe (tighthead), Mbonambi (hooker) and Ox Nche (loosehead) up front.
Erasmus has opted for a 5-3 split on the bench with Malcolm Marx backing up Mbonambi while Gerhard Steenekamp and Vincent Koch cover the props. Elrigh Louw and Kwagga Smith are named on the bench once again along with Pollard, Reinach and finally Lukhanyo Am.
Erasmus on his selections
“We planned to recall the players we rested last week because it allowed us to ensure that we have a group of core players who remained in the South African time zone and who would slot back into the team with ease,” said Erasmus.
“They will not only bring fresh legs and vast experience to the team, it also allows us to select a settled team that played most of the matches in the Castle Lager incoming series.
“The match-23 also includes 19 Rugby World Cup winners, which will bode well for the team, while the other players selected have performed under immense pressure in the competition this season and they all deserve their places in the squad.
“It’s going to be a massive challenge against an Argentinean team that has something special brewing in their set-up and who will give everything to win their first title in the competition, and we selected this team with that in mind.”
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Erasmus also reserved special praise for Etzebeth ahead of his milestone.
“As a former Springbok I can attest to what a massive achievement it will be for Eben to become the most capped Springbok ever,” he said.
“We are all very proud of him and want to make this a special and memorable occasion for him.
“If we can win the title and finish the competition off with a victory it would be a massive occasion for the team and Eben as an individual, and we’ll give everything to make this a special day for him.”
Libbok is promoted to the starting XV after missing a penalty kick that would have sealed the win in Argentina and Erasmus has backed his playmaker to thrive in Nelspruit.
“Manie’s general play is fantastic, and he brings a lot of energy and play-making abilities to the backline. He dictates play well, so we back Manie fully to do the job for us at fly-half,” he said.
“It’s not just up to him to find solutions for his goal-kicking, it is something we have to do as a team, and we are working on a plan.”
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Springboks team v Argentina:
South Africa: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche
Replacements: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 20 Elrigh Louw, 21 Kwagga Smith, 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Handre Pollard , 23 Lukhanyo Am
Date: Saturday, 28 September
Venue: Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit
Local kick-off: 17:00
GMT kick-off: 15:00
NZL kick-off: 3:00 (Sunday, 29 September)
AUS (AEST) kick-off: 1:05 (Sunday, 29 September)
RSA kick-off: 17:00
ARG kick-off: 12:00
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (NZ)
Assistant Referees: James Doleman (NZ), Craig Evans (Wal)
TMO: Glenn Newman (NZ)
READ MORE: Rugby Championship: What the Springboks and Argentina need in the final round to win the title
