Springboks team: Winners and losers as ‘special milestones’ await Siya Kolisi and Rassie Erasmus against France
Springboks captain Siya Kolisi will make his 100th Test appearance on Saturday.
Following Rassie Erasmus’ team announcement for the Springboks’ fixture against France at the Stade de France this Saturday, we select our winners and losers.
Winners
Siya Kolisi
What an occasion it will be for the Springboks skipper as this mouth-watering 2023 Rugby World Cup quarter-final re-match coincides with his 100th appearance in the Green and Gold jersey. Kolisi made his Test bow against Scotland in Nelspruit in 2013 and will become only the ninth Springbok centurion in the history of the game.
As if this meeting required any added importance for Kolisi and his team-mates, no doubt his colleagues will be desperate to help make it a special milestone for him.
Rassie Erasmus
Speaking of milestones, Erasmus, like his captain, also has a moment to savour ahead of kick off as this will be his 50th Test in charge of the Springboks. What a career at the helm it has been to date for the former Springbok flank, who has secured two Rugby World Cups and has a win record currently standing at 73.4 per cent.
The master tactician will of course want to increase that number this weekend, as anything but a victory is looked upon harshly by the head coach and Bok supporters.
Boan Venter
Picking up just his sixth cap this week, prop Venter comes in for the injured Ox Nche and will be delighted to have been given the nod ahead of Gerhard Steenekamp.
His impressive form for Edinburgh has seen him catapulted into the international arena, and with the injury to Nche and Jan-Hendrik Wessels being suspended, the door has been flung open to Venter to impress against a formidable opponent in the white hot atmosphere of the Stade de France. He will relish this serious opportunity.
Damian Willemse
Missed last week’s game against Japan due to a hamstring injury but is straight back into the fold at full-back now that he is fit and available in a significant boost.
Willemse is a special talent, able to cover several positions across the backline, and his return at number 15 allows Cheslin Kolbe to revert to his usual 14 position.
Andre Esterhuizen
It’s quite a show of faith once again from Erasmus to Esterhuizen, arguably even more so as the centre is the only recognised back-row (albeit hybrid) on the bench.
Last week there was Kwagga Smith riding the pine alongside him but against France, Esterhuizen is all on his own, which is a bold call from the Springboks and shows how confident they are in the centre by trade of doing a top job when called upon. It seems Erasmus has confidence in his starting back-row going deep with Esterhuizen as his back-up.
Losers
Ethan Hooker
Misses out entirely this week after featuring off the bench against Japan and impressing prior to that in the Rugby Championship to help his team to the 2025 title.
While he is probably disappointed to drop out, Kolbe and Kurt-Lee Arendse remain the go-to wing options as he ultimately loses out to Manie Libbok on the bench.
Handre Pollard
Still no involvement for the two-time World Cup winner in a 23 on the northern hemisphere tour as Erasmus continues with Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Libbok.
Minutes will no doubt come further into the tour and while he is seen as Mr Reliable, it’s understandable that on form Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Libbok are selected.
Franco Mostert
It was always expected that Pieter-Steph du Toit would come straight into the Boks’ starting side on the flank for this blockbuster encounter and so it has turned out.
That sees Mostert miss out. He might have expected a bench role but he ultimately misses out to Esterhuizen, whose stock continues to rise as a hybrid option.
Kwagga Smith
The outstanding bench option is “carrying a niggle” and subsequently sits out the France fixture which is a setback for the Springboks due to the impact he provides.
Smith will therefore be watching from the stands this week and be keen to return to the fold for South Africa’s following match against Italy in Turin.
Zachary Porthen
The youngest Springbok debutant in the professional era takes a week’s break and rightly so, as Erasmus has talent and experience aplenty in the tighthead department.
In comes Thomas du Toit as a starter while Wilco Louw is a hulking option off the bench. A loser in terms of selection but Porthen is a winner learning from this pair.
