Dozens of fraudsters have sprung up on Instagram, Facebook and other platforms using genuine Springbok imagery and “credible” shop names to cash in on Springbok rugby fever.

There is only one official online Springbok store, with access to official clothing and licensed supporter items and where orders and deliveries are guaranteed. It is located at the official SA Rugby online store.

SA RUGBY HITS OUT AT SCAMMERS!

“There has been a worrying proliferation of online stores on social media channels, preying on fans’ trust and their eagerness for Bok supporter wear,” said Rian Oberholzer, CEO of SA Rugby.

“They cut-and-paste genuine marketing material from our apparel partner Nike and our own online store to pass themselves off as official – offering discounted prices.

“We are issuing an urgent ‘buyer beware’ warning to fans to not fall for online fraudsters but to go to the official online store so as not to be fall victim to online scam artists.”

HAVE YOU BEEN DUPED BY FAKE ONLINE STORES?

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First up, the Springboks will play New Zealand in Johannesburg this weekend before a ‘rematch’ in Cape Town on 7 September.

It will effectively also see a clash between two of the most highly-regarded coaches in the game, Rassie Erasmus and Scott Robertson.

Both coaches have great respect for each other, and are known for their unique personalities, with Robertson fondly renowned as a celebratory breakdancer with the Crusaders.

During a press conference this week, the All Blacks coach was reminded that perhaps the one thing that Erasmus can’t do, is breakdance. Responding with a smile and a chuckle, he commented: “That’s a good point. We’ll have to see what rhythm he’s got.”

On a more serious note, though, he said there was no doubt that Rassie had set a ‘benchmark’ as a coach.

“We shared a few beers and a few stories after the games over the years. We just have a good little rapport that you’re sort of connected in,” Robertson told reporters on Thursday.

“You watch players go into their coaching after they’ve played and you look to his journey and how he’s got to where he’s got to where he’s got, it’s a pretty remarkable story isn’t it? He won a couple of World Cups… he’s got seven forwards on the bench and it’s awesome.

“He’s one of the benchmarks, yeah, for sure,” he added. “You have all that success, you’ve got to respect that.”

Rassie’s reputation precedes him

Looking ahead to the upcoming blockbuster clashes, Robertson has opened up about what he was expecting.

“They’ve got a clear DNA, South Africa,” Robertson said in assessing his next opponents. “They’ve been pretty innovative and have evolved really well in the last few games, so that’s the exciting part.

“You get to see enough of them in Test footy and you see how [Erasmus’] mind works. He’s pretty special. They’ve got a great group there, so they’re going to be a great Test matches.”

The All Blacks will be touring South Africa for just the third time since Erasmus took charge of the Boks in 2018.

“They’re just a different challenge,” Robertson added. “They’re set-piece orientated, but can get you in some great kick battles and put pressure [on you] in different ways. It’s a little bit different to [playing in] Lautoka [in Fiji] or playing at Suncorp.

“[There’s the] Highveld, there’s conditions, there’s all those factors that come with it. You do miss it, because it’s a different challenge, but it’s an exciting one.”

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP OFFICIALS

Plumtree has brought in some of his players currently in Vodacom United Rugby Championship preseason training, as well as selecting new signings Ruan Dreyer at prop, Emmanuel Tshituka at flank and Jordan Hendrikse at fullback.

Nick Hatton leads as John Plumtree takes Sharks helm

Nick Hatton continues in his role as captain, leading the side as he has so well all season.

He will call on the experience of players both in the starting lineup and off the bench, certainly the return of wing Makazole Mapimpi from the Springboks is a big boost, as are the likes of young Ethan Hooker, James Venter, Fez Mbatha, Dylan Richardson and Vincent Tshituka.

The Hollywoodbets Sharks are back at Hollywoodbets Kings Park for the final two rounds of the Carling Currie Cup competition, hosting the NovaVit Griffons on Saturday in the penultimate pool match.

With six players absent through injury the depth of the Sharks squad will be on display in Durban.

The Sharks are third on the overall log and second in the group heading towards the final two rounds of action. The heat will be on the Durban side with competition for playoff places really heating up. The Pumas remain hot on the heels of the Sharks.

As things stand the Griffons are well out of contention for a semi-final place but would love to cause problems for the Sharks on their own patch.

Saturday’s match at Hollywoodbets Kings Park kicks off at 13:00.

The Hollywoodbets Sharks XV

1.    Braam Reynecke
2.    Fez Mbatha
3.    Ruan Dreyer
4.    Corne’ Rahl
5.    Reniel Hugo
6.    James Venter
7.    Emmanuel Tshituka
8.    Nick Hatton (C)
9.    Bradley Davids
10.    Lionel Cronje
11.    Makazole Mapimpi
12.    Francois Venter
13.    Ethan Hooker
14.    Eduan Keyter
15.    Jordan Hendrikse
            
Replacements
16.    Dylan Richardson
17.    Dian Bleuler
18.    Hanro Jacobs
19.    Emile van Heerden
20.    Vincent Tshituka
21.    Tian Meyer
22.    Siya Masuku
23.    Litelihle Bester

Players not available for selection due to injury:

Diego Apollis
Ethan Bester
Chris Horak
Jannes Potgieter
IG Prinsloo
Hakeem Kunene

Who will win the Currie Cup?

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When Etzebeth comes on, it will mark his 125^th in the green and gold jersey, which will see him leapfrog Bryan Habana as the second most capped Springbok of all time and take one step closer to Victor Matfield’s Springbok Test record of 127 caps.

At the other end of the spectrum, Ben-Jason Dixon will feature in just his fourth Test at flank, and he highlighted how inspirational it was to have Etzebeth back in the squad.

“What stood out for me the first time I chatted to Eben was the way he got himself up for games and his competitiveness and desire to win,” said Dixon.

“The more experience he gets, the hungrier he gets to win, and he wears his heart on his sleeve in the way he plays, so I definitely feed off that energy as a player. Having him in the squad simplifies my job a little bit too.”

Etzebeth’s presence will be a major boost for the Springboks

The Springboks wrapped up their main on-field preparations for the match on Wednesday and will have Thursday off to rest before their traditional captains run on Friday.

This Saturday’s match kicks off at 17:00 and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.

Meanwhile, Rassie Erasmus released four players – Steven Kitshoff (prop), Manie Libbok (flyhalf), Canan Moodie and Makazole Mapimpi (both wings) – to their provincial unions on Wednesday afternoon to get game time in the Carling Currie Cup this weekend.

MATCH INFORMATION

Springboks (updated) – 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche.
Subs: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Eben Etzebeth, 20 Elrigh Louw, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Handre Pollard.

New Zealand: 15 Beauden Barrett, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Damian McKenzie, 9 TJ Perenara, 8 Ardie Savea, 7 Sam Cane, 6 Ethan Blackadder, 5 Tupou Vaa’i, 4 Scott Barrett (captain), 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Tamaiti Williams.
Replacements: 16 Asafo Aumua, 17 Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Sam Darry, 20 Samipeni Finau, 21 Cortez Ratima, 22 Anton Lienert-Brown, 23 Mark Tele’a.

Date: Saturday, August 31
Venue: Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 17.00 (15.00 GMT; 03.00 NZST Sunday, September 1)
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
Assistant Referees: Matthew Carley (England) and Jordan Way (Australia)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (Ireland)

Stats and facts:

Springbok record against New Zealand:
Played: 106, Won: 40. Lost: 62, Drawn: 4. Points for: 1 741; Points against: 2 196; Tries scored: 168; Tries conceded: 240. Win %: 37.7%

The Springboks announced their star-studded lineup for this Test on Tuesday, while the All Blacks named their team on Thursday morning.

The Springboks have since changed their team, with the inclusion of Eben Etzebeth on the bench after he overcame an injury scare, while the big talking point from the All Blacks team is the selection of Sam Cane in the starting XV.

Speaking on New Zealand’s most prominent rugby talk show, The Breakdown, a visibly annoyed Kirwan hit out at the strength of South Africa’s bench, saying he is going to boo at the television when the Springboks introduce their substitutes against the All Blacks.

WATCH: KIRWAN SLAMS SPRINGBOK BOMB SQUAD

TEAMS

SPRINGBOKS: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche.
Subs: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Eben Etzebeth, 20 Elrigh Louw, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Handre Pollard.

ALL BLACKS — 15 Beauden Barrett, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Damian McKenzie, 9 TJ Perenara, 8 Ardie Savea, 7 Sam Cane, 6 Ethan Blackadder, 5 Tupou Vaa’i, 4 Scott Barrett (captain), 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Tamaiti Williams.
Subs: 16 Asafo Aumua, 17 Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Sam Darry, 20 Samipeni Finau, 21 Cortez Ratima, 22 Anton Lienert-Brown, 23 Mark Tele’a.

WILL THE SPRINGBOKS BEAT THE ALL BLACKS ON SATURDAY?

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According to coach Rassie Erasmus, after Etzebeth completed all the training sessions earlier this week and was drafted onto the replacements bench for the Rugby Championship encounter.

Kick-off is at 17:00.

Could pass Bryan Habana

Etzebeth replaced Marco van Staden on the bench, which offers the team specialist lock cover for the starting combination of Pieter-Steph du Toit and Ruan Nortje.

Should he get game time, the Test will mark Etzebeth’s 125th in the green and gold jersey, which will see him leapfrog Bryan Habana as the second most capped Springbok of all time and take one step closer to Victor Matfield’s Springbok Test record of 127 caps.

“Our selection policy has always been that if a player does not train on a Monday he will not play on Saturday, but Eben has made it through training pain-free all week, so we had to make the tough call to name him in the squad at the expense of Marco,” said Erasmus.

“There were back-up options for us at lock in the initial squad, but with Eben on the bench it means we have another specialist in that position in the team.

“We are blessed to have an expanded squad of about 45 players who have all bought into our plans and who understand what’s best for the team, and it’s admirable how Marco accepted the news. It shows the quality of the player and person he is.”

Leading South African bookmakers Hollywoodbets were quick to react to the news of Etzebeth’s late inclusion – as well as the naming of the All Blacks matchday squad on Thursday.

The Springboks are now 7/20 favourites for the match, while the All Blacks can be backed at 24/10.

The draw after 80 minutes is on offer at 20/1.

In terms of handicap, the Springboks are seen to be 7.5-point favourites.

TEAMS

South Africa

15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche

Substitutes: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Eben Etzebeth, 20 Elrigh Louw, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Handre Pollard

New Zealand

15 Beauden Barrett, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Damian McKenzie, 9 TJ Perenara, 8 Ardie Savea, 7 Sam Cane, 6 Ethan Blackadder, 5 Tupou Vaa’i, 4 Scott Barrett (captain), 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Tamaiti Williams

Substitutes: 16 Asafo Aumua, 17 Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Sam Darry, 20 Samipeni Finau, 21 Cortez Ratima, 22 Anton Lienert-Brown, 23 Mark Tele’a

What will happen this weekend?

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You can also follow @TheSAnews on X and The South African on Facebook for the latest Springbok news.

From a South African perspective, the good news is that the Springboks are very well placed on the current standings, having claimed back-to-back bonus-point victories over Australia to start their campaign.

The Springboks are five points clear of New Zealand at the top of the standings, with a superior points differential of 20.

It really means that only a massive All Blacks victory this weekend could displace the Springboks from top spot, but the hosts will of course be targeting a result that could put them into a position of even more ascendancy as they look to secure an elusive Rugby Championship title.

Here is where the Springboks sit on the Rugby Championship log

Meanwhile, the Springboks are also well-placed in the World Rugby rankings.

A victory by 15 points or fewer for the Springboks will see their points tally grow by 0.26 points. Similarly, a defeat by that margin will see New Zealand’s points total drop by 0.26 points.

A win by 16 or more points for the Springboks will see them gain 0.39 points – and the All Blacks lose a similar tally.

A draw would see South Africa lose 0.74 points, but stay top, while in such a scenario the All Blacks would pick up 0.74 points, but stay third.

However, a win for New Zealand by 15 or fewer points would see them pick up 1.74 points (and the Springboks lose 1 points), and move to eighth place, with the Springboks dropping to second spot.

A victory by 16 or more points for the All Blacks would see them pick up 2.74 points, but again keep them in third place. The Springboks would again slip to second spot.

TOP 20 IN THE LATEST WORLD RUGBY RANKINGS

The match kicks off at 17:00 on Saturday and will be broadcast live on SuperSport, with the broadcast build up beginning at 16:00.

The Springboks have been boosted by the availability of Eben Etzebeth for this clash, while the All Blacks have also been bolstered as Scott Barrett returns to captain a side that also sees Sam Cane named at openside in what will be his first start since the Rugby World Cup final.

HOW THE SPRINGBOKS AND ALL BLACKS WILL LINE UP

Springboks (updated) – 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche.
Subs: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Eben Etzebeth, 20 Elrigh Louw, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Handre Pollard.

New Zealand: 15 Beauden Barrett, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Damian McKenzie, 9 TJ Perenara, 8 Ardie Savea, 7 Sam Cane, 6 Ethan Blackadder, 5 Tupou Vaa’i, 4 Scott Barrett (captain), 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Tamaiti Williams.
Replacements: 16 Asafo Aumua, 17 Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Sam Darry, 20 Samipeni Finau, 21 Cortez Ratima, 22 Anton Lienert-Brown, 23 Mark Tele’a.

Date: Saturday, August 31
Venue: Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 17.00 (15.00 GMT; 03.00 NZST Sunday, September 1)
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)
Assistant Referees: Matthew Carley (England) and Jordan Way (Australia)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (Ireland)

Stats and facts:

Springbok record against New Zealand:
Played: 106, Won: 40. Lost: 62, Drawn: 4. Points for: 1 741; Points against: 2 196; Tries scored: 168; Tries conceded: 240. Win %: 37.7%

Miscellaneous:

• Frans Malherbe will extend his number of starts at tighthead prop to 61 Tests, trailing only Tendai Mtawarira (102) and Os du Randt (75).
• The centre pairing of Jesse Kriel and Damian de Allende will extend their record of playing the most Test matches together in the midfield to 32 (the previous record was held by Jean de Villiers and Jaque Fourie with 29 Tests).
• Handre Pollard needs one conversion to become only the third Springbok to kick 100 two-pointers after Morne Steyn (102) and Percy Montgomery (153).
• Handre Pollard needs nine points to overtake Morne Steyn (742 points) and move into second place on the Springbok all-time scorers’ list. Percy Montgomery leads with 893 points.
• Should Malcolm Marx score a try he will move to 20 and into tenth equal place on the all-time Springbok try-scoring list with James Small. He is already the leading Springbok forward try scorer.
• Cheslin Kolbe needs four points to reach 100 points in Tests for South Africa.
• Should Kwagga Smith take the field, he will need only four more Test caps to join the club of Springboks with 50 Test caps.
• The total Test caps for the Springbok starting line-up is 632.
• There are 255 caps in the backline, with 377 caps among the forwards. On the bench there are a further 286 caps.
• The average caps per player in the backline is 36, the forwards 47, while the players on the bench average 35.

Arendse was among those most lauded on the night.

Kurt-Lee Arendse dominates awards ceremony

The evening was graced by more than 600 guests that make up the Vodacom Bulls, Vodacom Bulls Juniors and Bulls Daisies family as well as other stakeholders to the Blue Bulls Company (BBCo) coming together to celebrate rugby excellence.

“Once a year, we take time to pause and take stock of how well our athletes have done and this year is particularly special because we celebrate our teams as a collective for carrying the badge with pride and excellence,” says Chief Executive of the BBCo, Edgar Rathbone.

“Our ladies have gone on to achieve a remarkable feat in being crowned back-to-back champions as they define what professional women’s rugby looks like in South Africa, whilst the senior men have made us all proud with Grand Final and Quarterfinal appearances in the European-based competitions.

“The junior system continues to be the best in the country, producing quality rugby players who have featured for the Junior Springboks and also outstanding graduates who feature prominently in our senior teams,”

“Congratulations to all the winners and their teammates because they all have done themselves and everyone under this franchise proud.”

Springboks honoured

Firstly, Springbok duo, Arendse and Cilliers walked away with three awards each on the night. The latter, who enjoyed a stellar season with the Daisies, set the record for the most points scored in the SA Rugby Women’s Premier Division, walked away the backline Player of the Year and the amalgamated MVP and player of the year award brought to you by GP Consult. Meanwhile, the former walked away with the Investec Champions Cup Players Player of the Year, the Vodacom United Rugby Championship Player of the Year and the Senior MVP award, brought to you by Vodacom.

Secondly, Vainah Ubisi walked away with the Daisies Forward Player of the Year with her teammate and sprint queen, Patience Mokone taking the team’s Player’s Player of the Year crown.

In the Investec Champions Cup, David Kriel was also voted as the best Backline Player of the Year. Kriel also won a second, the Team Man of the Year award, which he shared with Gerhard Steenekamp. Wilco Louw was also crowned as the Forward of the Year whilst Embrose Papier walked away with Players Player of the Year in the category.

URC

In the Vodacom United Rugby Championship category, Johan Goosen then took the Backline Player of the Year prize with Elrigh Louw etching his name of the Forward of the Year trophy. Cameron Hanekom was then voted as the Players Player of the Year with Arendse the tournament’s Player of the Year.

The under-21s saw Philip-Albert van Niekerk walking away with the Backline Player of the Year award whilst recent graduate, Juann Else took the Forward of the Year prize. Earlier, Neels Volschenk was voted for, by his teammates, as the Player of the Year.

Later in the special awards category, Bandise Maku was celebrated for his outstanding work off the field as the Brightrock Employee of the Year winner. Meanwhile, Cameron Hanekom bagged his second award of the evening, walking away with the Newcomer of the Year award whilst Merwe Olivier was celebrated as the Junior MVP of the Year, to round off a wonderful evening of celebration.

FULL AWARDS WINNERS

Under 21 (2023 season)

Back of the year: Philip-Albert van Niekerk

Forward of the year: Juann Else

Players player of the year: Neels Volschenk

** celebrated in 2024 due to the competition season schedule

Bulls Daisies

Back of the Year: Jackie Cilliers

Forward of the Year: Vainah Ubisi

Players player of the Year: Patience Mokone

Investec Champions Cup

                Back of the Year: David Kriel

                Forward of the Year: Wilco Louw

                Players player of the Year: Kurt-Lee Arendse

                Player of the Year: Embrose Papier

Vodacom United Rugby Championship

                Back of the Year: Johan Goosen

                Forward of the Year: Elrigh Louw

                Players player of the Year: Cameron Hannekom

                Player of the Year: Kurt-Lee Arendse

Special awards

Employee of the Year (Brightrock): Bandise Maku

Newcomer of the Year: Cameron Hanekom

Team man of the Year: David Kriel and Gerhard Steenekamp

Bulls Daisies MVP and Player of the Year (GP Consult): Jackie Cilliers

Junior MVP (Afgri): Merwe Olivier

Senior MVP (Vodacom): Kurt-Lee Arendse

Is Kurt-Lee Arendse the Bulls biggest star?

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All Blacks won on last visit to Ellis Park

Cane was named at openside flank for the Test at Ellis Park on Saturday, his first start for New Zealand since he was shown a red card in the Rugby World Cup final defeat to the Springboks last October.

“Sam has been incredible off the field for us. It’s an opportunity for him to be that Test veteran we need with that experience and calmness,” All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson told reporters.

The 32-year-old Cane replaces Dalton Papali’i, who is sidelined by a thumb injury.

Barrett will captain the All Blacks having missed the two recent home Tests against Argentina with a finger injury.

New Zealand won on their last visit to Ellis Park when flyhalf Richie Mo’unga kicked 15 points to seal a 35-23 win in 2022.

“Ellis Park is an iconic ground, with the whole experience you want as many players as you can who have experienced it before,” Robertson said.

“There will be some tough moments out there. They know what it takes.”

South Africa and New Zealand will meet again in Cape Town on September 7.

South Africa lead the championship table after back-to-back wins over the Wallabies in Australia.

New Zealand are second following a win and a defeat in their home Tests against Argentina.

South Africa have included fit-again Eben Etzebeth on the bench as a late call-up. The veteran lock had initially been left out of the matchday squad with a minor back injury.

Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus says double World Cup winner Etzebeth has recovered fully and will provide cover off the bench at lock.

Flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit will start in the second row for South Africa due to an injury crisis in that position.

Kick-off is at 17:00.

TEAMS

South Africa

15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche

Substitutes: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Eben Etzebeth, 20 Elrigh Louw, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Handre Pollard

New Zealand

15 Beauden Barrett, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Caleb Clarke, 10 Damian McKenzie, 9 TJ Perenara, 8 Ardie Savea, 7 Sam Cane, 6 Ethan Blackadder, 5 Tupou Vaa’i, 4 Scott Barrett (captain), 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Tamaiti Williams

Substitutes: 16 Asafo Aumua, 17 Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Sam Darry, 20 Samipeni Finau, 21 Cortez Ratima, 22 Anton Lienert-Brown, 23 Mark Tele’a

What will happen this weekend?

Let us know by clicking on the comment tab below this article or by emailing info@thesouthafrican.com or sending a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1

You can also follow @TheSAnews on X and The South African on Facebook for the latest Springbok news.

The first Test between the two proud nations took place on 13 August 1921 when the All Blacks triumphed 13-5 at Carisbrook in Dunedin, New Zealand.

The most recent clash between the two sides took place in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final when the Springboks snuck a 12-11 win at the Stade de France in Paris to lift the Webb Ellis Cup for a record fourth occasion.

All told, the All Blacks enjoy a 60-42 win advantage, while four Tests have ended in stalemates.

When did the Springboks and All Blacks draw?

It’s those four Tests where no winner could be found that we’re most interested in.

Here’s when they took place …

The first draw took place on 17 September 1921 in what was just the third Test between the two sides at Athletic Park in Wellington.

The match finished 0-0.

Eighthman Boy Morkel captained South Africa that day.

The second draw took place on 13 August 1960 when the sides played to a 11-11 stalemate after 80 minutes at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein.

Lock Avril Malan skipped the Springboks that day and their points came via a try by flyhalf Keith Oxlee and a conversion and two penalties by scrumhalf Dick Lockyear.

The third draw took place on 6 August 1994 at Eden Park in Auckland.

The match finished 18-all.

Flank Francois Pienaar captained the Springboks that day and their points came via a try by centre Brendan Venter and a try, conversion and two penalties by wing Gavin Johnson.

The fourth and final draw came on 27 July 2019, once again in Wellington, but this time at the WestPac Stadium.

Eighthman that day, Duane Vermeulen, skipped the side to a 16-16 draw.

The Springboks’ points came via a try by reserve scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies and a conversion and three penalties by flyhalf Handre Pollard.

Do you remember any of those matches?

What will happen this weekend?

Let us know by clicking on the comment tab below this article or by emailing info@thesouthafrican.com or sending a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1

You can also follow @TheSAnews on X and The South African on Facebook for the latest Springbok news.

Kick-off is at 17:00.

The match is the first in back-to-back Rugby Championship Tests between the two bitter rivals.

Saturday’s match is the 107th of all time between the two nations.

Heading into the clash, the All Blacks have won 62, lost 40, while four matches have ended in draws.

Springboks and All Blacks have played 15 times at Ellis Park

The sides have met 15 times previously at Ellis Park, with the Springboks winning nine of those matches, while the All Blacks have emerged victorious on six occasions.

Incidentally, the sides have also played twice at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, with the All Blacks winning both of those fixtures.

So, which milestones or ‘records’ could be achieved this weekend?

Handre Pollard, who will start on the bench, needs just one conversion to become only the third Springbok to land 100 two-pointers after Morne Steyn (102) and Percy Montgomery (153).

Pollard also needs just nine points to overtake Morne Steyn (742 points) and move into second place on the Springbok all-time points scorers’ list behind Montgomery who leads the way with 893 points.

Should Malcolm Marx score a try he will move to 20 and into a tie for 10th place in the all-time Springbok try scorers list, equal with the late James Small. Marx is the leading Springbok forward try scorer.

Cheslin Kolbe needs just four points to reach 100 points in Tests for South Africa. Kolbe’s 96 points to date have come via 15 ties, three conversions and five penalties.

Finally, should he come off the bench, Eben Etzebeth will move out of a tie with Bryan Habana (124) in the all-time Tests played list and into sole possession of second place, just two behind Victor Matfield (127).

TEAMS

South Africa (revised)

15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche

Substitutes: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Eben Etzebeth, 20 Elrigh Louw, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Handre Pollard

New Zealand

TBA

Habana dotted down 67 times in his 124 Tests for South Africa.

That number is well ahead of the 38 tries scored by the late Joost van der Westhuizen.

The leading active player is Makazole Mapimpi (fourth place) with 30 tries in his 44 Tests, but he’s closer to the end rather than the start of his international career.

The leading try scorer among the forwards is hooker Malcolm Marx with 19 in 69 Tests.

He’s currently tied with Danie Gerber and Stefan Terblanche and needs just one more five-pointer to tie the late James Small.

Second among the forwards is Schalk Burger jnr with 16 (86 Tests), while Bongi Mbonambi rounds out the ‘podium’ with 14 tries in 72 Tests.

SPRINGBOK FORWARDS WITH 10 TEST TRIES OR MORE

* denotes still active

Despite not being named in the original squad, it was subsequently confirmed that he had been cleared to face New Zealand, and on Wednesday he was named on the bench in place of Marco van Staden.

It was of course an understandable late inclusion, but ever since Erasmus has been at the helm of the Springboks, there has been a clear selection policy in place – and which had to be factored in this week.

Internally, the coaches reveal the team selected to the players on a Sunday, and if someone is unable to train on a Monday, it immediately renders them unavailable.

This initially seemed to be the case with Etzebeth, but it was then confirmed that he was actually able train flat out on Monday, clearing him for selection after passing subsequent fitness tests.

“Our selection policy has always been that if a player does not train on a Monday he will not play on Saturday, but Eben has made it through training pain-free all week, so we had to make the tough call to name him in the squad at the expense of Marco,” Erasmus explained.

“There were back-up options for us at lock in the initial squad, but with Eben on the bench it means we have another specialist in that position in the team.

“We are blessed to have an expanded squad of about 45 players who have all bought into our plans and who understand what’s best for the team, and it’s admirable how Marco accepted the news. It shows the quality of the player and person he is.”

Should he get game time, the Test will mark Etzebeth’s 125^th in the green and gold jersey, which will see him leapfrog Bryan Habana as the second most capped Springbok of all time and take one step closer to Victor Matfield’s Springbok Test record of 127 caps.

Eben Etzebeth is back in a revised Springbok team named by Rassie on Wednesday

Springboks (updated) – 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche.
Subs: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Eben Etzebeth, 20 Elrigh Louw, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Handre Pollard.

Stats and facts:

Springbok record against New Zealand:
Played: 106, Won: 40. Lost: 62, Drawn: 4. Points for: 1 741; Points against: 2 196; Tries scored: 168; Tries conceded: 240. Win %: 37.7%

Meanwhile, Erasmus released four players – Steven Kitshoff (prop), Manie Libbok (flyhalf), Canan Moodie and Makazole Mapimpi (both wings) – to their provincial unions on Wednesday afternoon to get game time in the Carling Currie Cup this weekend.

The 23-year-old, who has won 42 caps on the wing for Wales, has been training with the two-time Super Bowl winners for the last couple of months since taking part in a 10-week training camp as part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway (IPP).

Louis Rees-Zammit allowed to sign with another team

During the pre-season games in August, Rees-Zammit was used sparingly in several positions, with modest statistics (22 yards in six carries, three yards on one reception), according to the American press.

Louis Rees-Zammit is expected to continue training with the Chiefs although he is also allowed to sign for another club.

Rees-Zammit stunned the rugby world in January, on the eve of the Six Nations, when he announced that he was giving up the game to pursue his dream of playing in the NFL.

Winners of three of the last five Superbowls, the star-studded Chiefs – Patrick Mahomes is at quarterback while Taylor Swift’s boyfriend Travis Kelce plays tight-end – kick off their season at their Arrowhead stadium on September 6 against the Baltimore Ravens.

Etzebeth, who was initially excluded from the Springboks’ match-23 for the first of two Tests against the All Blacks due to an injury concern earlier in the week, has returned to fitness and thus earned selection into the match 23.

He replaces Marco van Staden on the Springboks’ bench, which offers the team specialist lock cover for the starting combination of Pieter-Steph du Toit and Ruan Nortje.

Should he get game time against the All Blacks this weekend, the Test will mark Etzebeth’s 125^th in the green and gold jersey, which will see him leapfrog Bryan Habana as the second most capped Springbok of all time and take one step closer to Victor Matfield’s Springbok Test record of 127 caps.

WHEN WILL EBEN BE STANDALONE MOST CAPPED SPRINGBOK?

As things stand, Etzebeth needs three Test appearances to equal Matfield’s record of 127 caps and four to break that record.

The Springboks have four games remaining in the Rugby Championship, two each against the All Blacks and Argentina. Three of those will be on home soil and one away in Argentina.

If he stays fit and earns selection in every one of those games, it means Etzebeth will sit on 126 Test caps after the series against the All Blacks.

He will equal Matfield’s record in the Springboks’ clash against Los Pumas in the city of Santiago del Estero in on 21 September and then break the record to stand alone as the most capped Bok of all time in the return game against Los Pumas in Mbombela on Saturday, 28 September.

IF HE BREAKS THE TEST RECORD, WILL EBEN BE THE GREATEST BOK OF ALL TIME?

Let us know by clicking on the comment tab below this Springbok article or by emailing info@thesouthafrican.com or sending a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1.

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After initially having been excluded from the Springbok 23-man squad announced for the Rugby Championship showdown in Johannesburg, it was confirmed on Wednesday that the 32-year-old second rower will start on the substitutes’ bench after all.

Kick-off is at 17:00.

Etzebeth and Habana currently both have 124th Test appearances in the green and gold.

Lock Victor Matfield holds the record for Springbok Test caps with 127.

Etzebeth wasn’t originally included in Rassie Erasmus’s matchday squad for the first Test against New Zealand after struggling with both back and knee injuries.

However, in announcing the change, Erasmus said: “Our selection policy has always been that if a player does not train on a Monday he will not play on Saturday, but Eben has made it through training pain-free all week, so we had to make the tough call to name him in the squad at the expense of Marco (van Staden).

“There were back-up options for us at lock in the initial squad, but with Eben on the bench it means we have another specialist in that position in the team.”

Eben Etzebeth has time on his side

With the Springboks set to play six more Tests in 2024 (after this weekend), assuming he stays injury-free, Etzebeth will assume the mantle of most-capped Springbok before the year is out.

Etzebeth also has time on his side considering he will only turn 33 in late October.

Below, Springboks to have played 80 or more Tests heading into Saturday’s match:

TEAMS

South Africa (revised)

15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche

Substitutes: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Eben Etzebeth, 20 Elrigh Louw, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Handre Pollard

New Zealand

TBA

The Springboks have released FOUR players from the current squad.

Meaning, the released quartet of Rugby World Cup winners will return to the Sharks, Bulls and Stormers.

SPRINGBOKS RELEASE FOUR RWC WINNERS

Makazole Mapimpi, Canan Moodie, Manie Libbok and Steven Kitshoff will all be available for selection in the Currie Cup this weekend after being sent back to their clubs.

Therefore, Mapimpi will be available for the Sharks.

Meanwhile, Moodie could feature for the Bulls.

Finally, Stormers fan-favourites, Libbok and Kitshoff are also available for selection for the Cape-based outfit this weekend.

“Erasmus released four players – Steven Kitshoff (prop), Manie Libbok (flyhalf), Canan Moodie and Makazole Mapimpi (both wings) – to their provincial unions on Wednesday afternoon to get game time in the Carling Currie Cup this weekend,” the statement read on SARugby.

SHORT RETURN TO GET GAMETIME BEFORE CAPE TOWN TRIP

All four men are still in the Springboks set up.

Moreover, they were only released to get some much-needed game time. Kitshoff has been out of action for several months and is in need of some playing time before he returns to play for the Boks. Furthermore, Moodie recently returned after missing months of action.

Libbok, on the other hand, has struggled for gametime with the Springboks this season. So, some playing time will do his confidence a world of good. Finally, Mapimpi will want to keep warm as he keeps the likes of Kurt-lee Arendse and Cheslin Kolbe on their toes.

Therefore, all four players will likely join up with the Boks when they fly to Cape Town.

DO YOU THINK ANY OF THESE SPRINGBOKS SHOULD PLAY AGAINST THE ALL BLACKS IN CAPE TOWN?

Let us know by clicking on the comment tab below this article or emailing info@thesouthafrican.com. You can also send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Follow @TheSAnews on X and The South African on Facebook for your daily social fix.

Etzebeth, who was initially excluded from the Springboks’ match-23 for the first of two Tests against their southern hemisphere arch-rivals due to an injury concern earlier in the week, replaces Marco van Staden on the bench, which offers the team specialist lock cover for the starting combination of Pieter-Steph du Toit and Ruan Nortje.

Should he get game time, the Test will mark Etzebeth’s 125^th in the green and gold jersey, which will see him leapfrog Bryan Habana as the second most capped Springbok of all time and take one step closer to Victor Matfield’s Springbok Test record of 127 caps.

RASSIE ERASMUS ON EBEN ETZEBETH’S INCLUSION

“Our selection policy has always been that if a player does not train on a Monday he will not play on Saturday, but Eben has made it through training pain-free all week, so we had to make the tough call to name him in the squad at the expense of Marco,” said Erasmus.

“There were back-up options for us at lock in the initial squad, but with Eben on the bench it means we have another specialist in that position in the team.

“We are blessed to have an expanded squad of about 45 players who have all bought into our plans and who understand what’s best for the team, and it’s admirable how Marco accepted the news. It shows the quality of the player and person he is.”

Meanwhile, Erasmus released four Springboks – Steven Kitshoff (prop), Manie Libbok (flyhalf), Canan Moodie and Makazole Mapimpi (both wings) – to their provincial unions on Wednesday afternoon to get game time in the Currie Cup this weekend.

WILL EBEN ETZEBETH MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR SPRINGBOKS?

Let us know by clicking on the comment tab below this Springboks article or by emailing info@thesouthafrican.com or sending a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1.

You can also follow @TheSAnews on X and The South African on Facebook for the latest news.

Kick-off is at 17:00.

Could pass Bryan Habana

Meanwhile, coach Rassie Erasmus has released four players to their Currie Cup teams to get some valuable game time this weekend.

Etzebeth, who was initially excluded from the Springboks’ match-23 for the first of two Tests against their southern hemisphere arch-rivals due to an injury concern earlier in the week, replaces Marco van Staden on the bench, which offers the team specialist lock cover for the starting combination of Pieter-Steph du Toit and Ruan Nortje.

Should he get game time, the Test will mark Etzebeth’s 125th in the green and gold jersey, which will see him leapfrog Bryan Habana as the second most capped Springbok of all time and take one step closer to Victor Matfield’s Springbok Test record of 127 caps.

“Our selection policy has always been that if a player does not train on a Monday he will not play on Saturday, but Eben has made it through training pain-free all week, so we had to make the tough call to name him in the squad at the expense of Marco,” said Erasmus.

“There were back-up options for us at lock in the initial squad, but with Eben on the bench it means we have another specialist in that position in the team.

“We are blessed to have an expanded squad of about 45 players who have all bought into our plans and who understand what’s best for the team, and it’s admirable how Marco accepted the news. It shows the quality of the player and person he is.”

Meanwhile, Erasmus released four players – Steven Kitshoff (prop), Manie Libbok (flyhalf), Canan Moodie and Makazole Mapimpi (both wings) – to their provincial unions on Wednesday afternoon to get game time in the Currie Cup this weekend.

Revised Springbok team to face New Zealand

15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche

Substitutes: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Eben Etzebeth, 20 Elrigh Louw, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Handre Pollard

New Zealand

TBA

The 22-year-old flyhalf has earned just six caps for the Boks but has been impressive so far in his early career. Erasmus has put faith in the DHL Stormers star ahead of the Castle Lager Rugby Championship campaign against New Zealand at the Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg.

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s match, Rassie said Sacha was ready to play arguably his biggest game in the Springbok colours. When asked if he was throwing the flyhalf into the deep end, Erasmus explained his decision to play him and compared his situation to that of ex-Boks star Gaffie du Toit.

“I think the only guy I remember wasn’t shielded was maybe Gaffie du Toit. I played with him in a Test match and he was thrown in there in Dunedin or somewhere in Auckland against an All Black team.”

“Sacha is not the same,” Rassie told the media. “Sacha was marked in the under-15 systems, under-16 systems. He played for the SA schools If I’m right, he was captain of the junior Boks. He played under-20 rugby at the highest level.”

Rassie said that the young Boks star even trained with the Boks last year during their end-year tour.

Rassie backs Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu to shine against All Blacks

“Now he is playing his eight cap now(sixth cap). So we’ve been building him up from Wales, Romania(Portugal), Australia and up like that and to now take it away from him at this highest level will be stupid. Let him make some mistakes and learn,” Rassie said about Sacha.

How good has Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu been for the Boks?

Let us know by clicking on the comment tab below this article or emailing info@thesouthafrican.com. You can also send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Follow @TheSAnews on X and The South African on Facebook for your social fix.

SETTING THE SCENE: BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The rugby landscape has changed immensely in recent years, with the union moving away from Newlands Stadium to Cape Town Stadium, following by the franchise’s switch from Super Rugby to the United Rugby Championship.

Additionally, after a lengthy and well-publicised power struggle and almost complete financial ruin, the union was placed under administration for years before finally concluding a lucrative equity deal with Red Disa Consortium, who is now the controlling shareholder in Western Province Professional Rugby (Pty) Ltd.

The deal, which materialised earlier this year, saw WPPR — the professional arm — renamed to Stormers Rugby (Pty) Ltd.

WP TO CHANGE TO STORMERS ALTOGETHER?

Despite all the aforementioned changes, what has remained steadfast is the brands under which the union’s teams have played.

The Stormers competed in the URC and Champions Cup, while Western Province or WP, as they are more commonly known, played in domestic competitions like the Currie Cup, Vodacom Cup as well as the age-grade tournaments like Craven Week U18 and U13 and Grant Grant Khomo Week U16 events.

But that could well all be about to change after Stormers CEO Johan Le Roux’s stunning admission during a special press conference in Cape Town earlier this week.

Le Roux revealed that discussions are underway to completely do away with the WP name brand and changing all its teams to the Stormers as well.

“There has been a move across franchises to move your teams under one brand,” Le Roux said. “I’ve seen the Sharks do it.”

“It makes a lot of commercial sense to have one brand instead of multiple brands. So it is something we are looking at. [Stormers XV] is something to look at.

“I think we will all be traumatised not to see Western Province or WP on TV anymore. It is not something that is on the table but it is something we have noted.”

“One brand is important and there are a lot of plans for the brand and I do think it’s diluted if you have more than one name.

“So, there is a lot of logic behind [the possible change] and it is something we will look at in a couple of months.”

SHOULD THEY REBRAND ALL CAPE TEAMS AS THE STORMERS?

Let us know by clicking on the comment tab below this WP and Stormers article or by emailing info@thesouthafrican.com or sending a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1.

You can also follow @TheSAnews on X and The South African on Facebook for the latest news.

Pollard has still been a regular member of the matchday 23, but so far in 2024 he has started two Tests and played off the bench in a couple of others.

Against the All Blacks this Saturday he will again form part of the ‘bomb squad’, but it shouldn’t be forgotten that he needs just nine points to overtake Morne Steyn (742 points) and move into second place on the Springbok all-time scorers’ list.

Percy Montgomery leads with 893 points.

Below you can see where Pollard stands in the Springbok record books:

Springbok record against New Zealand:
Played: 106, Won: 40. Lost: 62, Drawn: 4. Points for: 1 741; Points against: 2 196; Tries scored: 168; Tries conceded: 240. Win %: 37.7%.

Miscellaneous:

• Frans Malherbe will extend his number of starts at tighthead prop to 61 Tests, trailing only Tendai Mtawarira (102) and Os du Randt (75).
• The centre pairing of Jesse Kriel and Damian de Allende will extend their record of playing the most Test matches together in the midfield to 32 (the previous record was held by Jean de Villiers and Jaque Fourie with 29 Tests).
• Handre Pollard needs one conversion to become only the third Springbok to kick 100 two-pointers after Morne Steyn (102) and Percy Montgomery (153).
• Handre Pollard needs nine points to overtake Morne Steyn (742 points) and move into second place on the Springbok all-time scorers’ list. Percy Montgomery leads with 893 points.
• Should Malcolm Marx score a try he will move to 20 and into tenth equal place on the all-time Springbok try-scoring list with James Small. He is already the leading Springbok forward try scorer.
• Cheslin Kolbe needs four points to reach 100 points in Tests for South Africa.
• Should Kwagga Smith take the field, he will need only four more Test caps to join the club of Springboks with 50 Test caps.
• The total Test caps for the Springbok starting line-up is 632.
• There are 255 caps in the backline, with 377 caps among the forwards. On the bench there are a further 286 caps.
• The average caps per player in the backline is 36, the forwards 47, while the players on the bench average 35.

The knocks have hit the second row particularly hard but Erasmus feels this will provide an opportunity.

Springboks on injury woes

Erasmus has backed Ruan Nortje and Pieter-Steph Du Toit to start at lock in the third Rugby Championship encounter.

Welcoming back Jasper Wiese after his suspension delighted Erasmus.

“It’s not ideal that we have so many injuries at lock, but we are pleased with the way Ruan stood his man in our last match and we are confident that he’ll combine well with Pieter-Steph at lock,” said Erasmus.

“This will serve as a fantastic opportunity for him to prove what he can do against one of the best teams in the world.

“It’s also good to have a player of Jasper’s calibre back and we know that he’ll bring a lot of energy on attack and defence after biding his time to return to the field, and we are looking forward to seeing his physicality combined with the rest of the back row.”

Settled backline is a boon for Springboks

Erasmus believes that the settled backline will also be a boost to the Springboks as they return to home soil.

“We also have a settled backline, and Aphelele made a strong statement against the Wallabies in Perth, so we are excited to see what they have to offer against a heavily attack-orientated All Black backline,” he added.

“We’ve seen what most of these players can do under pressure in Australia, and we’re confident that they’ll want to build on that against the All Blacks.”

Eben Etzebeth

Erasmus revealed that Eben Etzebeth might have been able to play in this round but he felt that they shouldn’t risk a longer layoff.

“Eben may have been ready to play this week if we really needed him, but we feel we will benefit more from selecting a player that is 100% fit, and Salmaan should also be back in selection frame next week after following the return to play protocols,” he went on.

“We’re happy that things will ease significantly for us in that department going into the second Test.”

All Blacks to come out swinging

Erasmus expects the All Blacks to throw everything at his team.

“There is also no doubt they’ll still be hurting from the Rugby World Cup final, and in addition to that they know how important a win will be to square things up and open up the Castle Lager Rugby Championship log,” Erasmus continued.

“They’re a quality team with several players who have an X-factor and they constantly pose a threat to our defence, so we have to start well and be on the top of our game in all departments to try to build on what we have done in the competition so far.

“We’re under no illusions that this will be a completely different challenge to that which Australia posed, and that the next two Tests will require a proper step-up from us, but we are excited to see if we can take our game to the next level and give ourselves the best possible chance to stake a claim for the Castle Lager Rugby Championship for the first time since 2019.

“So, we’ll give our best and hopefully that will place us on the correct side of the scoreboard.”

Can the Springboks beat the All Blacks again?

Let us know by clicking on the comment tab below this article or by emailing info@thesouthafrican.com or sending a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. You can also follow @TheSAnews on X and The South African on Facebook for the latest news.

Fassi has certainly been in outstanding form this year, but he has only started three Tests at fullback in his career, and there was a general expectation that Willie le Roux’s vast experience would put him in line for the No 15 jersey.

However, Erasmus remains steadfast in his bold selections, and has issued a clear directive to Fassi.

“We are all waiting for Aphelele to do it now,” Erasmus said. “That’s what we’ve told him the whole of last week, ‘do it now, it’s on you! Go and show the people what you can do and why you’re here’.

“Unfortunately with everything, there’s first the real hard graft in a game, before you get to do the beautiful things. So he’s needed to get his technique under the high ball right, not lifting that leg, he’s got that out of his system. Understanding the wings, organising, he’s getting the ropes with that.

“Now I think it’s his time to shine. It’s not easy to shine against New Zealand. But that certainly where you know, ‘am I ready yet or not?’.”

Aphelele Fassi free to fly as Willie’s role changes

Meanwhile, the Springbok coach highlighted that Le Roux’s primary role over the next couple of years will be in a mentorship capacity.

“Willie is somebody who I’ve coached since my Stormers days,” Erasmus said. “He’s at a time in his career where he accepts what his role is in the team.

“He helps the guys to understand how big the Test match is, how we are going to handle this, how you are going to read that flyhalf and when do you have to cover what space. He and Aphelele are close.

“We want to get him to his 100th game. He’s at 96 now. I think he will play another two years. I don’t think he will make another World Cup. If he does, it will be like Stephan Donald.  His role in the team now is to help youngsters and when he plays to help us win.”

How the team will line up on Saturday

Springboks – 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche.
Subs: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Marco van Staden, 20 Elrigh Louw, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Handre Pollard.

You’ll also understand why a country on the other side of the world has a deep-rooted history and connection with its biggest rivals.

But is it time for those die-hard supporters to finally give the boys in green and gold their full support?

WHY DO MANY SOUTH AFRICANS SUPPORT THE ALL BLACKS?

In theory, it makes little sense for a country’s citizens to support another in the very same sport. Unless we’re talking about South Africa’s soccer team, Bafana Bafana. But that’s a topic for another day.

For many who don’t know, it has much to do with our country’s dark history and how POC, both in SA and New Zealand, shared a “trauma bond” over racial discrimination.

In SA, under the Apartheid regime and before the policy of racial transformation was even an idea, non-white rugby players were banned from playing in the national rugby squad, known as the Springboks.

Coloured and black players had their own federations, which were ultimately dictated to by the South African Rugby Board [SARB] and reserved for white players. Even though the South African Rugby Union [SARU] was a non-racial entity, it was also subjected to demands by SARB.

From the inception of Apartheid in 1948  until the 70s, SARB forbade New Zealand natives – known as Māoris – in the All Blacks, from visiting or playing against SA. According to reports, this demand was supported or, at the very least, accepted by New Zealand authorities, including the New Zealand Rugby Union [NZRU].

The racial tensions saw an explosive turn of events in the late 60s when the New Zealand protest group Halt All Racist Tours proposed the boycott of games and tours in South Africa. 

During this period, many POC in SA stood in alignment with New Zealand’s All Blacks. Many outspoken Māori players also criticised the Apartheid government as well as their own, who inadvertently enforced a racial divide. 

A sporting boycott later saw South Africa omitted from the first two Rugby World Cups, in 1987 and 1991.

Fast forward to 2010, and the South African government – via Sports Minister Makhenkesi Arnold Stofile – would offer an official apology for the actions of the Apartheid government.

In a letter to New Zealand media, Stofile said: “I do believe that both the NZRU and SARU should apologise for the folly of those who came before them.

We cannot be expected to simply forget where we come from and the pain it caused many people.”

SUPPORTING THE SPRINGBOKS IN DAWN OF DEMOCRACY

Following the inception of democracy in 1994, the first black president, Nelson Mandela, urged South Africans to mend racial divides and support the Springboks. The move would see him being criticised by militant groups for trying to promote a “fake unity.”

Nevertheless, Mandela would tell the public of the Boks: “The country is fully behind them. I have never been so proud of our boys as I am now. I hope that that pride we all share.”

A year later, SA – who were once shunned by the world over Apartheid atrocities – not only hosted the Rugby World Cup but won it too.

Iconic images of the late proud president – donning green and gold –  lifting the Webb Ellis trophy alongside Springbok captain Francois Pienaar made headlines around the world. The historical scenes were credited as the moment South Africans of all races formed a bond through sport and support for, ultimately, the Springboks.

The 1995 World Cup final game, coincidentally between the Springboks and All Blacks,  took place at Ellis Park – where the countries will face off again this weekend in a Rugby Championship match.

“It was the first World Cup in which South Africa was involved.

“We were the host country, we won, and it unified the nation,” the late Chester Williams, then the only POC in the Springboks, told World Rugby in 2013.

He added: “Everyone was so happy. White, black, everyone. That day, we all became legends, and after the match, things were so much better in the country.”

IS IT TIME TO MOVE ON?

Despite the Springboks winning four World Cup titles, appointing its first black captain, Siya Kolisi, and players’ emphasis that they are “playing for South Africa,” there are still many who would rather show love to the All Blacks.

Some, like muso Prince Kaybee and podcaster Penuel Mlotshwa, insist they enjoy New Zealand’s rugby style. Others are more bold in their support, with multiple fan groups insisting that their “blood is black.”

Some even claim that the Springboks will remain a reminder of Apartheid’s painful past.

Facebook user Nicole de Oliviera posted: “As a person of colour and South African, as a fighter for equality, I will never support the Springboks. To this day, it is governed by extreme racial prejudices, with a few token players.”

She added: “South African rugby is a monument of Apartheid racism and segregation. The people of colour that watch it are slaves with a poor memory.”

Which begs the question: Should sports fans have the freedom of choice on who they wish to support? Or does being a South African make you a Springbok supporter by default?

And what about those who reject the Springboks based on what happened decades ago, by people who have long since died?

The empathetic truth – from my perspective as a POC – is that you cannot tell anyone how to feel. Especially if they have endured pain and trauma at the hands of their oppressors in their past. Their feelings are valid.

Let them support who they want, in this case, the All Blacks. For those who have strong opinions, perhaps their pain needs to be acknowledged.

Ultimately, I believe that their hurt will heal and their faith in South Africa will be restored.

DO YOU SUPPORT THE ALL BLACKS, AND IF SO, WHY?

Let us know by clicking on the comment tab below or by emailing info@thesouthafrican.com. You can also send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Don’t forget to follow @TheSAnews on X and The South African on Facebook for the latest social media updates.

While Le Roux was named in coach Rassie Erasmus’s squad for this year’s Rugby Championship he was not included in the 23-man squad for Saturday’s clash against the All Blacks at Ellis Park.

Kick-off is at 17:00.

The veteran fullback has made 96th appearances in the green and gold.

Le Roux, is bidding to become only the eighth player to reach the magical three-figure mark for South Africa and the fourth backline player to do so.

His place in the starting XV has been taken by exciting 26-year-old Aphelele Fassi who will be making just his seventh appearance.

Willie le Roux is a two-time Rugby World Cup winner

Le Roux, who was born in Stellenbosch and attended famed Paul Roos Gymnasium, turned 35 on 18 August 2024.

He made his Test debut on 8 June 2013 against Italy at Hollywoodbets Kings Park in Durban and has scored 15 tries to date.

Le Roux has won 65 of his Tests, lost 30 with one other ending in a draw for a win percentage of 67.7%.

He made his provincial debut for Boland Cavaliers and has also represented Griquas, Free State Cheetahs, Sharks and Blue Bulls in South Africa, as well as Wasps (England) and Canon Eagles and Toyota Verblitz (both Japan).

Le Roux is a two-time Rugby World Cup winner having been part of both the 2019 and 2023 Webb Ellis Cup-winning Springbok squads.

TEAMS

South Africa

15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche

Substitutes: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Marco van Staden, 20 Elrigh Louw, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Handre Pollard

New Zealand

TBA

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP 2024 FIXTURES AND RESULTS

The 2024 tournament will be contested over six rounds, with each country playing six matches – three at home and three away.

All times SA

Round 1 – August 10

Australia 7-33 South Africa, Brisbane

New Zealand 30-38 Argentina, Wellington

Round 2 – August 17

New Zealand 42-10 Argentina, Auckland

Australia 30-12 South Africa, Perth

Round 3 – August 31

South Africa vs New Zealand, Johannesburg – 17:00

Argentina vs Australia, La Plata – 21:00

Round 4 – September 7

South Africa vs New Zealand, Cape Town – 17:00

Argentina vs Australia, Santa Fe – 21:00

Round 5 – September 21

Australia vs New Zealand, Sydney – 07:45

Argentina vs South Africa, Santiago del Estero – 23:00

Round 6 – September 28

New Zealand vs Australia, Wellington – 09:05

South Africa vs Argentina, Mbombela – 17:00

BIO: WILLIE LE ROUX

Below, Springboks to have played 80 or more Tests:

Former England skipper Beaumont will step down in November after two terms in charge and the governing body’s council will vote for the new chairman the same month.

World Rugby top job

The 54-year-old Robinson will reportedly compete primarily with Scotland’s John Jeffrey, the current vice-chairman, for rugby union’s top job.

Jeffrey has been touted as the continuity candidate.

“To continue a growth trajectory in today’s complex and competitive global sports and entertainment industry, World Rugby will require strong leadership to drive an accountable executive in close collaboration with member unions,” Robinson said in a statement confirming his candidacy.

“As chair my objective would be to embody the values of rugby to inspire strong, transparent and inclusive leadership, which positions our game to reach its potential on the global sporting stage.”

Robinson has been a member of World Rugby’s executive board since 2016 and is a former Rugby Australia director.

He played 16 Tests for the Wallabies and skippered the ACT Brumbies from 1996 to 2001.

After two incredible renditions of the SA anthem prior to the two mid-year Tests against Ireland, with Keabetswe “KB” Motsilanyane particularly making headlines at Lofuts, there was another superb rendition of  Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika by Jody Williams in the one-off Test against Portugal.

It has now been confirmed to TheSouthAfrican that famed local group, the Mzansi Youth Choir, will be singing the SA national anthem prior to kick off this Saturday at Ellis Park.

The choir shot to fame on the world stage of America’s Got Talent in 2023, and they have performed at various high profile events ever since making it through to the AGT finale.

Ahead of this weekend’s Test at Ellis Park, you can see the choir performing a previous rendition of the national anthem below

Springbok team to face New Zealand in Johannesburg:

15 – Aphelele Fassi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 6 caps, 15 points (3t)
14 – Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath) – 35 caps, 96 points (15t, 3c, 5p)
13 – Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles) – 73 caps, 80 points (16t)
12 – Damian de Allende (Wild Knights) – 82 caps, 55 points (11t)
11 – Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls) – 19 caps, 85 points (17t)
10 – Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers) – 6 caps, 33 points (12c, 3p)
9 – Cobus Reinach (Montpellier) – 34 caps, 65 pts (13t)

8 – Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks) – 27 caps, 5 pts (1t)
7 – Ben-Jason Dixon (DHL Stormers) – 3 caps, 5 points (1t)
6 – Siya Kolisi (captain, Racing 92) – 86 caps, 55 points (11t)
5 – Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls) – 2 caps, 0 points
4 – Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz) – 81 caps, 45 points (9t)
3 – Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers) – 73 caps, 5 points (1t)
2 – Bongi Mbonambi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 72 caps, 70 points (14t)
1 – Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 33 caps, 0 pts

Replacements:

16 – Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 69 caps, 95 points (19t)
17 – Gerhard Steenekamp (Vodacom Bulls) – 4 caps, 0 points
18 – Vincent Koch (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 54 caps, 0 points
19 – Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls) – 22 caps, 10 pts (2t)
20 – Elrigh Louw (Vodacom Bulls) – 6 caps, 0 points
21 – Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs) – 45 caps, 40 pts (8t)
22 – Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 13 caps, 10 points (2t)
23 – Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers) – 73 caps, 734 points (7t, 99c, 162p, 5dg)

Stats and facts:

Springbok record against New Zealand:
Played: 106, Won: 40. Lost: 62, Drawn: 4. Points for: 1 741; Points against: 2 196; Tries scored: 168; Tries conceded: 240. Win %: 37.7%.

Miscellaneous:

• The average caps per player in the backline is 36, the forwards 47, while the players on the bench average 35.
• Frans Malherbe will extend his number of starts at tighthead prop to 61 Tests, trailing only Tendai Mtawarira (102) and Os du Randt (75).
• The centre pairing of Jesse Kriel and Damian de Allende will extend their record of playing the most Test matches together in the midfield to 32 (the previous record was held by Jean de Villiers and Jaque Fourie with 29 Tests).
• Handre Pollard needs one conversion to become only the third Springbok to kick 100 two-pointers after Morne Steyn (102) and Percy Montgomery (153).
• Handre Pollard needs nine points to overtake Morne Steyn (742 points) and move into second place on the Springbok all-time scorers’ list. Percy Montgomery leads with 893 points.
• Should Malcolm Marx score a try he will move to 20 and into tenth equal place on the all-time Springbok try-scoring list with James Small. He is already the leading Springbok forward try scorer.
• Cheslin Kolbe needs four points to reach 100 points in Tests for South Africa.
• Should Kwagga Smith take the field, he will need only four more Test caps to join the club of Springboks with 50 Test caps.
• The total Test caps for the Springbok starting line-up is 632.
• There are 255 caps in the backline, with 377 caps among the forwards. On the bench there are a further 286 caps.
• The average caps per player in the backline is 36, the forwards 47, while the players on the bench average 35.

Kick-off is at 17:00 (SA time).

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The top-ranked Springboks will play the third-placed All Blacks in the first of two Tests in South Africa in this year’s Rugby Championship this weekend.

The Springboks have played the All Blacks on 15 previous occasions at Ellis Park and boast nine wins and six defeats.

The most famous Springbok victory at the ground came in the final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

The Springboks’ overall record against the All Blacks isn’t as good.

In 106 previous Tests, the All Blacks have won 62, lost 40 while there have been four draws.

Leading South African bookmakers Hollywoodbets have installed the Springboks as overwhelming 1/3 favourites, with New Zealand on offer at 24/10.

The draw after 80 minutes can be backed at 25/1.

In terms of handicap, the Springboks are 7.5-point favourites.

Explainer

Ahead of the Test, the Springboks sit top of the rankings pile with 93.11 points, with New Zealand on 88.71.

A victory by 15 points or fewer for the Springboks will see their points tally grow by 0.26 points. Similarly, a defeat by that margin will see New Zealand’s points total drop by 0.26 points.

A win by 16 or more points for the Springboks will see them gain 0.39 points – and the All Blacks lose a similar tally.

A draw would see South Africa lose 0.74 points, but stay top, while in such a scenario the All Blacks would pick up 0.74 points, but stay third.

However, a win for New Zealand by 15 or fewer points would see them pick up 1.74 points (and the Springboks lose 1 points), and move to eighth place, with the Springboks dropping to second spot.

A victory by 16 or more points for the All Blacks would see them pick up 2.74 points, but again keep them in third place. The Springboks would again slip to second spot.

LATEST WORLD RUGBY RANKINGS

TEAMS

South Africa

15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche

Substitutes: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Marco van Staden, 20 Elrigh Louw, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Handre Pollard

New Zealand

TBA

Your prediction for Saturday?

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The Springboks have made nine changes for this Saturday’s clash against the All Blacks, but on Tuesday, Erasmus admitted there could be another alteration before kick off – and it would be a hugely positive one.

When asked about the absence of powerhouse lock Eben Etzebeth, Erasmus explained that the centurion lock could still be called into the team, at the expense of one of the replacement flanks.

“We announced on Monday morning internally, with Eben out, because our policy is that if you can’ train on a Monday, you can’t play on a Saturday or Sunday,” Erasmus said. “But then Eben goes and does the whole training session on Monday.

“I have to look at how this afternoon goes and then have a chat with all the players tonight. We might make a change, because he might have miraculously recovered, and the doc says there is some science behind that, it’s not just the will to play or the occasion.

“If that’s the case, we will be too happy. It will be very unlucky for one of Marco, Elrigh and Kwagga to be left out. It will be a call between the three of them. We will think clearly and see how Pieter-Steph moves and tonight we will make the call.”

Erasmus explained that Etzebeth had suffered a twisted knee during a live scrumming session, but had avoided tearing any ligaments.

“It’s a meniscus. It’s just from changing one foot to the other in the scrum on his own, it’s not like someone ran onto his knee and he got a tear,” Erasmus said.

“He twisted his knee a little bit in a scrum session. Hopefully the mechanics don’t show big trauma.”

Hear what the Springbok coach had to say below:

How the team will line up:

Springboks – 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche.
Subs: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Marco van Staden, 20 Elrigh Louw, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Handre Pollard.

Etzebeth and Habana both have 124th Test appearances in the green and gold.

However, the second-rower will have to wait to inch closer to fellow lock Victor Matfield whose 127 Tests for South Africa is the current record.

Etzebeth wasn’t included in Rassie Erasmus’s 23-man squad for the first Test against New Zealand at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Saturday, 31 August.

Kick-off is at 17:00.

Etzebeth is struggling with both back and knee injuries at present.

It remains to be seen whether he will be passed fit for the second Test between the two nations at the Cape Town Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday, 7 September.

Eben Etzebeth has time on his side

With the Springboks set to play six more Tests in 2024 (after this weekend), assuming he stays injury-free, Etzebeth will assume the mantle of most-capped Springbok before the year is out.

Etzebeth also has time on his side considering he will only turn 33 in late October.

Below, Springboks to have played 80 or more Tests heading into Saturday’s match:

TEAMS

South Africa

15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche

Substitutes: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Marco van Staden, 20 Elrigh Louw, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Handre Pollard

New Zealand

TBA

Jasper Wiese is also recalled despite limited game-time after serving a lengthy suspension, while Pieter-Steph du Toit will fill in at No 4 for injured Eben Etzebeth.

“It’s not ideal that we have so many injuries at lock, but we are pleased with the way Ruan stood his man in our last match and we are confident that he’ll combine well with Pieter-Steph at lock,” said Erasmus.

“This will serve as a fantastic opportunity for him to prove what he can do against one of the best teams in the world.

“It’s also good to have a player of Jasper’s calibre back and we know that he’ll bring a lot of energy on attack and defence after biding his time to return to the field, and we are looking forward to seeing his physicality combined with the rest of the back row.

“We also have a settled backline, and Aphelele made a strong statement against the Wallabies in Perth, so we are excited to see what they have to offer against a heavily attack-orientated All Black backline.

The pack shows six changes to the starting line-up that appeared in Perth with a new front row of Ox Nche (promoted from the bench in Perth) and the recall of the rested Frans Malherbe and hooker Bongi Mbonambi.

Pieter-Steph du Toit moves from the side of the scrum to partner Nortje while Wiese is joined in the back row by Bok captain Siya Kolisi and Ben-Jason Dixon, who has recovered from the knee injury that ruled him out of the Perth Test.

In the backline, Cobus Reinach and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu reunite at halfback, while Erasmus recalled Damian de Allende to partner Jesse Kriel at centre, with Kurt-Lee Arendse also back in the team, linking up with Cheslin Kolbe and Fassi in the back three.

Erasmus’ bench – which features a split of six forwards and two backs – will see Malcolm Marx, Gerhard Steenekamp and Vincent Koch in the replacement front row, while Elrigh Louw, Marco van Staden and the energetic Kwagga Smith will offer the team solid loose forward cover options.

The two backline players on the bench are Grant Williams and Handre Pollard, who offer an array of options, covering scrumhalf, wing, centre and flyhalf between them.

The squad features 12 players who appeared in the Rugby World Cup final against New Zealand at the Stade de France in Paris in October, as Erasmus’ balanced building squad depth while maintaining some consistency in selection. They are Kolisi, Nche, Mbonambi, Malherbe, Du Toit, Wiese, Arendse, De Allende, Kriel, Kolbe, Smith, and Pollard.

Wiese was deemed match ready, having been training with the team since the beginning of June at the first training camp in Pretoria, while Erasmus opted to give Steven Kitshoff (prop), Canan Moodie (wing), Jaden Hendrikse (scrumhalf) and Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg (lock) more time to adjust to the new structures.

Fassi has retained the No 15 jersey against the All Blacks:

15 – Aphelele Fassi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 6 caps, 15 points (3t)
14 – Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath) – 35 caps, 96 points (15t, 3c, 5p)
13 – Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles) – 73 caps, 80 points (16t)
12 – Damian de Allende (Wild Knights) – 82 caps, 55 points (11t)
11 – Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls) – 19 caps, 85 points (17t)
10 – Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers) – 6 caps, 33 points (12c, 3p)
9 – Cobus Reinach (Montpellier) – 34 caps, 65 pts (13t)

8 – Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks) – 27 caps, 5 pts (1t)
7 – Ben-Jason Dixon (DHL Stormers) – 3 caps, 5 points (1t)
6 – Siya Kolisi (captain, Racing 92) – 86 caps, 55 points (11t)
5 – Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls) – 2 caps, 0 points
4 – Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz) – 81 caps, 45 points (9t)
3 – Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers) – 73 caps, 5 points (1t)
2 – Bongi Mbonambi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 72 caps, 70 points (14t)
1 – Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 33 caps, 0 pts

Miscellaneous stats and facts:

• Frans Malherbe will extend his number of starts at tighthead prop to 61 Tests, trailing only Tendai Mtawarira (102) and Os du Randt (75).
• The centre pairing of Jesse Kriel and Damian de Allende will extend their record of playing the most Test matches together in the midfield to 32 (the previous record was held by Jean de Villiers and Jaque Fourie with 29 Tests).
• Handre Pollard needs one conversion to become only the third Springbok to kick 100 two-pointers after Morne Steyn (102) and Percy Montgomery (153).
• Handre Pollard needs nine points to overtake Morne Steyn (742 points) and move into second place on the Springbok all-time scorers’ list. Percy Montgomery leads with 893 points.
• Should Malcolm Marx score a try he will move to 20 and into tenth equal place on the all-time Springbok try-scoring list with James Small. He is already the leading Springbok forward try scorer.
• Cheslin Kolbe needs four points to reach 100 points in Tests for South Africa.
• Should Kwagga Smith take the field, he will need only four more Test caps to join the club of Springboks with 50 Test caps.
• The total Test caps for the Springbok starting line-up is 632.
• There are 255 caps in the backline, with 377 caps among the forwards. On the bench there are a further 286 caps.
• The average caps per player in the backline is 36, the forwards 47, while the players on the bench average 35.

Erasmus made nine changes to the team that defeated the Wallabies in Perth (30-12), recalling Jasper Wiese from suspension and pairing Pieter-Steph du Toit and Ruan Nortje in the second row as a result of injuries to six other locks for the first of two Tests against the All Blacks in South Africa.

However, there are only three changes to the match day squad that opened the series with a 33-7 victory in Brisbane – and two of those forced by injuries to locks.

Eben Etzebeth (back) and Salmaan Moerat (concussion) miss out from the Brisbane combination while Aphelele Fassi gets the fullback’s jersey in succession to Willie le Roux in the only other change.

The other locks unavailable for selection are RG Snyman (foot), Franco Mostert (broken leg), Lood de Jager (shoulder) and Jean Kleyn (eye and knee).

Handre Pollard will provide back up to Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu on the bench.

Springbok team to face New Zealand, with Sach at 10:

15 – Aphelele Fassi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 6 caps, 15 points (3t)
14 – Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath) – 35 caps, 96 points (15t, 3c, 5p)
13 – Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles) – 73 caps, 80 points (16t)
12 – Damian de Allende (Wild Knights) – 82 caps, 55 points (11t)
11 – Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls) – 19 caps, 85 points (17t)
10 – Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers) – 6 caps, 33 points (12c, 3p)
9 – Cobus Reinach (Montpellier) – 34 caps, 65 pts (13t)

8 – Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks) – 27 caps, 5 pts (1t)
7 – Ben-Jason Dixon (DHL Stormers) – 3 caps, 5 points (1t)
6 – Siya Kolisi (captain, Racing 92) – 86 caps, 55 points (11t)
5 – Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls) – 2 caps, 0 points
4 – Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz) – 81 caps, 45 points (9t)
3 – Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers) – 73 caps, 5 points (1t)
2 – Bongi Mbonambi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 72 caps, 70 points (14t)
1 – Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 33 caps, 0 pts

Replacements:

16 – Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 69 caps, 95 points (19t)
17 – Gerhard Steenekamp (Vodacom Bulls) – 4 caps, 0 points
18 – Vincent Koch (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 54 caps, 0 points
19 – Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls) – 22 caps, 10 pts (2t)
20 – Elrigh Louw (Vodacom Bulls) – 6 caps, 0 points
21 – Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs) – 45 caps, 40 pts (8t)
22 – Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 13 caps, 10 points (2t)
23 – Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers) – 73 caps, 734 points (7t, 99c, 162p, 5dg)

Stats and facts:

Springbok record against New Zealand:
Played: 106, Won: 40. Lost: 62, Drawn: 4. Points for: 1 741; Points against: 2 196; Tries scored: 168; Tries conceded: 240. Win %: 37.7%.

Experienced former Springbok coaching consultant Swys de Bruin and former Springbok Sevens captain Kevin Foote were appointed to coach the Springbok Women and Junior Springboks respectively, while Bafana Nhleko has been redeployed from the SA U20s to the senior women’s fifteens team.

However, nothing was said about the Blitzboks specifically, a clear indication that a decision was perhaps still being made over the future of interim coach Philip Snyman after the Springbok Sevens claimed bronze at the Olympics.

Speaking to SABC Sport on Final Analysis, Snyman indicated that there is a process on the go behind the scenes.

”I think there’s processes that one has to follow, like everyone has read in the newspapers there’s a lot of stuff happening. Especially with the SA under-20 team, the women’s sevens and the men’s sevens.

“There’s a lot of stuff happening, and hopefully in the next two or three weeks we can get clarity and start planning. We start our pre-season in the next week or two. I believe we can get clarity and then the system needs to go on and I believe we can take the system and be consistent in that top three again in the near future,” said Snyman.

Blitzboks restructuring under review

Rian Oberholzer, SA Rugby’s CEO, said the changes were part of the restructuring process of SA Rugby’s High-Performance Department as they aim to achieve specific targets as part of a four-year strategic plan.

“We have obviously targeted winning the Rugby World Cup in 2027 for the Springboks, but we also have goals for other national teams,” said Oberholzer.

“We expect to see the Junior Boks winning the World Rugby U20 Championship at least once in a three-year period, for the Springbok Women to climb the world rankings to be in the top eight, and the Blitzboks to consistently medal at major events.”

targeting success in all areas

“We expect our national teams to deliver more consistent performances and as such, we started a restructuring process that is part of a significant overhaul of the High-Performance Department,” said Oberholzer.

“The Springboks carry the torch and do very well, but we need to see improvements from all our other national teams, including the Junior Boks, Blitzboks and women’s teams.

“As part of this drive, we appointed Dave Wessels as General Manager to oversee the process of restructuring our high-performance teams and these appointments are the first steps in the process.

“Dave joined us in March and has been working hard with all the relevant role players to see where we’ve fallen short and what we can do to ensure we provide all our national teams with what is necessary to be successful. More appointments will be made in due course.”

Here we look at a handful of stats and facts from rugby’s greatest rivalry

Springboks vs All Blacks: The Stats and facts

South Africa have won each of their last two Test matches against New Zealand, as many as they won across their eight meetings prior to that span (W2D1L5). The last time the Springboks recorded a longer winning run against the All Blacks was a three-match span from July to September in 2009.

Springboks vs All Blacks: In South Africa

New Zealand have won five of their last six Test matches against South Africa in South Africa (L1), including a 35-23 victory when they last met in the country (13 August 2022 in Johannesburg) ; in fact, the Springboks (70%-190/273) and the All Blacks (53%-30/57) have the best overall win-rates of any teams to play more than one Test in the country.

Springboks scoring hot streak

South Africa have won nine of their last 10 Test matches, including each of their last three; the Springboks have scored 30+points in each of their last three games–the last time they recorded a longer such scoring run was a five-match span from June to August in 2017.

All Blacks travel well

New Zealand have won six of their last seven Test matches outside New Zealand, recording an average winning margin of 51 points per game across those six wins; although, the All Blacks’ only defeat in that span was their 11-12 loss against South Africa in the 2023 Rugby World Cup Final.

In the Rugby Championship

South Africa have made 25 attacking 22m entries in The Rugby Championship 2024, 11 more than they’ve conceded(14) – the only team in the tournament with a positive differential; in addition, the Springboks have a gainline success rate of 60%- the best of any team in the campaign.

New Zealand have gained 527 post contact metres in The Rugby Championship 2024, at least 61 more than any other team; in addition,the All Blacks have scored 3.67 points per attacking 22m entry–the most of any team in the campaign.

South Africa duo Kurt-Lee Arendse (3) and Pieter-Steph du Toit(3) have made more line breaks than any other players in The Rugby Championship 2024; in addition, du Toit has gained 98 metres, the most of any forward in the campaign and the fourth most of any player overall (JuanCruzMallia–127, Cheslin Kolbe–110 and Kurt-Lee Arendse –107).

New Zealand trio Mark Tele’a (11), Ardie Savea (9) and Anton Lienert-Brown (6) have made more tackle breaks than any other players in The Rugby Championship 2024.

Eben Etzebeth (South Africa) has won 14 lineouts including one steal in The Rugby Championship 2024, four more than any other player in the competition and one of only three players to have logged double figures in this category (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto–10 for Australia and Harry Wilson –10 for Australia).

Beauden Barrett (New Zealand) has been directly involved in six tries in his last six Test matches (2 tries,4 try assists), including a try in his most recent match against South Africa (28 October 2023).

Springboks vs All Blacks: Results summary

Who will win the first Springboks vs All Blacks Test of 2024?

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World Cup trio Jean Kleyn, Franco Mostert and Lood de Jager are already sidelined with serious injuries, and inexperienced Ruan Nortje and Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg are now the only two fit members of the squad.

Nevertheless, Springbok assistant coach Deon Davids said they would view the situation in a creative manner.

“Yes, we have a few injuries amongst our locks, but it’s part of the game and Pieter-Steph (du Toit) and Ruan (Nortje) had good games in our last outing. It’s never nice to lose experience, but this will open up opportunities for other players to put up their hands and show what they can do at the highest level.

“Franco (Mostert), Lood (de Jager) and Jean (Kleyn) are also out and while it may seem like a crisis, we see it as an opportunity to increase our depth at lock and we want the next players to show us what they can do.”

The Springboks returned to the training field on Monday after having Sunday off as they slot back into full Test match mode for their next assignment at Ellis Park.

Below, we take a look at how the Springboks are expected to line up against the All Blacks, with the team set to be officially named on Tuesday.

Springboks (probable): 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Elrigh Louw, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp.
Replacements: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Ox Nche, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Marco van Staden, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Handré Pollard.

Springboks squad for the Rugby Championship Tests against the All Blacks:

Props: Thomas du Toit (Bath), Steven Kitshoff (Stormers), Vincent Koch (Sharks), Frans Malherbe (Stormers), Ox Nche (Sharks), Gerhard Steenekamp, Jan-Hendrik Wessels (both Bulls).
Hookers: Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears), Bongi Mbonambi (Sharks).
Locks: Eben Etzebeth (Sharks), Salmaan Moerat (Stormers), Ruan Nortje (Bulls), RG Snyman (Leinster), Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg (Montpellier).
Loose forwards: Ben-Jason Dixon (Stormers), Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz), Siya Kolisi (captain, Racing 92), Elrigh Louw (Bulls), Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs), Marco van Staden (Bulls), Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers).
Scrumhalves: Jaden Hendrikse (Sharks), Cobus Reinach (Montpellier), Grant Williams (Sharks).
Flyhalves: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Manie Libbok (both Stormers), Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers).
Centres: Lukhanyo Am (Sharks), Damian de Allende (Wild Knights), Andre Esterhuizen (Sharks), Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles).
Outside backs: Kurt-Lee Arendse (Bulls), Aphelele Fassi (Sharks), Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath), Willie le Roux (Bulls), Makazole Mapimpi (Sharks), Canan Moodie (Bulls).

Assistant coach Deon Davids made the untimely announcement on Monday that locks RG Snyman and Salmaan Moerat will miss the Test against New Zealand due to knocks.

This brings the Springboks’ over all injury tally to 10 players: Snyman, Moerat, Jean Kleyn, Lood de Jager, Franco Mostert, Jason Jenkins, Faf de Klerk, Damian Willemse, Evan Roos and Edwill van der Merwe.

A quick glance at that player list will confirm that all of De Klerk, Willemse, Roos and van der Merwe’s playing positions are well covered.

But that the list of injured second rowers is cause for concern, especially since Springbok enforcer Eben Etzebeth is also in doubt for the Test against the All Blacks.

SPRINGBOKS HIT WITH SECOND ROW CRISIS!

Speaking during the team’s first press conference of the week on Monday afternoon, Davids revealed the depth of the Springboks’ lock dilemma.

“Salmaan will follow the normal protocol for the HIA so unfortunately he will not be available for selection for this game,” the Springboks assistant coach told reporters on Monday.

“We know that Lood de Jager, Franco Mostert, and Jean Kleyn are out through injury but at this stage, RG Snyman is out due to a leg (foot) injury unfortunately I cannot go into too much detail but he will be out for a couple of weeks.

“At this time, Eben Etzebeth is also struggling with a bit of a niggle. So that’s also something that we will look at in terms of his availability for this week.”

WHO WILL SOUTH AFRICA FIELD AT LOCK IF THERE’S NO EBEN?

With limited options to choose from, it is most likely that Ruan Nortje will earn a second start for the Springboks after a good performance against the Wallabies and will be partnered by Pieter-Steph du Toit, who’ll shift from his usual position on the side of the scrum to plug the gap in the second row.

“Lucky we have some good depth in terms of guys who have played in those positions like Pieter-Steph du Toit and Ruan Nortje had a good game in his last outing,” the Springboks assistant explained.

“We have also got an experienced guy in Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg who we have brought in and we have Ben-Jason Dixon who has also played a few games at lock for the Stormers.

“It will always be tough when you lose so much experience but it is also a great opportunity and an exciting one to see the quality that the next guy [in the Springboks’ ranks] can bring to the squad.”

WHO DO YOU THINK WILL START AT LOCK FOR SOUTH AFRICA?

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Rassie Erasmus and the Springboks will have to make due without a plethora of key players when they take on the All Blacks in the first of two tests.

South Africa hosts New Zealand at Ellis Park in round 3 of The Rugby Championship on Saturday, 31 August 2024. Kick off is at 17:00.

FULL LIST OF SPRINGBOKS RULED OUT OF NEW ZEALAND TEST

• RG Snyman
• Lood de Jager
• Franco Mostert
• Salmaan Moerat
• Jean Kleyn
• Evan Roos
• Faf de Klerk
• Damian Willemse

LOCK CRISIS TO UNLOCK NEW SECOND ROW PAIRING

The Springboks have a total of FIVE locks ruled out. However, Springboks assistant coach Deon Davids is confident that they have the squad depth and players needed to step up.

“Yes, we have a few injuries amongst our locks, but it’s part of the game and Pieter-Steph (du Toit) and Ruan (Nortje) had good games in our last outing. It’s never nice to lose experience, but this will open up opportunities for other players to put up their hands and show what they can do at the highest level,”

“Franco (Mostert), Lood (de Jager) and Jean (Kleyn) are also out and while it may seem like a crisis, we see it as an opportunity to increase our depth at lock and we want the next players to show us what they can do” he stated on SARugby.

Additionally, Bok lock and enforcer, Eben “Elizabedi” Etzebeth is now an injury concern too, as reported on The South African. Moreover, RG Snyman (leg) and Salmaan Moerat are both unavailable for selection in the first test between the Springboks and All Blacks at Ellis Park.

BOK VETERANS SIDELINED FOR DURATION OF THE RUGBY CHAMOIONSHI

Lood de Jager (shoulder), Franco Mostert (broken leg) and Faf de Klerk (thigh) as well as Jean Kleyn are all sidelined with injuries. Meanwhile, Evan Roos underwent shoulder surgery for a persisting niggle that he has battled with for several seasons.

Thankfully, Willemse is on his way back from his injury (fingers) having posted pictures of himself training on his Instagram.

DO YOU THINK THE SPRINGBOKS HAVE ENOUGH DEPTH TO BEAT THE ALL BLACKS AT ELLIS PARK?

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Prior to the start of the Rugby Championship, World Cup trio Jean Kleyn, Franco Mostert and Lood de Jager were already sidelined with serious injuries.

At the worst possible time, fellow locks RG Snyman (foot) and Salmaan Moerat (concussion) have been ruled out of this Saturday’s Test, while Eben Etzebeth is also a doubt due to injury.

This leaves inexperienced Ruan Nortje and Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg as the only two fit members of the squad.

Pieter-Steph du Toit is now likely to fill in at No 5, while Ben-Jason Dixon could be considered at No 4.

“Salmaan went off with an HIA, so unfortunately he won’t be available for selection,” Davids said at a press conference, as quoted by SuperSport.com.

“Unfortunately we have an injury list when it comes to our locks. We know that guys like Lood de Jager, Franco Mostert and Jean Kleyn are out. At this point in time RG Snyman is also unavailable due to a leg injury and I can’t go into detail but it looks like he will be out for a couple of weeks.

“At this point in time Eben Etzebeth is also a doubt with a bit of a niggle. It is also something we will look at in terms of his availability. Lucky we have some good depth, guys who have played in those positions like Pieter-Steph and Ruan Nortje, and Nicolaas who we brought in. We also have Ben-Jason who can play there.

“It is always tough when you lose players with experience but it is also a great opportunity for those players to see the quality of what the next guy can bring to the squad.”

Springboks squad for the Rugby Championship Tests against the All Blacks:

Props: Thomas du Toit (Bath), Steven Kitshoff (Stormers), Vincent Koch (Sharks), Frans Malherbe (Stormers), Ox Nche (Sharks), Gerhard Steenekamp, Jan-Hendrik Wessels (both Bulls).
Hookers: Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears), Bongi Mbonambi (Sharks).
Locks: Eben Etzebeth (Sharks), Salmaan Moerat (Stormers), Ruan Nortje (Bulls), RG Snyman (Leinster), Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg (Montpellier).
Loose forwards: Ben-Jason Dixon (Stormers), Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz), Siya Kolisi (captain, Racing 92), Elrigh Louw (Bulls), Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs), Marco van Staden (Bulls), Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers).
Scrumhalves: Jaden Hendrikse (Sharks), Cobus Reinach (Montpellier), Grant Williams (Sharks).
Flyhalves: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Manie Libbok (both Stormers), Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers).
Centres: Lukhanyo Am (Sharks), Damian de Allende (Wild Knights), Andre Esterhuizen (Sharks), Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles).
Outside backs: Kurt-Lee Arendse (Bulls), Aphelele Fassi (Sharks), Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath), Willie le Roux (Bulls), Makazole Mapimpi (Sharks), Canan Moodie (Bulls).

Meanwhile, Ireland’s Andrew Brace will referee the Springboks’ first Test against the All Blacks at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Saturday, 31 August.

Kick-off is scheduled for 17:00.

Brace will be assisted by England’s Matthew Carley and Australia’s Jordan Way, while Ireland’s Brian MacNeice will be on TMO duty.

South Africa have a decent record when being officiated by Brace having won three of the four Tests the 36-year-old has taken charge of.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP OFFICIALS

WHO WILL WIN SATURDAY’S TEST?

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Springboks are hosting the All Blacks at Ellis Park on Saturday, in a rematch of the 2023 Rugby World Cup final.

South Africa are currently top of the Rugby Championship log with two bonus-point wins from their opening two Tests against the Wallabies, while the All Blacks are in second place courtesy of their single victory from two outings against Argentina.

Considering both teams’ form coming into this clash, the Springboks are favourites to win this encounter against the underdog All Blacks.

But the odds could well be a bit more balanced now following confirmation that Rassie Erasmus’ side have a mini-crisis at lock.

According to Springbok assistant coach Deon Davids, RG Snyman (foot) and Salmaan Moerat (concussion) have been ruled out of Saturday’s showdown, and the coaching staff after sweating over the availability of Springbok enforcer Eben Etzebeth, who is also struggling with an injury.

SPRINGBOKS VS ALL ALL BLACKS: STATS AND FACTS

In the 106 Tests between these nations, the Springboks have won 40, lost 62 and drawn four for a 38% win rate. Additionally, South Africa have scored 1741 points and 168 tries, while conceding 2196 points and 240 tries. 

As for recent history, the Springboks were victorious in the last two Tests in this fixture – the Qatar Cup match at Twickenham and the 2023 Rugby World Cup final in Paris. A win at Ellis Park this week, will see South Africa notch up a record-equalling third straight over the All Blacks, which was set in 2009.

That said, the All Blacks seem to have the Springboks’ measure at Ellis Park. The New Zealand are currently on a hot streak at the renowned venue, winning three of the last four Tests there, dating back to 2013. 

WILL SOUTH AFRICA WIN WITHOUT EBEN ETZEBETH?

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Revamped PRASA Park Station Mall

Rugby fans will be able to board the Gautrain and ride to Park Station, cross over to the revamped PRASA Park Station Mall, grab something to eat at any one of the food outlets, and then board the train to the game on Saturday, 31 August. 

“The train ride from Park Station in the Johannesburg CBD [central business district] to Ellis Park Station is three minutes. What we are doing for the game is to illustrate how different elements of public transport can and should work together,” Creecy said.

PRASA and the Gautrain Management Agency, working together with the City of Johannesburg and the Rugby Union at Emirates Park Stadium, decided to throw their weight behind this international event to ensure a hassle-free, safe transport solution for the fans who want to use the train. 

The event is also supported by the Gauteng Provincial Government, as the host province.

Critical role that rail plays

Rugby fans will be able to board the Gautrain at any of the seven stations between Hatfield and Park Stations (Hatfield, Pretoria, Centurion, Midrand, Marlboro, Sandton and Rosebank) or any of the five stations between OR Tambo International Airport and Park Stations (OR Tambo, Rhodesfield, Marlboro, Sandton, Rosebank) – of course changing trains at Sandton Station.

Emphasising the critical role that rail plays in the daily lives of South Africans, the Minister said the Department of Transport will forge closer links between provinces and municipalities to ensure that people can go to work or school, or a rugby or football match, using public transport.

“Our government, across the national, provincial and local spheres, must work together to design and build sustainable cities with integrated transport systems which will assist in growing our country’s economy and which is ultimately for the benefit of our citizens. 

“The proposed expansion of the Gautrain network, further north and south, is a clear example of our intention to further integrate our public transport system to achieve sustainable cities that work for our people,” the Minister said.

The bitter rivals will clash at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Saturday, 31 August and then for a second time a week later at the Cape Town Stadium in Cape Town.

Both matches will kick off at 17:00.

Setbacks

After two matches in this year’s tournament, the Springboks lead the way after two bonus-point away victories over Australia.

The All Blacks were seen enjoying a leg-loosener after their flight from New Zealand, before getting down to serious business ahead of the weekend.

The All Blacks suffered three setbacks ahead of their trip to South Africa with lock Patrick Tuipulotu, fullback Stephen Perofeta and prop Ethan de Groot all missing out due to injuries.

In addition, the squad was hit by the shock resignation of assistant coach Leon MacDonald.

On paper it’s one of the weakest-looking All Blacks squads to ever visit South Africa, with it coming as no surprise that leading South African bookmakers have installed Rassie Erasmus’s Springboks as overwhelming favourites for the first Test.

As reported by The South African website, the Springboks and All Blacks have clashed on 15 previous occasions at Ellis Park, with South Africa having won nine of those matches and lost six.

In the 106 previous Tests between the two nations, the All Blacks hold the advantage having won 62, lost 40 while four matches have ended in stalemates.

Revised All Blacks squad

Hookers: Asafo Aumua, Codie Taylor, George Bell

Props: Tyrel Lomax, Fletcher Newell, Pasilio Tosi, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Tamaiti Williams, George Bower

Locks: Scott Barrett (captain) Sam Darry, Josh Lord, Tupou Vaa’i

Loose forwards: Ethan Blackadder, Sam Cane, Samipeni Finau, Luke Jacobson, Dalton Papali’i, Ardie Savea, Wallace Sititi

Scrumhalves: Noah Hotham, TJ Perenara, Cortez Ratima

Flyhalves: Beauden Barrett, Damian McKenzie

Centres: Jordie Barrett, David Havili, Rieko Ioane, Anton Lienert-Brown, Billy Proctor

Wingers: Caleb Clarke, Will Jordan, Sevu Reece, Mark Tele’a

Fullbacks: Ruben Love, Harry Plummer

Springbok squad for the New Zealand leg of the Rugby Championship:

Props: Thomas du Toit (Bath), Steven Kitshoff (Stormers), Vincent Koch (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Frans Malherbe (Stormers), Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Gerhard Steenekamp (Bulls), Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Bulls)

Hookers: Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears), Bongi Mbonambi (Hollywoodbets Sharks)

Locks: Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Salmaan Moerat (Stormers), Ruan Nortje (Bulls), RG Snyman (Leinster), Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg (Montpellier)

Loose forwards: Ben-Jason Dixon (Stormers), Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz), Siya Kolisi (captain, Racing 92), Elrigh Louw (Bulls), Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs), Marco van Staden (Bulls), Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers)

Scrumhalves: Jaden Hendrikse (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Cobus Reinach (Montpellier), Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks)

Flyhalves: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (Stormers), Manie Libbok (Stormers), Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers)

Centres: Lukhanyo Am (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Damian de Allende (Wild Knights), Andre Esterhuizen (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles)

Outside backs: Kurt-Lee Arendse (Bulls), Aphelele Fassi (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath), Willie le Roux (Bulls), Makazole Mapimpi (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Canan Moodie (Bulls)

Hollywoodbets have marked up the Springboks as 1/3 favourites to triumph at Ellis Park on Saturday, 31 August.

Kick-off is at 17:00.

Meanwhile, the All Blacks can be backed at 24/10, with the draw after 80 minutes on offer at 25/1.

In terms of handicap, the Springboks are seen to be 8.5-point favourites.

Springboks have beaten the All Blacks nine times at Ellis Park

The Springboks currently top the 2024 Rugby Championship standings with a full-house of 10 points after two bonus-point wins over Australia Down Under.

Rassie Erasmus’s men won 33-7 in Brisbane and followed that up with a 30-12 victory in Perth.

The All Blacks, meanwhile, lost their opener against Argentina in Wellington 38-20, before rebounding to pick up a bonus-point win at their Eden Park fortress, 42-10.

It was the 50th consecutive match without defeat for the All Blacks in Auckland.

As exclusively reported by The South African website, the Springboks and All Blacks have played 17 Tests in Johannesburg in their long history, 15 of which have taken place at Ellis Park.

The other two – which both resulted in wins for New Zealand – took place at the FNB Stadium.

The Springboks have won nine of the Tests at Ellis Park and lost six.

South Africa’s most memorable win over the All Blacks in Johannesburg came in the final of the Rugby World Cup in 1995.

The Springboks and All Blacks will clash for a second time at the Cape Town Stadium in the Mother City of Saturday, 7 September.

That match will also kick off at 17:00.

Have the bookies got their odds correct?

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White of course oversaw the iconic 2007 World Cup triumph, which was the obvious highlight of his four-year tenure, while Erasmus led the Springboks to back-to-back titles in 2019 and 2023.

Since last year’s World Cup, Erasmus has moved permanently back into a role as head coach of the Springboks.

Meanwhile, White remains at the helm of the Bulls, having enjoyed remarkable success since joining the Pretoria-based franchise in 2020.

Talented Springbok newcomer Elrigh Louw is obviously coached by White at domestic level, and he has interestingly revealed that there is a clear difference in styles between him and Erasmus.

“I don’t think I will upset anyone with this but I think Rassie is more hands-on type of guy,” the back-rower said on The Good, The Bad and The Rugby South Africa podcast.

“He gets involved in training, running around kicking balls, getting in between rucks, and simulating the opposition.

“While Jake is more of a delegator, or facilitator so he gets his coaches underneath him to buy into his vision and where he wants to go.”

You can see the full interview with the Springbok star below:

Braced for battle against the All Blacks

Louw is expected to retain his place at No 8 for the upcoming Tests against the All Blacks, with Erasmus confirming they will continue to back the next generation of players.

“We are also excited to see what some of the young players can do in these two Tests if they get a run after making a strong impression on the coaches so far this season,” he commented.

“Similarly to the coaches, they are fully aware that this will be a new challenge in intense matches between two of the biggest rivals in world rugby, but the experienced they gained by facing in Australia in two tough Test matches overseas – one of which was in extreme weather conditions – will set them in good stead going into this series.”

With the one-point loss in the Rugby World Cup final still hanging over them the All Blacks will want blood.

Top of the table heading into these encounters, the Springboks will be favourites for these clashes.

Springboks expect All Blacks response

However, Rassie Erasmus is not willing to write off the Springboks’ greatest rivals.

The record between the sides speaks for itself.

“New Zealand are ranked third in the world, and they always test us to the limit,” said Erasmus.

“We also saw last week what they can do under pressure when they defeated Argentina 42-10 after going down in their first Test against the Pumas.

“We know these two tests will provide a completely different challenge to what we’ve faced against an Australian team that is still finding their feet with a new coach and a bunch of young players coming through the ranks.

“They are one of the best teams in the world and they tend to deliver top drawer performances against us time and time again, so we have to be charged up physically and mentally for the challenge ahead.

“It’s good that we are facing them at home in front of our passionate supporters in sold-out stadiums, although they have a strong support base in Cape Town, so we are under no illusions about what lies ahead.

“That said, it’s vital for us to continue building on the momentum that we gained in our first two games.

“We are currently at the top of the Castle Lager Rugby Championship table, but one result can change that, so we realise the importa

Squad refreshed

The Springboks welcome back injured stars Jaden Hendrikse, Steven Kitshoff and Canan Moodie and have made a surprising recall of one-cap Bok Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg.

Jasper Wiese and Andre Esterhuizen also link up with the group.

“It’s good to have Steven, Jaden and Canan back from injury, along with Jasper and Andre. They are all Rugby World Cup winners, who have delivered quality performances consistently against the top teams in the world, so they’ll bring experience and their unique skillsets to this squad,” Erasmus added.

“As a team we are in a good position in terms of squad depth with 32 of the 33 players on tour playing against the Wallabies – the only exception was RG Snyman who suffered a foot niggle – and we have full faith in the young players to showcase their talent once again against a completely different opponent in New Zealand.

“Adding to that, all these players, with the exception of Nicolaas, were members of our training squad in Pretoria in July and our alignment camps earlier in the year, and they’ve have been regular members of the squad in the last few years, so they understand our systems and should slot in with ease.

“Nicolaas has had a good season with Montpellier and is a capped Springbok, so we are excited to welcome him back into the fold.”

Can the All Blacks win the Rugby Championship

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The Rugby Championship is back after a one-week break in play and the action kicks off with a delicious encounter between the high-flying Springboks and a New Zealand side dead set on re-establishing their status as the best team in the world after a difficult few months in the Test arena.

On the back of their World up final win over the All Blacks, the Springboks have accumulated wins over Ireland, Wales, Portugal and Australia (twice) this season.

By contrast, the All Blacks clinched a series win over England and beat Fiji once, but they slumped to an opening round Rugby Championship defeat against Argentina before beating Los Pumas the following week to at least keep their impressive unbeaten streak at Eden Park in tact.

SPRINGBOKS VS ALL ALL BLACKS: STATS AND FACTS

In the 106 Tests between these nations, the Springboks have won 40, lost 62 and drawn four for a 38% win rate. Additionally, South Africa have scored 1741 points and 168 tries, while conceding 2196 points and 240 tries.

As for recent history, the Springboks were victorious in the last two Tests in this fixture – the Qatar Cup match at Twickenham and the 2023 Rugby World Cup final in Paris. A win at Ellis Park this week, will see South Africa notch up a record-equalling third straight over the All Blacks, which was set in 2009.

That said, the All Blacks seem to have the Springboks’ measure at Ellis Park. The New Zealand are currently on a hot streak at the renowned venue, winning three of the last four Tests there, dating back to 2013.

SOUTH AFRICA AND NEW ZEALAND’S RIVALRY: ADDITIONAL INFO

WHO WILL WIN SATURDAY’S SPRINGBOKS VS ALL BLACKS TEST?

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After going head-to-head at Ellis Park this weekend, the Springboks and All Blacks will then face off in Cape Town on 7 September.

Amid the build up to these epic clashes, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie claimed that the Springbok matches against the All Blacks would air on SABC.

“I’ve got very good news. I met with SuperSport and I am happy to tell you that you will be able to watch the Springboks and New Zealand game even if you do not have a decoder,” McKenzie said.

However, it then appeared that he may have spoken too soon, with SuperSport refuting an agreement had been reached just yet.

“Contrary to news reports, at this stage, SuperSport has not concluded agreements with any broadcaster for the Rugby Championship matches, including the Springboks-All Blacks matches.

“SuperSport will bring the Springboks-All Blacks matches live to DStv viewers,” the broadcaster said in statement released on Friday evening. 

Still hope for Springboks’ games to be on SABC

Despite some believing that McKenzie had been caught in a lie, he subsequently suggested that everything was clear, and seemingly set to be resolved before the weekend.

“Nobody lied here. We know the terms and expectation from the rights holder for us to make this available; we intend to fully meet those expectations in the interest of the nation,” he said on X (formerly Twitter)

“This is not a normal game; this is the anniversary of the most important rugby game. Lets talk in a week.” 

Meanwhile, it has been confirmed by SA Rugby that the Springboks’ matchday 23 for this Saturday’s blockbuster Test will be named at midday on Tuesday.

SA squad for the Rugby Championship Tests:

Props: Thomas du Toit (Bath), Steven Kitshoff (Stormers), Vincent Koch (Sharks), Frans Malherbe (Stormers), Ox Nche (Sharks), Gerhard Steenekamp, Jan-Hendrik Wessels (both Bulls).
Hookers: Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears), Bongi Mbonambi (Sharks).
Locks: Eben Etzebeth (Sharks), Salmaan Moerat (Stormers), Ruan Nortje (Bulls), RG Snyman (Leinster), Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg (Montpellier).
Loose forwards: Ben-Jason Dixon (Stormers), Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz), Siya Kolisi (captain, Racing 92), Elrigh Louw (Bulls), Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs), Marco van Staden (Bulls), Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers).
Scrumhalves: Jaden Hendrikse (Sharks), Cobus Reinach (Montpellier), Grant Williams (Sharks).
Flyhalves: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Manie Libbok (both Stormers), Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers).
Centres: Lukhanyo Am (Sharks), Damian de Allende (Wild Knights), Andre Esterhuizen (Sharks), Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles).
Outside backs: Kurt-Lee Arendse (Bulls), Aphelele Fassi (Sharks), Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath), Willie le Roux (Bulls), Makazole Mapimpi (Sharks), Canan Moodie (Bulls).

A fair bit has changed over the last nine months since these teams met in the 2023 World Cup final, with both sides making new head coach appointments, while there are several new players in the mix.

This certainly rings true at the Springboks, where Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu has enjoyed a meteoric rise, while another ‘newcomer’ Gerhard Steenekamp is interestingly expected to start at loosehead prop this weekend.

Meanwhile, with the Springboks contending with an injury crisis at lock, Pieter-Steph du Toit is now set to continue to stand in at No 5, a position he primarily played when he first progressed onto the senior stage. This could see Ben-Jason Dixon continue at blindside flank, with Elrigh Louw most likely retaining the No 8 jersey.

Below, we take a look at how the Springboks are expected to line up against the All Blacks, with the team set to be officially named on Tuesday.

Springboks: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Elrigh Louw, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp.
Replacements: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Ox Nche, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Marco van Staden, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Handré Pollard.

It has been confirmed by SA Rugby that the Springboks’ matchday 23 for this blockbuster Test will be named at midday on Tuesday.

Springboks squad for the Rugby Championship Tests against the All Blacks:

Props: Thomas du Toit (Bath), Steven Kitshoff (Stormers), Vincent Koch (Sharks), Frans Malherbe (Stormers), Ox Nche (Sharks), Gerhard Steenekamp, Jan-Hendrik Wessels (both Bulls).
Hookers: Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears), Bongi Mbonambi (Sharks).
Locks: Eben Etzebeth (Sharks), Salmaan Moerat (Stormers), Ruan Nortje (Bulls), RG Snyman (Leinster), Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg (Montpellier).
Loose forwards: Ben-Jason Dixon (Stormers), Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz), Siya Kolisi (captain, Racing 92), Elrigh Louw (Bulls), Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs), Marco van Staden (Bulls), Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers).
Scrumhalves: Jaden Hendrikse (Sharks), Cobus Reinach (Montpellier), Grant Williams (Sharks).
Flyhalves: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Manie Libbok (both Stormers), Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers).
Centres: Lukhanyo Am (Sharks), Damian de Allende (Wild Knights), Andre Esterhuizen (Sharks), Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles).
Outside backs: Kurt-Lee Arendse (Bulls), Aphelele Fassi (Sharks), Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath), Willie le Roux (Bulls), Makazole Mapimpi (Sharks), Canan Moodie (Bulls).

Meanwhile, Ireland’s Andrew Brace will referee the Springboks’ first Test against the All Blacks at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Saturday, 31 August.

Kick-off is scheduled for 17:00.

Brace will be assisted by England’s Matthew Carley and Australia’s Jordan Way, while Ireland’s Brian MacNeice will be on TMO duty.

South Africa have a decent record when being officiated by Brace having won three of the four Tests the 36-year-old has taken charge of.

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP OFFICIALS

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu is expected to retain the No 10 jersey, starting alongside veteran scrumhalf Cobus Reinach.

Interestingly, it’s reported that Gerhard Steenekamp could start ahead of Ox Nche at loosehead prop, while Pieter-Steph du Toit may potentially fill the No 5 role again, with Ben-Jason Dixon at blindside flank.

It has been confirmed by SA Rugby that the Springboks’ matchday 23 for this blockbuster Test will be named at midday on Tuesday.

Springboks squad for the Rugby Championship Tests against the All Blacks:

Props: Thomas du Toit (Bath), Steven Kitshoff (Stormers), Vincent Koch (Sharks), Frans Malherbe (Stormers), Ox Nche (Sharks), Gerhard Steenekamp, Jan-Hendrik Wessels (both Bulls).
Hookers: Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears), Bongi Mbonambi (Sharks).
Locks: Eben Etzebeth (Sharks), Salmaan Moerat (Stormers), Ruan Nortje (Bulls), RG Snyman (Leinster), Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg (Montpellier).
Loose forwards: Ben-Jason Dixon (Stormers), Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz), Siya Kolisi (captain, Racing 92), Elrigh Louw (Bulls), Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs), Marco van Staden (Bulls), Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers).
Scrumhalves: Jaden Hendrikse (Sharks), Cobus Reinach (Montpellier), Grant Williams (Sharks).
Flyhalves: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Manie Libbok (both Stormers), Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers).
Centres: Lukhanyo Am (Sharks), Damian de Allende (Wild Knights), Andre Esterhuizen (Sharks), Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles).
Outside backs: Kurt-Lee Arendse (Bulls), Aphelele Fassi (Sharks), Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath), Willie le Roux (Bulls), Makazole Mapimpi (Sharks), Canan Moodie (Bulls).

NZ squad:

Hookers: Asafo Aumua, Codie Taylor, George Bell

Props: Tyrel Lomax, Fletcher Newell, Pasilio Tosi, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Tamaiti Williams, George Bower

Locks: Scott Barrett (captain) Sam Darry, Josh Lord, Tupou Vaa’i

Loose forwards: Ethan Blackadder, Sam Cane, Samipeni Finau, Luke Jacobson, Dalton Papali’i, Ardie Savea, Wallace Sititi

Scrumhalves: Noah Hotham, TJ Perenara, Cortez Ratima

Flyhalves: Beauden Barrett, Damian McKenzie

Centres: Jordie Barrett, David Havili, Rieko Ioane, Anton Lienert-Brown, Billy Proctor

Wingers: Caleb Clarke, Will Jordan, Sevu Reece, Mark Tele’a

Fullbacks: Ruben Love, Harry Plummer