By: Bon Miguela Nhlapo
Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus has opted for continuity ahead of this weekend’s third Castle Lager Double Malt Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Test against New Zealand at FNB Stadium, making only a handful of changes to the team that defeated the All Blacks 33-26 in Cape Town last weekend.
The victory levelled the four-Test series at 1-1, with the winner of Saturday’s encounter set to take a 2-1 lead into next week’s series finale in Baltimore, USA.
The biggest change to the starting XV sees Cheslin Kolbe move from the wing to fullback in place of the injured Damian Willemse, while Kurt-Lee Arendse returns on the right wing. In the forwards, Wilco Louw, Malcolm Marx and Ox Nche return to the starting front row.
Erasmus said the selection was aimed at building greater consistency in the squad’s combinations after the team’s impressive response in Cape Town.
We thought that the players who did the job for us last week really showed composure and did well to stick to the plan and what we wanted to achieve,” said Erasmus.
The Bok coach expects a strong response from the All Blacks following their defeat in Cape Town, particularly after New Zealand claimed a 24-17 victory in the opening Test in Johannesburg.
We know how it felt after the first match in Johannesburg, and such a result really galvanises a team,” said Erasmus.
“So we have no doubt that they will go full-out to win this Test match before the series finale in the USA next week.”
The return of Nche, Louw and Marx to the starting front row is a tactical decision, with Erasmus explaining that the change from last week’s combination was influenced by the conditions in Cape Town.
We decided to change our front rows last week due to the weather conditions, and Johannesburg weather is different to Cape Town, so we thought this would be the best decision for us this weekend,” he said.
Saturday’s clash will also give the Springboks an opportunity to play in front of a huge home crowd at FNB Stadium. Erasmus expects the atmosphere to add to the occasion, but knows the Boks will have to deliver on the field if they are to take the lead in the series.
The Springboks have won six of their last eight Tests against New Zealand dating back to 2023, although the All Blacks have won both previous meetings between the sides at FNB Stadium, in 2010 and 2012.
The Springbok starting XV boasts a combined 959 Test caps, including 592 among the forwards, while a crowd of around 80,000 is expected at the stadium.
Make no mistake, this is going to be another intense battle between the two top teams in the world who are both looking to get an edge in the series, so we know what we have to do, and composure and accuracy are going to be vital for both sides,” said Erasmus.
The third Test kicks off at 17:10 on Saturday, with the match set to be broadcast live.
Springbok starting XV: Cheslin Kolbe starts at fullback, with Kurt-Lee Arendse and Ethan Hooker on the wings. Jesse Kriel and Damian de Allende form the midfield pairing, while Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu starts at flyhalf and Cobus Reinach at scrumhalf. Jasper Wiese is at eighthman, with Pieter-Steph du Toit and captain Siya Kolisi completing the loose trio. Ruan Nortje and Eben Etzebeth are the locks, while Wilco Louw, Malcolm Marx and Ox Nche make up the starting front row.
Replacements: Deon Fourie, Gerhard Steenekamp, Thomas du Toit, Lood de Jager, Andre Esterhuizen, Cameron Hanekom, Morne van den Berg and Manie Libbok will provide cover from the bench.