Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has named an experienced 23-man squad for South Africa’s opening match of the second phase of the 2026 Nations Championship against Italy in Turin on Saturday, 7 November.
Captain Siya Kolisi will lead the side, which features several established Springbok players as the team looks to maintain its position at the top of the Southern Hemisphere standings.
The only player in the matchday squad making his first appearance in the green and gold jersey this season is lock Salmaan Moerat, who returns after recovering from neck and toe injuries that kept him out of the previous international matches.
Moerat will partner Ruan Nortje in the second row, while Ox Nche, Malcolm Marx and Thomas du Toit form the front row. Kolisi will captain the side from the loose trio alongside Pieter-Steph du Toit and Jasper Wiese.
In the backline, Morne van den Berg and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu will form the halfback pairing, with Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel combining in midfield. Ethan Hooker, Kurt-Lee Arendse and Damian Willemse complete the backline.
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Erasmus has opted for a six-two split on the replacements bench, with Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Gerhard Steenekamp, Wilco Louw, Lood de Jager, Cameron Hanekom and Paul de Villiers providing forward cover. Grant Williams and Manie Libbok complete the replacements.
The Springboks head into the encounter level on 15 points with New Zealand at the top of the Southern Hemisphere standings, with South Africa occupying first place due to a superior points difference.
Saturday’s clash is the first of three important fixtures on the European tour, with the Boks scheduled to face France in Paris on 13 November before taking on Ireland in Dublin on 21 November. The results will determine their progression towards the Nations Championship Finals Weekend, which concludes on 29 November.
Erasmus stressed the importance of making a strong start to the tour, while acknowledging the challenge posed by Italy.
We have three challenging matches ahead if we want to advance to the last game of the Finals Weekend, so our next three matches are going to be vital to lay a strong foundation for the tour,” said Erasmus.
He expects Italy, who are ranked 11th in the world, to provide a stern challenge in front of their home supporters.
Italy are a quality team who will enter this match with immense motivation with an eye on trying to start their home leg on a positive note in front of their home crowd,” he added.
The Springboks have won 18 of their previous 19 meetings against Italy, with their only defeat coming in Florence in 2016 when the hosts claimed a 20-18 victory. South Africa won the most recent meeting in Turin 32-14 last year.
The match kicks off at 13:40 (South African time) and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.
Springbok team to face Italy:
