Springboks Pick Experienced Squad For Wallabies Rugby Championship Opener
Springboks Pick Experienced Squad For Wallabies Rugby Championship Opener
The Springboks named an experienced squad for their Rugby Championship opener vs. Australia, with Eben Etzebeth set for a record 134th cap at Ellis Park.
South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus named a squad stacked with experience for the Springboks’ Castle Lager Rugby Championship opener against Australia at Ellis Park on Saturday, including 18 Rugby World Cup winners.
- Subscribe To FloRugby To Watch Every Match Of The 2025 Rugby Championship
- The 100 Best Rugby Players In The World: The Full List
- Rassie Erasmus Unveils 37-Man Springbok Squad For Rugby Championship Opener
- Rugby's Powerhouses Collide: Why You Need to Watch The Rugby Championship
Only three players have five test caps or fewer: Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Edwill van der Merwe and Asenathi Ntlabakanye, who debuted in July against Italy.
The Boks will aim for a fifth straight win over the Wallabies, their longest streak in more than 50 years.
Lock Eben Etzebeth will earn his 134th test cap, extending his record as South Africa’s most-capped player and moving into a tie for 10th place on the all-time men’s list alongside Wales prop Gethin Jenkins.
Siya Kolisi will captain the team from No. 8 for the first time, with Pieter-Steph du Toit and Marco van Staden completing the loose trio.
Etzebeth partners Lood de Jager in the second row, while the front row features Ox Nche, Malcolm Marx and Wilco Louw.
The back line includes fullback Aphelele Fassi, wings Kurt-Lee Arendse and Van der Merwe, centers Jesse Kriel and Andre Esterhuizen, and the halfback pairing of Manie Libbok and Grant Williams.
“We’ve been experimenting with player combinations and believe this team will allow us to play the type of rugby we want against Australia,” Erasmus said. “The Wallabies will come out guns blazing, but we are confident our players are ready.”
Damian de Allende was ruled out with a back injury, while Cheslin Kolbe has recovered from a niggle but was not selected.
Australia arrives with confidence after a 22-12 victory and a narrow 29-26 loss to the British & Irish Lions.
South Africa is unbeaten against the Wallabies at Ellis Park in six matches.
Rugby fans in North America can catch all of The Rugby Championship action live and exclusively on FloRugby.
Springbok Lineup Vs. Wallabies
Starting XV: 15 Aphelele Fassi; 14 Edwill van der Merwe; 13 Jesse Kriel; 12 Andre Esterhuizen; 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse; 10 Manie Libbok; 9 Grant Williams; 8 Siya Kolisi (captain); 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit; 6 Marco van Staden; 5 Lood de Jager; 4 Eben Etzebeth; 3 Wilco Louw; 2 Malcolm Marx; 1 Ox Nche.
Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi; 17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels; 18 Asenathi Ntlabakanye; 19 Franco Mostert; 20 Kwagga Smith; 21 Cobus Reinach; 22 Canan Moodie; 23 Damian Willemse.
South Africa has won 52 of 95 matches against Australia, losing 40 and drawing three. The Boks’ biggest win came in 2008, a 53-8 result at Ellis Park.
How To Watch Rugby Matches In The United States On FloRugby
The URC will stream all its matches on FloRugby and the FloSports app in the United States. FloRugby and FloSports also are the U.S. home to:
FloRugby also is home to match archives and match replays.