Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus on Thursday named a new-look starting team for the Castle Lager Outgoing Tour Test against Italy at the Allianz Stadium in Turin on Saturday afternoon, which will again be led by inspirational captain Siya Kolisi, with the Bok coach making 11 changes to his run-on side and one on the replacements bench from last week’s 32-17 victory against France.
The players who retained their places in the starting team are Boan Venter (prop), Kolisi (flanker), Kurt-Lee Arendse (wing) and Damian Willemse (fullback), while Erasmus opted for the same bench except for Kwagga Smith (loose forward), who returns to the squad in place of Johan Grobbelaar, who was promoted to the starting lineup.
RG Snyman (replacement lock) is in line to earn his 49th Test cap, leaving him only one match short of joining the select group of players who have racked up a half-century of Test caps.
The Bok coach named a fresh front row of Venter, Grobbelaar, and Zachary Porthen (who made his Test debut against Japan in London), while Jean Kleyn will feature in his first match since the 2023 Rugby World Cup Final when he pairs up with Franco Mostert in the engine room.
Kolisi retains the No 6 jersey in a loose trio with Ben-Jason Dixon, in what marks his first Test this season, and Marco van Staden, who will start at No 8.
The Bok backline also has a new feel to it, with Morne van den Berg and Handre Pollard dictating play at halfback, while Kurt-Lee Arendse and Edwill van der Merwe have been selected at wing. Ethan Hooker and Canan Moodie form a physical centre pairing, and Willemse serving as the last line of defence at fullback.
On the bench, Erasmus – who guided the team in his 50th Test as head coach last week – has included props Gerhard Steenekamp and Wilco Louw, locks Snyman and Ruan Nortje, loose forward Kwagga Smith and hybrid Andre Esterhuizen, while the two specialist backline players are Grant Williams (scrumhalf) and Manie Libbok (flyhalf). Van Staden will serve as the back-up hooker.
“We said from the outset of the tour that we want to give as many players as possible a chance to play, and we believe this team is best suited to the threats Italy will pose,” said Erasmus.
“One of our key pillars is to build squad depth, and it’s great to have players like Jean, Handre, Edwill, and Ben-Jason back, who have all been in the mix in the last few seasons.
“Handre and Jean have played in Rugby World Cups, while Ben-Jason and Edwill have both performed for us at the highest level, and we are excited to see what they’ll bring this weekend.”
Of the decision not to include a specialist back-up hooker among the replacements, Erasmus said: “Marco played hooker for us at the World Cup, and he has been training in the position since, so it doesn’t make a difference whether he starts at loose forward and moves to hooker, or whether we named him solely as the back-up hooker on the bench. He’s a versatile player, and we are confident that he’ll be able to do the job required at No 8 and at hooker if necessary this weekend.”
Erasmus expected Italy to come out firing and said their victory against Australia last week proved what a force they can be.
“We may have won both our matches against them in the Castle Lager Incoming Series, but they tested us well in both matches, and put up a brave fight,” said Erasmus.
“Their victory against Australia will also boost their confidence immensely, so we have a lot of respect for them, and we’ll have to give everything to get the result we want on the weekend.
“They’ve made huge strides in the last few years, and last week’s result shows what they are capable of when they are at their best, so we are not taking them lightly.
“They have also beaten us in Italy before, they are a passionate and well-coached team, and they’ll have an ardent crowd behind them in Torino, so we know what we are in for.”
The game kicks off at 14h40 (SA Time) and will be broadcast live on SuperSport’s Grandstand and Rugby channels.
Springbok team to face Italy in Turin:
15 Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers) – 46 caps, 66 pts (6t, 9c, 4p, 2 dg)
14 Edwill van der Merwe (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 4 caps, 25 pts (5t)
13 Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls) – 20 caps, 40 pts (8t)
12 Ethan Hooker (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 6 caps, 0 pts
11 Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls) – 29 caps, 115 pts (23t)
10 Handre Pollard (Vodacom Bulls) – 84 caps, 815 pts (8t, 122 c, 172 p, 5dg)
9 Morne van den Berg (Emirates Lions) – 4 caps, 15 pts (3t)
8 Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls) – 31 caps, 15 pts (3t)
7 Ben-Jason Dixon (DHL Stormers) – 5 caps, 5 pts (1t)
6 Siya Kolisi (captain, Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 100 caps, 70 pts (14t)
5 Franco Mostert (Honda Heat) – 82 caps, 20 pts (4t)
4 Jean Kleyn (Munster) – 7 caps, 0 pts
3 Zachary Porthen (DHL Stormers) – 1 cap, 0 pts
2 Johan Grobbelaar (Vodacom Bulls) – 5 caps, 0 pts
1 Boan Venter (Edinburgh) – 6 caps, 5 pts (1t)
Replacements:
16 Gerhard Steenekamp (Vodacom Bulls) – 13 caps, 5 pts (1t)
17 Wilco Louw (Vodacom Bulls) – 26 caps, 5 pts (1t)
18 RG Snyman (Leinster) – 48 caps, 15 pts (3t)
19 Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls) – 15 caps, 0 pts
20 Andre Esterhuizen (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 26 caps, 20 pts (4t)
21 Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs) – 60 caps, 55 pts (11t)
22 Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 26 caps, 30 pts (6t)
23 Manie Libbok (Kintetsu Liners) – 26 caps, 141 pts (2t, 46c, 13p)
Stats and facts:
Springbok record against Italy:
Played 18; Won 17; Lost 1; Points for: 851, Points against: 219; Tries scored 113, Tries conceded 19; Highest score 101-0; Biggest win 101 points. Win % 94%.
Miscellaneous:
- RG Snyman requires only one Test cap after Saturday’s encounter to join the select club of players to earn 50 Test caps.
- The Springboks have faced Italy 18 times and won 17 of those matches. Their only defeat was in Florence in 2016, where Italy pipped the Boks by 20-18.
- This will mark the first time the teams face one another in Turin.
- Mani Libbok requires only nine more points to score 150 Test points.
- The total Test caps for the Springbok starting line-up is 430.
- There are 193 caps in the backline, with 237 caps among the forwards. On the bench, there are a further 240 caps.
- The average caps per player in the backline is 28, the forwards 30, while the players on the bench average 30.
Energy
Sport Trivia: She was the first South African to win gold at the Olympics after 44 years. She won the gold medal in the 100m and 200m breaststroke in Atlanta in 1996. Answer: Penny Heyns. Penny Heynes held 14 records for breaststroke. During the 1999 Pan Pacific games, she broke 6 world records, (many of them her own previous records), and by the end of 1999 she held the record for the 50m, 100m and 200m long course breaststroke, simultaneously.
Pixy Mox
Virender Sehwag is the only batsman who got an 80+ strike rate after playing 100 or more tests.