Category: Springboks

Rassie has picked a strong side for the starting game of the Rugby Championship against the Wallabies. Due to Damian de Allende and Cheslin Kolbe unavailable to injury Andre Esterhuizen and Edwill van der Merwe will start. Siya Kolisi has moved to 8 with Marco van Staden playing at 6. The combination of Grant Williams and Manie Libbok is the best attacking half back combo the Boks have.

Rassie has made more wholesale changes for the game against the Georgians. The remaining uncapped front row forwards (Boan Venter, Marnus van der Merwe and Neethling Fouche) will start against Georgia while Cobus Wiese will be tried out at 8. Eben Etzebeth and Siya Kolisi are back in the starting team. The bench has a lot of experience with the likes of Pollard, Bongi and co.

Rassie has overhauled the team from last weekend to give other players in his squad the opportunity to face Italy. Ethan Hooker should get his Bok cap in the second half along with Asenathi Ntlabakanye and Cobus Wiese (the brother of Jasper). Salmaan Moerat willl captain the team.

Rassie has made a number of rotational changes to the Bok side. Vincent Tshituka will get his first start in an official test after a storming game against the Barbarians. Damian Willemse and Handre Pollard will start at 15 and 10 respectively, with Jasper Wiese, Eben Etzebeth and Wilco Louw starting in the pack. Jesse Kriel retains the captaincy.

Vincent Tshituka will debut for the Boks against the Barbarians on Saturday. Apart from the half backs the Boks will feature a pretty experienced back line. Lood de Jager makes his return to the Boks, while Jean-Luc du Preez gets another opportunity at 8. Asenathi Ntlabakanye will anchor the scrum along with the Malcolm Marx and Ox Nche. The four players including Vincent who make their debut will not be capped though – as the game does not count as an official test.

I am disappointed not to see Ethan Hooker in the mix, but apparently Rassie wants to use this game to get the Japan based Boks some match practice.

Rassie has picked a squad of 54 players for the upcoming games against the Barbarians, Italy and Georgia. Vincent Tshituka and Ethan Hooker are amongst the nine uncapped players selected.

Jordan Hendrikse will start against Wales next to his brother. Rassie has kept the rest of the backline that played against England. Bongi and PSDT are rested. Jean Kleyn and Franco Mostert starts with Eben and RG moving to the bench. Johan Grobbelaar will get another start at hooker.

Rassie has dropped Thomas du Toit, Franco Mostert, Marco van Staden, Jaden Hendrikse, Willie le Roux, Canan Moodie, Lukhanyo Am, Andre Esterhuizen and Makazole Mapimpi. Wilco Louw will start at tight head with a number of players dropping to the bench and a rested (but probably rusty) back line outside of Grant Williams.

Rassie has decided to rest a number of his first choice players against Scotland (De Allende, Kriel, Kolbe, KLA and Fassi) and has benched a further three (PSDT, Kolisi and Wiese). The plan is clear to bludgeon Scotland up front as Grant Williams is the sole back on the bench also loaded with Marx, Steenekamp, Koch and RG Snyman

The Boks will depart this coming Sunday for a training camp in Jersey to prepare for the upcoming tests against Scotland, England and Wales. Hopefully the Shark Boks will be available for the game against Munster this Saturday.