Rassie Erasmus Names New Captain As Siya Kolisi, Others Are Ruled Out of Springboks v All Blacks Tie
- Springbok captain Siya Kolisi has been ruled out of Saturday's Test against the All Blacks of New Zealand in Johannesburg
- Another Springboks star will lead the side as stand-in captain, with head coach Rassie Erasmus explaining the decision
- Ox Nche returns from injury in time to start, while only two players retain their spots from the Argentina Test
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Springbok captain Siya Kolisi will not take the field when South Africa host New Zealand in Johannesburg on Saturday, with coach Rassie Erasmus confirming the decision as a precautionary measure ahead of a four-Test series against the All Blacks.
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Pieter-Steph du Toit has been named stand-in captain for the clash, which kicks off at 17:10 and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.
Erasmus explains Kolisi's omission
Erasmus clarified that Siya Kolisi’s absence was not due to a serious injury, but was instead part of a cautious approach to managing his workload. He explained that Kolisi had trained well during the week and could have featured, but the coaching staff decided to select Paul de Villiers for the weekend clash.
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Erasmus said the upcoming series of four Tests against New Zealand provided the ideal opportunity to give De Villiers valuable experience, with the player having earned only three international caps so far.
The Springboks coach added that De Villiers had been performing strongly and deserved the chance to make his first Test appearance against New Zealand, while Kolisi’s return would be handled carefully.
Erasmus also stressed that the squad had plenty of quality players competing for places, with selection decisions to be made on a match-by-match basis.
Only 2 players retained from Buenos Aires
The starting XV has undergone major changes from the team that beat Argentina 17-10 in Buenos Aires, with only Eben Etzebeth and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu retaining their places in the starting line-up.
Ox Nche has recovered from injury and returns to the front row alongside Wilco Louw and Malcolm Marx. Etzebeth partners Ruan Nortje in the second row, while De Villiers, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Jasper Wiese make up the loose trio.
In the backline, Feinberg-Mngomezulu joins Grant Williams at halfback, with Cheslin Kolbe, Kurt-Lee Arendse and Damian Willemse completing the back three. The midfield features plenty of experience, with Damian de Allende set to earn his 99th cap at inside centre and Jesse Kriel lining up at outside centre with 90 Test appearances.
Seven players who featured in the Argentina squad have been included on the bench. They are Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Marco van Staden, Cobus Wiese, Gerhard Steenekamp, Zachary Porthen, Andre Esterhuizen and Cobus Reinach. Manie Libbok has also been selected as the specialist fly-half cover.
South Africa have won 43 of their 110 Tests against New Zealand, giving them a 39% win rate, while the All Blacks have claimed 63 victories.
Springboks star ruled out of the season
Briefly News also reported that a Springboks star has suffered a season-ending injury, which means he is set to be out for a long period in 2026.
The South African rugby star's injury comes as bad news for both his club and the Springboks as he's now expected to undergo surgery in a few days.
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Source: Briefly News
