During the 2024 season to date, Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has largely experimented with his squad selections, while predominantly still managing to balance this with a winning brand of rugby.
However, Erasmus has stuck with the tried and tested in his squad selection for the end-of-year tour, with only a few ‘newcomers’ such as Cameron Hanekom and Jordan Hendrikse included as a result of other injuries.
For the first November Test against Scotland next weekend, Erasmus will face a few challenging selection decisions as he contemplates whether to go all out with a first-choice team, or perhaps offer game-time to some ‘new’ players who have come into the Springbok mix this year.
Trying to predict what Erasmus will do with his team selection has been a fruitless task so far in 2024, but this is the matchday 23 we think would make sense for the first clash against Scotland.
Probable Springbok team: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Cheslin Kolbe, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi, 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Vincent Koch, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche.
Replacements: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Grant Williams, 22 Manie Libbok, 23 Lukhanyo Am.
WOULD YOU MAKE ANY CHANGES TO THIS SPRINGBOK TEAM?
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The Springboks will play three Tests on their end-of-year tour to the United Kingdom.
Those fixtures are:
Sunday, 10 November vs Scotland at Murrayfield, Edinburgh – 18:10 (SA time)
Saturday, 16 November vs England, Allianz Stadium, London – 19:40 (SA time)
Saturday, 23 November vs Wales, Principality Stadium, Cardiff – 19:40 (SA time)
Updated squad for the Outgoing Tour:
Props: Thomas du Toit (Bath), Vincent Koch (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Wilco Louw (Vodacom Bulls), Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Gerhard Steenekamp (Vodacom Bulls).
Hookers: Johan Grobbelaar (Vodacom Bulls), Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears), Bongi Mbonambi (Hollywoodbets Sharks).
Locks: Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Franco Mostert (Honda Heat), Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls), RG Snyman (Leinster).
Loose forwards: Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz), Cameron Hanekom (Vodacom Bulls), Siya Kolisi (captain, Hollywoodbets Sharks), Elrigh Louw (Vodacom Bulls), Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs), Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls), Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks).
Scrumhalves: Jaden Hendrikse (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Cobus Reinach (Montpellier), Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks).
Flyhalves: Jordan Hendrikse (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Manie Libbok (DHL Stormers), Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers).
Centres: Lukhanyo Am (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Damian de Allende (Wild Knights), Andre Esterhuizen (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles).
Outside backs: Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls), Aphelele Fassi (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath), Willie le Roux (Vodacom Bulls), Makazole Mapimpi (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls)
