Rassie Erasmus has made 11 changes to the Springbok team for Saturday’s second test against Italy but the selections have not been directed around any unhappiness with the performance in Pretoria last weekend.
In the immediate emotion after the game, Erasmus indicated that some players who’d been part of the 42-24 win in the first test and who were considered first choice players may have played themselves into being second choice players.
However, he said after watching the game again and dissecting it for review purposes he was less dissatisfied than he felt immediately after the final whistle.
And while he said “maybe two or three players” who were initially slated to play this week will now have to wait until the final game of this initial four-match start to the international season against Georgia in Nelspruit next week, the team that will take the field this coming Saturday at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha was pretty close to the squad he had planned on fielding in the second test even before the Pretoria game was played.
South Africa's eighth Test centurion will be joined by three uncapped players in the #Springboks' match-23 for Saturday's return Test against Italy in Gqeberha 💯#ForeverGreenForeverGold
— Springboks (@Springboks) July 8, 2025
The changes that have been made are directed at two purposes - the first is to ensure that he can satisfy his plan to give every player in the squad two games (injury allowing of course) in this phase of the international season and the second is to ensure there is a surprise element for Italy to deal with.
“We felt at the press conference (at Loftus) that we were frustrated and things hadn’t gone according to plan, but after going deep into the game afterwards we saw that there were reasons for what went wrong,” said Erasmus after announcing a youthful looking changed-up team.
LESS OF A KNOWN QUANTITY THIS TIME
Erasmus explained that Italy, going into a game where they would have felt they had nothing to lose, had gambled by going all in at the breakdowns, namely throwing numbers into the loose scrums to disrupt the Bok ball and slow down their possession, and had got away with it.
He said that it was an issue that had been addressed and will be put right in Gqeberha, where Italy will be up against less of a known quantity.
“Most of the guys playing here would have played and those that are not will get a chance against Georgia. We had a very experienced team playing for us last week and while that makes them difficult to play against, it also makes them easier to analyse. It was very tough for us to know where their (Italian) strengths and weaknesses were as they had changed a bit and were an unknown team.
“But we have played against them now and we know what they are about and the guys who played against them in Pretoria will have transferred that knowledge to the guys who are playing here. There are two or three guys who have missed out here but we will play them next week.”
Although Erasmus is using the opportunity to introduce three new caps in the form of reserves Asenathi Ntlabakanye, the Emirates Lions prop who faced the Barbarians two weeks ago but caps weren’t awarded for that game, Vodacom Bulls utility forward Cobus Wiese and Hollywoodbets Sharks centre/wing Ethan Hooker, there is experience coming back in in the form of Pieter-Steph du Toit.
It was thought that Du Toit was still a week away from being ready to play, but he’s been up and running in training and Erasmus says he is looking forward to seeing his knowledge and experience rubbing off on the other players.
“Pieter-Steph was twice World Rugby Player of the Year so of course it is exciting to have him back and when he is back in training you realise the quality he brings,” said the Bok coach.
“But it is not just excitement that I feel for Pieter-Steph being back for what he can do on the field, but also excitement for what he can bring to the guys who are there to learn from him. I am also very excited about a few other players that we’ve selected for this game and I am looking forward to seeing what they can do.”
One of those would be Canan Moodie, who slots in at outside centre alongside Andre Esterhuizen in the midfield.
When the options for No 13 were being assessed before the selection it was forgotten that although the prodigiously talented Moodie has played mostly on the wing for the Boks, his best position going forward is probably outside centre.
He played there when the Boks thumped the All Blacks by a record score against their traditional main rivals in a warmup game for the 2023 Rugby World Cup at Twickenham but injuries and other considerations have prevented him from reprising that role since then.
DON’T FORGET SACHA’S UTILITY VALUE
Erasmus did indicate that he would play halfbacks Cobus Reinach and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu in this game, but as it turns out off the bench and not in the starting team, with Manie Libbok, who when his goalkicking is on song like it was against the Barbarians is arguably the best attacking Bok flyhalf currently, rightly being given a chance to start.
With Libbok at pivot the Nelson Mandela Bay crowd could later in the game get to see what the Stormers will be missing through their decision to let Libbok go on the basis that Feinberg-Mngomezulu is their best flyhalf with Libbok at 10 and Feinberg-Mngomezulu at 12.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu has apparently told the Stormers he wants to play flyhalf but he is a fine inside centre, and until this last URC season he had played most of his Stormers games there and his utility value does need to be capitalised on.
Libbok is the best distributor among the flyhalves while Feinberg-Mngomezulu has developed a penchant for being too individualistic.
Not that anyone will be pigeon-holed into a specific role under Erasmus’s watch, and one of the other things he is clearly excited about is the utility value he has throughout the team.
Jan-Hendrik (Wessels) has played prop but in this game he is clearly going to be given a go at hooker (from the numbering), Cobus Wiese can play lock and flank, Ruan Nortje is at lock for this game but might have played flank, where he has starred recently for the Bulls, were it not for Du Toit’s presence.
Erasmus also mentioned that Evan Roos, who gets a chance off the bench in this game, can cover both No 6 and No 8, and of course the fact that Esterhuizen is more than just a centre, and can cover at looseforward, is no longer a secret.
WILLIE STARTS IN HIS 100TH
Willie Le Roux was always set to start on the occasion of his 100th appearance but Aphelele Fassi’s development as a fullback may mean that Damian Willemse, who lined up in the last line of defence in Pretoria but won’t be playing in Gqeberha, gets to play more often in the midfield.
Italy 2013 ➡️ Italy 2025
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 8, 2025
12 years on from his debut against the Italians, Willie le Roux will run out for his 100th cap for the Springboks against the same opposition on Saturday 💯🇿🇦#SSRugby pic.twitter.com/e8SIOLexxw
🗣️ "I didn't rate him in the beginning as Stormers coach and we let him go.. how wrong can you get!"
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 8, 2025
Rassie Erasmus pays his respects to Willie le Roux who will earn his 100th Springbok cap this weekend.#SSRugby pic.twitter.com/6KPdySDG2S
Damian de Allende is the established player there but there is a potential different dynamic that either Willemse or for that matter Feinberg-Mngomezulu can bring.
In this game the last mentioned will be covering fullback in addition to flyhalf and centre and all in all it makes for a squad that will be very difficult for Italy to prepare against.
Moerat is leading the team because Erasmus has decided not to risk regular captain Siya Kolisi.
“Obviously Siya wants to play because this game is being played in his home town, but there were too many negatives to go with the positives of bringing him back a week early,” said Erasmus.
“There are 14 games to be played (by the Boks) this year and if you can play in 10 of them that is awesome. So we did have the luxury of resting him for another week. As I say, he wanted to play because he is from here, but although his Achilles is not a serious injury we feel we need to be conservative.”
Springbok team: Willie le Roux, Edwill van der Merwe, Canan Moodie, Andre Esterhuizen, Makazole Mapimpi, Manie Libbok, Grant Williams, Jasper Wiese, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Marco van Staden, Ruan Nortje, Salmaan Moerat, Wilco Louw, Malcolm Marx, Thomas du Toit.
Replacements: Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Ox Nche, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Cobus Wiese, Evan Roos, Cobus Reinach, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Ethan Hooker.
🗣️ "It's very exciting for both the Springboks and the fans."
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 8, 2025
Makazole Mapimpi is happy to be in the starting line-up for the Test match in Gqeberha on Saturday.#SSRugby pic.twitter.com/ou9p8leoMh