A shock selection at No 8, the return of captain Siya Kolisi to the side and a rookie front row are all part of the bold selection tactics employed by the Springboks ahead of their one-off test against Georgia in Mbombela on Saturday.
With Jasper Wiese banned for four matches, coach Rassie Erasmus surprised by naming his brother Cobus - normally a lock and flank - at No 8 for the game against the Lelos, opting for him ahead of favourite Evan Roos.
With some thinking that Roos was snubbed in the original team selection before he was called-up after injury to Juarno Augustus, Erasmus said the selection had nothing to do with individuals but rather with the fact the team are trying new combinations.
The match against Georgia is the last chance the Boks have before the Castle Lager Rugby Championship to experiment and the side certainly has that feel in certain positions.
The uncapped front row of Boan Venter, Marnus van der Merwe and Neethling Fouche is backed up by a powerful back five, while Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu gets the chance to start alongside Grant Williams behind the scrum.
Edwill van der Merwe keeps his spot on the wing, but is joined by experienced Kurt-Lee Arendse and rising star Aphelele Fassi, while Canan Moodie will partner this week’s vice-captain Damian de Allende in the midfield.
𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆: Rassie Erasmus names his Springbok team to face Georgia in Mbombela on Saturday 🚨🇿🇦 pic.twitter.com/jk8yCZ8Pn2
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 15, 2025
LOADS OF CHANGES FROM GQEBERHA
All in all there are 10 changes to the team that started against Italy last week and 17 to the match day 23 in total as the Boks continue to rotate.
Erasmus said the selection of Wiese was to test a few new possibilities ahead of the Rugby Championship.
“Evan has had nine test caps now with us. He has trained very well with us, but we also want to make sure of our depth. We have lost Elrigh (Louw), Ben-Jason (Dixon), Jasper is now out again with a ban. We have given Evan eight or nine chances and he has been training with us, and everyone can see that,” Erasmus said.
“But we also want to see how a guy like Cobus (Wiese) can do there because we feel he has potential to play there. It is a long season and after four matches the door is not closed for anybody but we would like to see how Cobus does.
“We really have a good feeling about him as another lineout option but Evan is definitely still in the mix, without a doubt.”
Erasmus said no player was “dropped” from the Italy game, but rather the rotation policy now was to use combinations in games where the Boks could afford to experiment a bit more.
“We try to mix it up - we never drop somebody in our team. We rotate. I don’t know if people want to believe that or not. But if we get 15 or 20 caps into Evan before the next World Cup cycle, and we get 10 or 12 to Cobus Wiese. We are trying to see how it goes if Jesse (Kriel) is replaced by Canan (Moodie),” he added.
“We don’t really see Jesse as No 1, Canan as No 2 and Ethan (Hooker) as No 3. Lukhanyo (Am) also has to return.
“We would like to know that Canan can move to wing, Ethan can move to wing, Jesse can move to the wing, Sacha (Feinberg-Mngomezulu) can move to 12, or 15, Manie (Libbok) can go to 15 and Handre (Pollard) can go to 12.
“The more we work together the better it is. There are 14 guys leaving tomorrow, guys who will help us prepare but don’t have to be here the whole week. Some of them will come back when we announce the 36-man squad for Australia.
TRYING OUT COMBINATIONS
“We see it as guys getting chances, trying out combinations and doing it under pressure. And the more we try out new combinations and guys can swop in and out, we think we will become a better team.”
Boan Venter, Marnus van der Merwe and Neethling Fouche will make their Springbok debut this weekend 👏
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 15, 2025
Coach Rassie explains the thinking behind his front row choice.
"If they can come through this, we'll know more about their test match potential." 🗣️#SSRugby pic.twitter.com/nr98xYMJmp
The Bok coach said the experience behind the rookie front row would do them good against a side that loves scrumming.
“We’ve got good experience on the bench. We have some proper locks and proper loose forwards behind them. It’s a bit of a risk throwing the rookies in against a team like Georgia who likes scrumming. But I think if you’ve played in France and you ask a guy like Daan - there are a lot of players there that are Georgian and who love scrumming.
“Against the Cheetahs eight or nine of their best players were either on the bench or not playing. We know these three guys who start in the front row will need the back five to make sure they do okay and no better test than to do it in this game.”
OVERJOYED SIYA IS BACK
Erasmus was also overjoyed that captain Siya Kolisi could return to the side for his 93rd cap at the ground where he made his debut.
“We would have loved to have played him in Gqeberha, that’s his hometown and we were very tempted to push him a bit and play him. But now is the right time, we have done well against Italy where we didn’t do so well in the first test, and in this last test, we felt we were in control more.
“And now we have a Siya that is fit, and it is always nice to have him back - he is our captain and although we get guys like Jesse learning a bit - and Damian de Allende is vice-captain this week.
“We are really trying to mix it up, but he is our captain. But we are realistic, out of 14 matches we are going to play this year, he will probably play eight or nine, and he will probably be the player that plays the most number of matches.
“To have him back is 'lekker', he has never left us and is a top man, and I’m glad the people of Mbombela can see him play.”
The match kicks off at 5:10pm and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.
The Georgians are waiting in Nelspruit! Tickets, from only R150, available here: https://t.co/zI4zhGeMtK 💥#Springboks #ForeverGreenForeverGold pic.twitter.com/IHWl6OdQ8r
— Springboks (@Springboks) July 15, 2025
SPRINGBOK TEAM TO FACE GEORIGA IN NELSPRUIT
15 – Aphelele Fassi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 11 caps, 35 points (7t)
14 – Edwill van der Merwe (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 2 caps, 15 pts (3t)
13 – Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls) - 13 caps, 30 pts (6t)
12 – Damian de Allende (Wild Knights) – 88 caps, 55 points (11t)
11 – Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls) – 25 caps, 95 points (19t)
10 – Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers) - 9 caps, 52 points (14c, 8p)
9 – Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks) - 17 caps, 25 pts (5t)
8 – Cobus Wiese (Vodacom Bulls) – 1 cap, 0 pts
7 – Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz) - 87 caps, 40 pts (8t)
6 – Siya Kolisi (captain, Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 92 caps, 60 points (12t)
5 – Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls) - 7 caps, 0 pts
4 – Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 132 caps, 35 points (7t)
3 – Neethling Fouche (DHL Stormers) - uncapped
2 – Marnus van der Merwe (Scarlets) - uncapped
1 – Boan Venter (Edinburgh) - uncapped
Replacements:
16 – Bongi Mbonambi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 78 caps, 70 points (14t)
17 – Thomas du Toit (Bath) - 24 caps, 5 pts (1t)
18 – Vincent Koch (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 62 caps, 5 points (1t)
19 – RG Snyman (Leinster) – 41 caps, 10 points (2t)
20 – Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs) – 52 caps, 45 points (9t)
21 – Faf de Klerk (Canon Eagles) – 59 caps, 50 points (5t, 5c, 5p)
22 – Handré Pollard (Vodacom Bulls) - 81 caps, 784 points (7t, 115c, 168p, 5dg)
23 – Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers) – 40 caps, 56 points (4t, 9c, 4p, 2 dg)