Springboks Head Coach Rassie Erasmus Makes Major Selections
Springboks Head Coach Rassie Erasmus Makes Major Selections
Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus has selected Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu to start ahead of Handre Pollard at fly-half against Australia in the TRC.
Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus has named a refreshed lineup for their upcoming Rugby Championship opener against the Wallabies in Brisbane this Saturday.
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The team sees two new starters, with Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Elrigh Louw earning their first test starts.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 22, steps into the fly-half role after impressing off the bench in four previous appearances this season. Louw, who has been steadily building his international experience since 2022, will start at No. 8.
The Springboks squad for this match closely mirrors the one that shared a two-test series with Ireland last month, with just three changes.
Louw, veteran scrumhalf Cobus Reinach and replacement utility forward Ben-Jason Dixon are the only additions. Notably, six players from the recent 64-21 victory over Portugal retain their spots, including RG Snyman and Kurt-Lee Arendse.
Erasmus expressed confidence in the new selections, particularly Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Louw.
"Sacha has made a significant impact from the bench and seamlessly has integrated into our system," Erasmus said. "We're eager to see what he brings as a starter."
He also highlighted Feinberg-Mngomezulu's reliable goal kicking, noting its importance in tight matches against top-tier teams like Australia.
Erasmus emphasized the strategic nature of the changes, citing the need to balance youth and experience as the team builds toward the 2027 Rugby World Cup. The coach is optimistic about the young players’ ability to step up against the Wallabies, who are coming off three consecutive wins.
Despite the Springboks' last victory in Brisbane dating back to 2013, Erasmus remains focused on the future.
"This is a new year and a new campaign," he said. "While we're aware of the history, it won't influence our approach."
The match promises to be a challenging start to the Springboks' campaign. The team aims to build momentum with a strong performance against a formidable Wallabies side on their home turf.
Springboks Lineup
15 – Willie le Roux (Vodacom Bulls) – 95 caps, 75 pts (15t)
14 – Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath) – 33 caps, 96 points (15t, 3c, 5p)
13 – Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles) – 71 caps, 80 points (16t)
12 – Damian de Allende (Wild Knights) – 81 caps, 55 points (11t)
11 – Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls) - 18 caps, 75 points (15t)
10 – Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers) - 4 caps, 17 points (7c, 1p)
9 – Cobus Reinach (Montpellier) – 33 caps, 65 pts (13t)
8 – Elrigh Louw (Vodacom Bulls) – 4 caps, 0 points
7 – Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz) – 79 caps, 40 points (8t)
6 – Siya Kolisi (captain, Racing 92) – 85 caps, 50 points (10t)
5 – RG Snyman (Leinster) – 37 caps, 10 points (2t)
4 – Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 122 caps, 30 points (6t)
3 – Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers) – 72 caps, 5 points (1t)
2 – Bongi Mbonambi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 71 caps, 70 points (14t)
1 – Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 31 caps, 0 pts
Replacements:
16 – Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 67 caps, 85 points (17t)
17 – Gerhard Steenekamp (Vodacom Bulls) – 3 caps, 0 points
18 – Vincent Koch (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 52 caps, 0 points
19 – Ben-Jason Dixon (DHL Stormers) – 2 caps, 5 points (1t)
20 – Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls) – 20 caps, 0 pts
21 – Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs) – 43 caps, 35 pts (7t)
22 – Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 11 caps, 10 points (2t)
23 – Handré Pollard (Leicester Tigers) – 71 caps, 732 points (7t, 98c, 162p, 5dg)
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