Kolbe and Willemse to strike 50 as Rassie names XV for Nations opener against England

Springbok backs Cheslin Kolbe and Damian Willemse will mark the opening Test of the season against England in the inaugural Nations Championship by celebrating their 50th Test caps, eight years after making their international debuts.

They are part of an experienced team named by Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus on Monday.

The Bok coach opted for tried and tested combinations for the clash, with flanker Siya Kolisi leading South Africa for the 72nd time in a Test in the first outing between the sides at Ellis Park since 2018, which was also his first Test as captain.

The familiar starting lineup will be supported by an exciting replacement bench.

Two players in the pack, Kolisi and Eben Etzebeth, are Test centurions. Completing the loose trio are Jasper Wiese and Pieter-Steph du Toit, while Ruan Nortje has been named in the middle row.

The 2025 World Rugby and SA Rugby Men’s Player of the Year, hooker Malcolm Marx, will pack down between experienced props Ox Nché and Thomas du Toit.

Wing Kurt-Lee Arendse will complete the back three with Kolbe and Willemse, while Jesse Kriel and Damian de Allende will man the midfield and Manie Libbok and Grant Williams will form the halfback pairing.

Erasmus opted for a split of five forwards and three backs on the bench. Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Gerhard Steenekamp and Zach Porthen serve as the back-up front row, along with the duo of Marco van Staden and Cameron Hanekom, back in the squad for the first time since November 2024, as the other two forwards.

The three backline players are Cobus Reinach, André Esterhuizen and Canan Moodie, who are all utility players.

Erasmus revealed that Franco Mostert (utility forward) and Lood de Jager (lock) were not available for selection this week due to a niggle and illness, while Riley Norton (utility forward) has been released from the camp after picking up an injury.

Ethan Hooker (wing) will join the squad in Johannesburg on Monday after recovering from the shoulder injury that has sidelined him since April.

“England are a quality outfit, and we are expecting them to give everything they have in this match,” Erasmus said. “So it was important to select a squad with experience combined with a few younger players, who have proved that they have what it takes to perform at this level.

“The players have worked very hard at training and they know what it takes to perform against a side of this calibre with a good coaching team, so we hope they can transfer that effort onto the field on Saturday.

England are a settled team; they come off a Six Nations campaign earlier in the season, and, similarly to us, they will also want to have a good start to this exciting new competition, so we are expecting it to be a bruising encounter

—  Rassie Erasmus

“It was great to have a run against the Barbarians and Zimbabwe last week because it afforded some of our players valuable game time, but this weekend will be a different prospect altogether.

“England are a settled team. They come off a Six Nations campaign earlier in the season and similarly to us, they will also want to have a good start to this exciting new competition, so we are expecting it to be a bruising encounter.”

The Bok coach was delighted for Kolbe and Willemse on achieving this special milestone in their careers.

“They have both been stalwarts for us over the years, and as a team we would like to make it a memorable day for them. It’s not every day you have two players playing their 50th Test, so that will certainly add to our motivation this week.

Springbok team to face England:

• 15 – Damian Willemse (Stormers) – 49 caps, 71 pts (7t, 9c, 4p, 2dg)
• 14 – Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath*) – 49 caps, 126 pts (21t, 3c, 5p)
• 3 – Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles) – 87 caps, 100 pts (20t)
• 12 – Damian de Allende (Wild Knights) – 97 caps, 55 pts (11t)
• 11 – Kurt-Lee Arendse (Bulls*) – 30 caps, 115 pts (23t)
• 10 – Manie Libbok (Kintetsu Liners) – 28 caps, 145 pts (2t, 48c, 13p)
• 9 – Grant Williams (Sharks*) – 28 caps, 35 pts (7t)
• 8 – Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks) – 44 caps, 15 pts (3t)
• 7 – Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz) – 95 caps, 70 pts (14t)
• 6 – Siya Kolisi (captain, Sharks*) – 103 caps, 70 pts (14t)
• 5 – Ruan Nortje (Bulls*) – 18 caps, 5 pts (1t)
• 4 – Eben Etzebeth (Sharks) – 141 caps, 45 pts (9t)
• 3 – Thomas du Toit (Bath*) – 32 caps, 5 pts (1t)
• 2 – Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 87 caps, 130 pts (26t)
• 1 – Ox Nché (Sharks) – 47 caps, 0 pts

Replacements:

• 16 – Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Bulls) – 9 caps, 10 pts (2t)
• 17 – Gerhard Steenekamp (Bulls) – 16 caps, 10 pts (2t)
• 18 – Zach Porthen (Stormers) – 3 caps, 0 pts
• 19 – Marco van Staden (Bulls) – 33 caps, 20 pts (4t)
• 20 – Cameron Hanekom (Bulls) – 1 cap, 0 pts
• 21 – Cobus Reinach (Stormers) – 50 caps, 95 pts (19t)
• 22 – Andre Esterhuizen (Sharks) – 29 caps, 25 pts (5t)
• 23 – Canan Moodie (Bulls) – 23 caps, 45 pts (9t)

* Denotes players’ clubs, which will change on July 1.

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