SA braces for first Rugby World Cup clash: 'An epic battle awaits'

Rugby fans are bracing themselves as the World Cup kicks off in Japan on Friday.

Long-time rivals the All Blacks and the Springboks will face off at 11.45am on Saturday.

TimesLIVE reported that the same players who defeated Japan in Kumagaya recently will run out this weekend, in what will be the fifth RWC match between SA and the All Blacks.

The starting 15 will be Siya Kolisi, Willie le Roux, Cheslin Kolbe‚ Lukhanyo Am‚ Damian de Allende‚ Makazole Mapimpi, Handre Pollard‚ Faf de Klerk, Duane Vermeulen‚ Pieter-Steph du Toit‚ Franco Mostert‚ Eben Etzebeth, Frans Malherbe‚ Malcolm Marx and Stephen Kitshoff.

Bongi Mbonambi‚ Tendai Mtawarira‚ Trevor Nyakane‚ RG Snyman‚ Francois Louw, Herschel Jantjies‚ Frans Steyn and Jesse Kriel will be the replacements.

“We’ve found some consistency and some momentum in a number of ways this season,” said coach Rassie Erasmus.

“We have 31 players in the squad, any of whom I would be happy to select, as well as standby players back home. But this is a line-up that has worked well as a starting combination and one with real momentum to come from the bench.”

Reactions

The clash has generated a lot of hype. 

SportsLIVE Podcast | RWC Preview: Kaplan on refs & Herschel Jantjies

For more episodes, click here.

Subscribe: iono.fm | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Player.fm | Pocket Cast