Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has named a seasoned match-23 for his team's opening game of the second phase of the 2026 Nations Championship against Italy in Turin on Saturday, in a Test which is expected to set the tone for their European tour with the Finals Weekend only a few weeks away.
The only player in the group who will make his first appearance in the green and gold jersey this season is lock Salmaan Moerat, who missed the first leg of the Nations Championship and the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Series due to neck and toe injuries.
Moerat will partner up with the hard-working Ruan Nortje in the engine room in a physical forward pack, which features the front row of Ox Nche, Thomas du Toit and Malcolm Marx, while captain Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Jasper Wiese will pack down behind them in the loose trio.
The Bok backline is equally settled, with halfbacks Morne van den Berg and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu set to dictate play, alongside the experienced midfield pairing of Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel, while Ethan Hooker, Kurt-Lee Arendse and Damian Willemse will form an exciting back three.
Erasmus opted for a split of six forwards and two backs on the replacements bench.
Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Gerhard Steenekamp and Wilco Louw will serve as the back-up front row, with Lood de Jager providing lock cover, and Cameron Hanekom and Paul de Villiers completing the forward complement, while Grant Williams and Manie Libbok will provide backline support.
“We have three challenging matches ahead if we want to advance to the last game of the Finals Weekend, so our next three matches are going to be vital to lay a strong foundation for the tour,” Erasmus said.
“All our energy is focused on the match against Italy for now.
"Fortunately, some of the Japan-based players were able to travel to Italy earlier than the rest of the squad, so they have been working with some of the coaching staff for a few days already and are fully in the swing of things.
"We had our first training session on Monday afternoon, so everyone is now on the same page.
“With the majority of the squad having played together for most of the season, we are confident that the players who participated in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship and French Top 14 will ease into things seamlessly this week at training.
“The fact that they are battled hardened after a few tough matches, will offer us a good balance with fresh players raring to go and others who come off a few challenging matches for their franchises and clubs.”
Commenting on the six uncapped players in the travelling squad — Markus Muller, Emmanuel Tshituka, Luan Giliomee, Riley Norton, Sebastian de Klerk and Yaqeen Ahmed — Erasmus said: “They all joined us in camp today and are excited about the tour ahead, so we’ll expose them to our structures this week and monitor how they progress.
"Hopefully, we’ll be able to give them a chance to show what they can do at this level against top opposition in the next few weeks.
“They are special players, who all bring something different to the team, and we have full faith in their talent and skillsets.”
With Italy currently ranked 11th in the world and determined to work their way up the Northern Hemisphere standings — where they currently occupy the last position on the log — Erasmus expected a spirited performance from the hosts.
Springbok team: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Ethan Hooker, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Morne van den Berg, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit 6, Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Salmaan Moerat, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche. Replacements: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 Lood de Jager, 20 Cameron Hanekom, 21 Paul de Villiers, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Manie Libbok.
