Here is the Springboks team to play All Blacks – out of the 33-player squad for France 2023
In early August, Springboks head coach Jacques Nienaber named the South Africa Rugby World Cup squad. And now he has named his side for the final Rugby World Cup warm-up against New Zealand.
You can see the 23 to face New Zealand below. With eight changes from the side that routed Wales and a positional switch for the electric Canan Moodie, it’s intriguing stuff…
As for the 33 for the World Cup, frontline fly-half Handre Pollard, stalwart center Lukhanyo Am, and experienced lock Lood de Jager all missed out, with injury or illness. And so the Boks opted to take four scrum-halves as well as Manie Libbok and Damian Willemse as tens, while Jean Kleyn comes into the boilerhouse.
There is a fair bit of utility in this squad too. Deon Fourie can play back-row and hooker, while Franco Mostert can flit between the second and back rows.
See the full squad below the team for this weekend…
South Africa team to play All Blacks
Damian Willemse; Kurt-Lee Arendse, Canan Moodie, Andre Esterhuizen, Makazole Mapimpi; Manie Libbok, Faf de Klerk; Steven Kitshoff, Malcolm Marx, Frans Malherbe, Eben Etzebeth, Franco Mostert, Siya Kolisi (captain), Pieter-Steph du Toit, Duane Vermeulen.
Replacements: Bongi Mbonambi, Ox Nche, Trevor Nyakane, Jean Kleyn, RG Snyman, Marco van Staden, Cobus Reinach, Willie le Roux.
South Africa Rugby World Cup squad 2023
FORWARDS
Props
Vincent Koch
Ox Nché
Frans Malherbe
Trevor Nyakane
Steven Kitshoff
Hookers
Bongi Mbonambi
Malcolm Marx
Locks
Marvin Orie
RG Snyman
Jean Kleyn
Eben Etzebeth
Back-rows
Marco van Staden
Jasper Wiese
Kwagga Smith
Pieter-Steph du Toit
Duane Vermeulen
Siya Kolisi (captain)
Utility forwards
Franco Mostert
Deon Fourie
BACKS
Scrum-halves
Faf de Klerk
Jaden Hendrikse
Grant Williams
Cobus Reinach
Fly-halves
Manie Libbok
Damian Willemse
Centers
Andre Esterhuizen
Jesse Kriel
Damian de Allende
Back-three
Canan Moodie
Cheslin Kolbe
Makazole Mapimpi
Kurt-Lee Arendse
Willie le Roux
Springboks Rugby World Cup Pool
South Africa has been drawn in Rugby World Cup Pool B alongside Ireland, Scotland, Tonga, and Romania.
- 10 Sept. 2023 – South Africa v Scotland (Stade Vélodrome, Marseille)
- 17 Sept. 2023 – South Africa v Romania (Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux)
- 23 Sept. 2023 – South Africa v Ireland (Stade de France, Saint-Denis)
- 01 Oct. 2023 – South Africa v Tonga (Stade Vélodrome, Marseille)
The knockout stages will follow the same format as previous years, with teams from Pools A and B then Pools C and D meeting in the quarter-finals. So Wales and England could meet in the last eight, for example.
- QF1 – Winner Pool C v Runner-up Pool D
- QF2 – Winner Pool B v Runner-up Pool A
- QF3 – Winner Pool D v Runner-up Pool C
- QF4 – Winner Pool A v Runner-up Pool B
Then the semi-finals will be the Winner of QF1 v Winner QF2 and the Winner of QF3 v Winner QF4.