Pieter-Steph du Toit will become the 11th player in Springbok history to earn 100 Test caps on Saturday when South Africa face New Zealand in Cape Town. The clash marks the second instalment of the Castle Double Malt Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series, where prop Ox Nche is also set to reach his 50-cap milestone.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has named a mostly settled starting XV, retaining the core of the team that lined up against the All Blacks in Johannesburg last week. The headline selection sees regular captain Siya Kolisi bracketed alongside Paul de Villiers at flanker as he recovers from a knock. Handre Pollard and Cobus Reinach take over as the starting halfback pairing, while Ethan Hooker replaces Cheslin Kolbe on the wing after the veteran playmaker picked up a niggle.
If Kolisi clears fitness tests and features at the DHL Stadium, the Springboks will field their most experienced starting lineup in history, boasting a combined total of 1012 Test caps. Pieter-Steph du Toit retains the captaincy for the weekend.
Should Kolisi start, he will pack down alongside Du Toit and Jasper Wiese in the loose trio. Hooker's inclusion on the left wing prompts Kurt-Lee Arendse to switch to the right, rounding out a dynamic back three with fullback Damian Willemse.
On the bench, Erasmus has opted for a powerful 6-2 split. The replacement front row features 39-year-old veteran Deon Fourie, making his first appearance in the green and gold since the 2023 Rugby World Cup Final, alongside Gerhard Steenekamp and Thomas du Toit.
Lood de Jager and Cameron Hanekom join hard-running centre Andre Esterhuizen as the remaining forward cover. Scrumhalf Morne van den Berg and the versatile Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu provide the backline reinforcement.
Springboks: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Ethan Hooker, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit (c), 6 Siya Kolisi/Paul de Villiers, 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche. Replacements: 16 Deon Fourie, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 Lood de Jager, 20 Andre Esterhuizen, 21 Cameron Hanekom, 22 Morne van den Berg, 23 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.