09 November 2026
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus showed faith in the players who steered the team to victory against Italy in their second Nations Championship Northern Series Test, making only two changes to his match-day 23 to face France in Paris on Friday, which sees Wilco Louw move into the starting team, and Cobus Reinach being drafted onto the bench.
Louw will join forces with Ox Nche and Malcolm Marx in the front row in the only change to the starting team, while Thomas du Toit will link up with Jan-Hendrik Wessels and Gerhard Steenekamp among the replacements, with the other change among the impact players being the inclusion of Reinach, who played club rugby for Montpellier, replacing Grant Williams.
Lood de Jager and Ruan Nortje will again partner up in the second row after Erasmus was forced to make a late change to his matchday squad in Turin last week following the withdrawal of Salmaan Moerat due to back spasms experienced during the warm-up, while the experienced loose trio of captain Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit, and Jasper Wiese will complete the forward pack.
Erasmus named an identical backline with Morne van den Berg and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu at halfback, Jesse Kriel and Damian de Allende in the midfield, and Ethan Hooker, Kurt-Lee Arendse, and Damian Willemse serving as the back three.
The Bok coach also retained the split of six forwards and two backs on the bench, where utility forward Franco Mostert and loose forwards Cameron Hanekom and Paul de Villiers will provide an impact alongside the front row of Wessels, Steenekamp, and Thomas du Toit, while Reinach – who covers scrumhalf and wing – and Manie Libbok have been named as the two backline players.
A total of 16 players in the match-23 featured in the Boks’ 32-17 victory over France in Paris last year, including the entire starting forward pack with the exception of Nche, as well as five of the backs in the run-on team – Feinberg-Mngomezulu, De Allende, Kriel, and Willemse. Ten players in the group were members of the team that defeated France 29-28 in the quarter-final of the Rugby World Cup in 2023.
Springbok team to face France in Paris:
15 Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers) – 56 caps, 81 pts (9t, 9c, 4p, 2dg)
14 Kurt-Lee Arendse (Mitsubishi Dynaboars) – 36 caps, 135 pts (27t)
13 Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles) – 95 caps, 125 pts (25t)
12 Damian de Allende (Wild Knights) – 104 caps, 65 pts (13t)
11 Ethan Hooker (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 15 caps, 15 pts (3t)
10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers) – 26 caps, 221 pts (10t, 59c, 15p)
9 Morne van den Berg (10bet Lions) – 12 caps, 42 pts (8t, 1c)
8 Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks) – 51 caps, 20 pts (4t)
7 Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz) – 103 caps, 75 pts (15t)
6 Siya Kolisi (captain, DHL Stormers) – 108 caps, 80 pts (16t)
5 Ruan Nortje (Kubota Spears) - 25 caps, 5 pts (1t)
4 Lood de Jager (Wild Knights) – 79 caps, 25 pts (5t)
3 Wilco Louw (DHL Stormers) – 37 caps, 15 pts (3t)
2 Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 95 caps, 145 pts (31t)
1 Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 54 caps, 5 pts (1t)
Replacements:
16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Vodacom Bulls) – 16 caps, 10 pts (2t)
17 Gerhard Steenekamp (Vodacom Bulls) – 24 caps, 10 pts (2t)
18 Thomas du Toit (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 38 caps, 10 pts (2t)
19 Franco Mostert (Honda Heat) – 86 caps, 20 pts (4t)
20 Cameron Hanekom (Vodacom Bulls) – 7 caps, 10 pts (2t)
21 Paul de Villiers (DHL Stormers) – 6 caps, 10 pts (2t)
22 Cobus Reinach (DHL Stormers) – 57 caps, 100 pts (20t)
23 Manie Libbok (Kintetsu Liners) – 35 caps, 149 pts (2t, 50c, 13p)