The Springboks kick off their inaugural Nations Championship campaign against England today, 04 July 2026, at 17:40, at the iconic 10bet Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg.
The Springboks boast a strong record against England in Johannesburg, having not lost to them at this stadium since 1972, and have come off second best in four of their last five outings against the Springboks and will be especially determined to avenge the two painful World Cup defeats inflicted by South Africa during that time.
Eight years ago, England walked into Ellis Park, scored 24 unanswered points in 20 minutes, and still lost. That 42-39 epic in June 2018 was the first Test of the Rassie Erasmus era, the first of Siya Kolisi’s captaincy, and the start of a run that has since delivered back-to-back World Cups.
The most recent, at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, saw England in the lead for much of the encounter only to fall just short thanks to a last-gasp penalty from Handrè Pollard.
South Africa enters the fixture following a significant win, while England seeks a turnaround after a difficult Six Nations performance.
Four critical battlegrounds that will/should decide the outcome are:
Head coach Rassie Erasmus has selected a highly experienced, near-full-strength Springbok starting XV to tackle England. Siya Kolisi will captain the Springboks while England, captained by Jamie George, looks to overcome the challenge of high altitude.
The starting lineups are highlighted by key battles in the pack and in the backline, with players like Cheslin Kolbe and Jasper Wiese facing off against England's Ben Earl and George Furbank.
The front-row combination of Ox Nche, Malcolm Marx, and Thomas du Toit is widely considered the most formidable scrummaging unit in world rugby. Backed by the returning Eben Etzebeth, they present the ultimate test for England. However, Ellis Genge and the English pack showed immense growth during their March performance in Paris. However, maintaining that standard at 1,753 metres of altitude against South Africa's ruthless scrummaging culture is an entirely different challenge.
Due to injuries to Franco Mostert, Lood de Jager, and Riley Norton, the Springboks have no specialist second-row cover on the bench. If Etzebeth or Ruan Nortje go off, Pieter-Steph du Toit will be forced to shift from flanker to lock, while with George Martin (returning from a 14-month absence), Alex Coles, and Ollie Chessum, England has the structural tools to target the lineout and maul, especially in the final 30 minutes of the match under the revised maul guidelines.
On paper, the loose-forward trio of Jasper Wiese, Pieter-Steph du Toit, and Eben Etzebeth versus Tom Curry, Ben Earl, and Ollie Chessum looks highly competitive. Despite looking even on paper, the Springboks historically dominate this area, having won the physical gainline war in both the 2023 World Cup semi-final and their 2024 Twickenham encounter.
Steve Borthwick's scrum-half selection indicates a heavy reliance on a contestable kicking strategy. At high altitude, the ball travels further and stays in the air longer, making execution exceptionally difficult for chasers. If England's tactical kicking is precise, George Furbank and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso can compete. If the kicks are loose, South Africa’s back three of Cheslin Kolbe, Kurt-Lee Arendse, and Damian Willemse will easily punish England on the counter-attack.
Teams:
Springboks: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian De Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Grant Williams, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph Du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Thomas Du Toit, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche. Replacements: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Zachary Porthen, 19 Marco van Staden, 20 Cameron Hanekom, 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Andre Esterhuizen, 23 Canan Moodie.
England: 15 George Furbank, 14 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, 13 Tommy Freeman, 12 Seb Atkinson, 11 Cadan Murley, 10 Fin Smith, 9 Jack van Poortvliet, 8 Ben Earl, 7 Tom Curry, 6 Ollie Chessum, 5 George Martin, 4 Alex Coles, 3 Joe Heyes, 2 Jamie George (c), 1 Ellis Genge. Replacements: 16 Luke Cowan-Dickie,17 Beno Obano, 18 Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 19 Charlie Ewels, 20 Guy Pepper, 21 Henry Pollock, 22 Alex Mitchell, 23 Marcus Smith.