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Five changes for Springboks for 'huge' France clash as Kolisi bring up ton
By Ian Cameron
Siya Kolisi will win his 100th cap when he leads the Springboks out against France at the Stade de France on Saturday night, as Rassie Erasmus marks his own 50th Test in charge by making five changes to the starting XV that beat Japan at Wembley.
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The milestone-laden fixture sees Kolisi become only the ninth Springbok centurion, while Erasmus refreshes his pack and backline ahead of what he described as “another epic battle” with Les Bleus.
RG Snyman drops to the bench for the injured Kwagga Smith, while Boan Venter, Malcolm Marx, and Thomas du Toit form the new front row. Eben Etzebeth partners Lood de Jager in the second row, with Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit, and Jasper Wiese reunited in the same back row that started against France in 2022.
“We always planned to make a few changes for this match, and we’ll continue to rotate the players throughout the tour, so we can give as many players as possible a chance while at the same time trying to achieve our objectives on the field.
“This, however, is the team we feel is best suited to what we expect from France, and the way we would like to play this weekend. Many of them have also faced France in 2022 and 2023, so they know what to expect from the hosts and have also had a taste of what it is to play in front of their passionate home crowd.
“This is a huge milestone for Siya and we are all delighted for him. He is a level-headed player and although this will be a big occasion for him, and a match that we would like to make special for him, he is fully focused on the task at hand, so he won’t allow that to overshadow what he must do on the field.
“This is a huge game, and the entire team knows how determined France will be to make up for the World Cup result, so we’ll celebrate Siya’s achievement after the match. That said, hopefully we can make it a memorable game for him.”
“France have a quality team all around, with good forwards and backs, and they are a side that plays for the full 80 minutes. They will also have a fanatical home crowd behind them, which will inspire them immensely, so we are fully aware of the magnitude of this match.
“The key for us is that we have to be accurate in everything we do, make the most of the chances we create, and to keep fighting from the first whistle until the hooter sounds because there is no doubt it’s going to be another epic battle between the teams.”
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South Africa team to face France
15 Damian Willemse
14 Cheslin Kolbe
13 Jesse Kriel
12 Damian de Allende
11 Kurt-Lee Arendse
10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu
9 Cobus Reinach
1 Boan Venter
2 Malcolm Marx
3 Thomas du Toit
4 Eben Etzebeth
5 Lood de Jager
6 Siya Kolisi (captain)
7 Pieter-Steph du Toit
8 Jasper Wiese
Replacements: Johan Grobbelaar, Gerhard Steenekamp, Wilco Louw, RG Snyman, Ruan Nortje, Andre Esterhuizen, Grant Williams, Manie Libbok.
