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Springboks pull Siya Kolisi and Eben Etzebeth before England clash


Eben Etzebeth of South Africa and Siya Kolisi of South Africa look on following The Rugby Championship match between the New Zealand All Blacks and South Africa Springboks at Eden Park on September 06, 2025 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)
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South Africa captain Siya Kolisi has been withdrawn from the squad ahead of Saturday’s clash with England at Ellis Park, alongside lock Eben Etzebeth, the Springboks have confirmed following multiple reports.

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The changes come shortly before the match with Steve Borthwick’s side, with Etzebeth’s withdrawal being a further blow to the Springboks’ second-row stocks.

Franco Mostert, Lood de Jager and Riley Norton were already unavailable for the match, meaning Rassie Erasmus did not originally select any lock cover on the bench.

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The 141-cap Etzebeth was set to play his first match since the beginning of April, having been sidelined with a hip injury. The injury came shortly after he had returned from his 12-week ban for gouging against Wales in November.

Pieter-Steph du Toit will shift from the flank to the second-row for the match in Johannesburg, as Erasmus has lost 244 caps worth of experience moments before kick-off. The two-time World Rugby player of the year will also captain the Boks in Kolisi’s absence.

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The one-cap Cameron Hanekom will move from the bench to take du Toit’s place on the flank, while the uncapped Stormers flanker Paul de Villiers will come into the squad to take Kolisi’s place, meaning there is a net loss of 243 caps. Stormers utility forward Ben-Jason Dixon will take the space Hanekom previously held on the bench.

England have also been forced into a late reshuffle to their squad, with full-back George Furbank suffering from appendicitis.

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Updated Springboks XV: 15 Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers), 14 Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath), 13 Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles), 12 Damian de Allende (Wild Knights), 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls), 10 Manie Libbok (Kintetsu Liners), 9 Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks); 1 Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks), 2 Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears), 3 Thomas du Toit (Bath), 4 Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz), 5 Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls), 6 Cameron Hanekom (Vodacom Bulls), 7 Paul de Villiers (Stormers), 8 Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks).
Replacements: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Zach Porthen, 19 Marco van Staden, 20 Ben-Jason Dixon, 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Andre Esterhuizen, 23 Canan Moodie

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6 Comments
u
unknown 23 mins ago

Where is esterhuizen 😟

F
Frederick 11 mins ago

AE is on the bench, covering centre and one of the loose forwards. I believe he will come in as part of impact replacements (‘bomb squad’). They do value him as among the key players.

u
unknown 34 mins ago

Waiting for Rassie to read my WhatsApp to tell me why?!?!

J
JD 50 mins ago

“Rassie Erasmus could not select any lock cover on the bench.” A wild Cobus Wiese appears on the bench….

u
unknown 34 mins ago

Its Paul on bench?

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