Four-time Rugby World Cup champion South Africa will begin their season by hosting Barbarians at DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday at the Qatar Air Cup.
The Barbarians, a match against the Invitational Side, offers a great opportunity for mastermind Rassie Erasmus to test new pairings not only in the front row but also across the field of first-placed Sprincboks.
The 2024 season saw Erasmus’ springbok roars, with 11 wins and two defeats. South Africa also won its first rugby championship title since 2019.
Almost certainly, the most important setback of 2024 came in a match they weren’t involved – a lasting neck injury that Prop Stephen Kitschoff was in the Curry Cup match in September when he retired from rugby in the early 2025.
Following the wild bar clash, tests will be held against Italy (July 5th and 12th) and Georgia (July 19th) before the rugby championship.
Important details:
Date: Saturday, June 28th, 5:10pm Cat (3:10pm GMT, 11:10am ET)
Venue: DHL Stadium, Cape Town
Referee: How to watch AJ Jacobs: Matches are available in Super Sports.
Team News:
Springbok 23 has four players, including the start of Prop Asenathi Ntlabanye and Flanker Vincent Tshituka. On the bench, hookers Marnus van der Merwe and Prop Niesling Fuche are hoping to wear green and gold for the first time.
Lood de Jager will return to the starting lineup at Rock following a sustained injury issue since his final Springbok test at the 2023 rugby championship. Pieter-Steph du Toit recovered from his injury, but Matchday 23 was not named.
Erasmus chose a 5-3 split, with Scrum Half Cobbs Reinhach, Fly Half/Full Back Manny Ribbok and Centre Andre Ester Huisen choosing the back trio.
The wild barman last acted in June 2024, beating Fiji 45-32. They have yet to announce their starting lineup at the time of writing, but have announced a strong team, including Stormers Rock Reuben Van Harden.
Baa-Baas coach Robbie Deans includes seven black people. Loose forward Samkane, Shannon Frisel and Hoskins Sotutu are joined by Scrum Half Tawella Barlow, Utility Back Peter Uma Gajensen and Wingers Leicester Fine Ganuk and Mark Terea.
Springboks:
Starting back: 15 Apherle Fass, 14 Cheslin Colbe, 13 Jesse Criel, 12 Damian the Allene, 11 Curt-Leeans, 10 Scha Feenberg-Mngomezu, 9 Morne of the Berg
Startford: 8 Jean-Luc du Preez, 7 Vincent Tshituka, 6 Siya Comli (c), 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Asenathi Meets, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 ox nchee
Exchange: 16 Marnus van der Merwe, 17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 18 Neethling Fouche, 19 Franco Mostert, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Manie Libbok, 23 Andre Esterhuizen
Wild Bar:
Forwards: Cian Healy, Will Collier, Hassane Kolingar, Paul Alo-Emile, Camille Chat, John “Ricky” Riccitelli, David Ribbans, Ruben Van Heerden, Josh Beehre, Hoskins Sotutu, Peter O’mahony, Sam Cane, Shannon Frizell, Lachlan Boshier
Back: Tawara Kerr Barlow, Santiigo Arata Perrone, Melvyn Jaminet, Josh Jacomb, Peter Umaga -Jensen, Leicester Fainga’anuku, Mark Tele’a, Jacob Ratumaitavuki -Knepkens, Joe Marachant
statistics:
The team faced each other eight times, with four wild bars winning, three Springbok wins and a draw.
South Africa has won 15 of its past 17 matches.