Springboks

It’s a nothing fixture

Not the one to be played on neutral territory

SFM is building a new record. 2 tries already before HT

AE changed into a flanker.

@sparky we struggled for ages to win away from home.

and we have so many chicken runners all over the world, so it's all home games.

It finished 61-7 to South Africa.

Only 22,000 turned up. If it had to happen in England, Vicarage Road in Watford or the Madejski Stadium in Reading would have been better venues for this game.

@sparky said in Springboks:

It finished 61-7 to South Africa.

Only 22,000 turned up. If it had to happen in England, Vicarage Road in Watford or the Madejski Stadium in Reading would have been better venuese for this game.

Makes a lot of sense have a game in the uk as a warm up for the other matches to come. Players already there from last weekends urc games and pounds instead of rands. As for the venue, maybe but do we know what all the details are?

@W32 To be fair, both the venues I mentioned had soccer games this afternoon.

Wilco Louw had his best game. Bit worried about Ox. Viking, SMZ, Wilco and KLA should start against the French.

Players not featuring since last WC
Am
Mapimpi
Kok
Faf
Bongi
Malherbe
Fourie
Le Roux
Vermuelen
Kitshoff
Think also sous on his way out.

I’m sure I’m missing other.s. The big question is if Siya will make it to the next WC … and who will be the new captain?

@W32 said in Springboks:

Players not featuring since last WC
Am
Mapimpi
Kok
Faf
Bongi
Malherbe
Fourie
Le Roux
Vermuelen
Kitshoff
Think also sous on his way out.

I’m sure I’m missing other.s. The big question is if Siya will make it to the next WC … and who will be the new captain?

Plenty of these players have featured since the last World Cup. Do you mean players from the last RWC that weren't used in November?

@Mr-Fish said in Springboks:

@W32 said in Springboks:

Players not featuring since last WC
Am
Mapimpi
Kok
Faf
Bongi
Malherbe
Fourie
Le Roux
Vermuelen
Kitshoff
Think also sous on his way out.

I’m sure I’m missing other.s. The big question is if Siya will make it to the next WC … and who will be the new captain?

Plenty of these players have featured since the last World Cup. Do you mean players from the last RWC that weren't used in November?

I guess I should rephrase, these players seem to be being phased out. Could be wrong about that, but with many new players being more prominent it seems the writings on the wall. Not that it’s a bad thing, in fact it’s a better team now than when they lifted the 23 WC

Looks like Australia in pool A with the bokke for 27 WC. The aussies will be hard to beat at home that’s for sure

@W32

I dont think it is quite like that.
It is not like a tennis draw; where the 1st and 2nd cedes are kept apart until the final.

Australia is in Pool A for sure, and they are a 2nd Band team.
The 1st Band teams are drawn at random into Pools A to F.
So any Band One team could be matched with the Aussies in Pool A

As far as the draw goes, the winners of Pools A B E are on oneside, C D F on the other.
If the bokke are in A B or E, and the blacks are in C D or F; and if they both win thru, they can only meet in the final.

Conversely; if the bokke and blacks are drawn into pools A & B, or into C & D; and they both win thru, they will meet in a quarter-final.

The random nature of the draw probably makes it worth a watch.
I lot of teams will know whether they have any chance of winning on Dec 3, nearly two years out form the actual comp.
I think every team will be hoping to be on the opposite side to the boks, haha.

Or . . . it could turn out like 2019 when the boks lost in pool play, but it opened up the draw for them very nicely.

2025 was the best year for the Springbokke. Credit to the coaching staff who strengthen all areas of their game. More pleasing was the young crop of players like SMZ, Moody, Hooker, Grobbies, Nortje coming through while players like AE, Willemse, Reinach, Wilco Louw improve into world class players.

The Springbok supporters are spoiled, long may this continue.

I’d hoped that by this stage Rassie, Brownie & Co. Would have established Bok dominance in at least one more 1st phase. Will need to pull fingers out to gain comprehensive dominance at lineouts, kickoffs & dropouts before ‘27.

Springboks’ confirmed 2026 fixtures
Nations Championship
4 July: vs England, Ellis Park, Johannesburg
11 July: vs Scotland, Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
18 July: vs Wales, Kings Park, Durban
Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry
22 August: vs All Blacks, Ellis Park, Johannesburg
29 August: vs All Blacks, Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
5 September: vs All Blacks, FNB Stadium, Johannesburg
12 September: vs All Blacks, TBC
Nations Championship
6-8 November: vs Italy, TBC
13-15 November: vs France, TBC
21 November: vs Ireland, TBC

Lood de Jager out again with an injury and will likely miss this years internationals. Feel for him, a really talented player who has had so many issues with different injuries and hasn't fulfilled his potential for the springboks.

Ben Smith could be onto something here. But, then again maybe too much wishful thinking...
What a delightful little troll he is.

@W32 I like a good troll of you Jaapies, but that's just gratuitous.

@booboo said in Springboks:

@W32 I like a good troll of you Jaapies, but that's just gratuitous.

Indeed. Smacks of desperation. Perhaps he is looking at the recent panic in the NZRU, prospective coach after prospective coach saying they are not interested in the poisoned chalice and doing his own little panic. Those deep seated night terrors of large biltong eating men holding forth are sure to bring out the insecurity in the little man.

Intesting series on the way the Bok coaches see the game.

SA franchises in the middle of the local derbies. The closest you get to trials like in the old days. Some good young talent coming through. Pretty sure Rassie will pull in a few of them in 2026. The standouts so far are Jaco Jooste (Sharks), Haashim Pead (Lions) , Paul de Villiers (Stormers), Bathobele Hlekani (Lions)

If I have to select a younger Springbok team it will be Fassi/Willemse, Jooste, Moodie, AE, Hooker, SMZ, Pead, Roos/Elrich Louw/Hanekoms, Hlekani/BJD, Escom/de Villiers, RG, Nortje, Wilco Louw/Portchen, Grobbies, Steenekamp/Mchunu

Markus Muller (Paarl Gim) & Kai Pratt (Oakdale) was still in schools last year.

Looks like a young squad mate probably geared for 27 and beyond.

Rugby now official SA nr1

SFM is a big loss for you bud. Hope he recovers soon what a gun player.

Handre Pollard on the greatest rivalry tour

SA Rugby

This group includes SA U20 players [b]Yaqeen Ahmed (flyhalf/centre), Danie Kruger (prop), Luan Giliomee (utility back), Vusi Moyo (flyhalf), Oliver Reid (prop), Liam van Wyk (hooker), as well as Junior Springbok captain Riley Norton (loose forward/lock), Siphosethu Mnebelele (hooker), Markus Muller (centre), and Zekhethelo Siyaya (utility back), [/b]all of whom were members of the expanded Springbok alignment camp squad.

The other uncapped players in the group are [b]Paul de Villiers (flanker), Bathobele Hlekani (utility forward), Hanro Jacobs (prop), Jurenzo Julius (utility back), Imad Khan (scrumhalf), JJ Kotze (hooker), Sibabalwa Mahashe (loose forward), Haashim Pead, Nico Steyn (both scrumhalves), Emmanuel Tshituka (flanker), and Jaco Williams (utility back)[/b]

The Japanese-based players who have completed their club commitments will join their teammates from the outset of the camp, while the UK-based players will report for duty once their season officially concludes in line with World Rugby’s Regulation 9.

The Springbok squad for the Nations Championship clashes against England (4 July), Scotland (11 July), and Wales (18 July), will be announced on Sunday, 21 June, following the conclusion of the Vodacom URC.

Erasmus was thrilled to get their on-field preparations underway with the Barbarians and SA ‘A’ game, which will play out in a fortnight, and he looked forward to seeing how the younger players adapt to the demands of senior international rugby.

“We named a large group of players as we will be selecting a Springbok and SA ‘A’ team for the season-opening double-header in Gqeberha, and this will be beneficial in the long term as we build the squad, looking forward to next year’s Rugby World Cup and beyond,” said Erasmus.

“There is also an exciting mix of experienced campaigners and young players in this squad, and this formula has worked well for us in the past to ensure a clear pathway to build depth within the group.”

Zooming in on the camp itself, Erasmus said: “The coaches have been working around the clock to put the systems in place in the last few months, and the in-person and virtual alignment camps have given most of the players a taste of what to expect, so it’s now a matter of implementing what they learned in the boardroom onto the field.

“We are under no illusions about the challenge ahead this season with two matches against the Barbarians and the SA ‘A’ team against Zimbabwe playing out on the same day, which will be followed by two new competitions in the Nations Championship and Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry, so it will be important for the group to build cohesion as quickly as possible and make the most of our field sessions and team meetings to be as well prepared as possible when we take the field.”

[b]Springbok squad (in alphabetical order):[/b]

Forwards: Lood de Jager (Wild Knights), Paul de Villiers (DHL Stormers), Ben-Jason Dixon (DHL Stormers), Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz), Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Neethling Fouche (DHL Stormers), Bathobele Hlekani (Fidelity Securedrive Lions), Hanro Jacobs (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Vincent Koch (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Siya Kolisi (Hollywoodbets Sharks), JJ Kotze (DHL Stormers), Danie Kruger (DHL Stormers), Sibabalwa Mahashe (Fidelity Securedrive Lions), Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears), Ntuthuko Mchunu (DHL Stormers), Siphosethu Mnebelele (Vodacom Bulls), Salmaan Moerat (DHL Stormers), Franco Mostert (Honda Heat), Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Riley Norton (DHL Stormers), Zachary Porthen (DHL Stormers), Oliver Reid (DHL Stormers), Evan Roos (DHL Stormers), Emmanuel Tshituka (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Vincent Tshituka (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Liam van Wyk (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Andre-Hugo Venter (DHL Stormers), Boan Venter (Edinburgh), Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks).

Backs: Yaqeen Ahmed (DHL Stormers) Lukhanyo Am (DynaBoars), Damian de Allende (Wild Knights), Faf de Klerk (Canon Eagles), Andre Esterhuizen (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Aphelele Fassi (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Luan Giliomee (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Quan Horn (Fidelity Securedrive Lions), Jurenzo Julius (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Imad Khan (DHL Stormers), Cheslin Kolbe (Tokyo Sungoliath), Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles), Manie Libbok (Kintetsu Liners), Vusi Moyo (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Markus Muller (DHL Stormers), Haashim Pead (Fidelity Securedrive Lions), Zekhethelo Siyaya (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Nico Steyn (Fidelity Securedrive Lions), Edwill van der Merwe (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers), Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Jaco Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks).