Rassie Erasmus rolls out exciting Springbok team for Barbarians curtain-raiser

Erasmus has selected four uncapped players in a quality team to contest the Qatar Airways Cup in Cape Town, although they will be surrounded by plenty of experience and Test caps to help ease them into the action. 

Prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye and flanker Vincent Tshituka crack the starting XV for the first time, while hooker Marnus van der Merwe and prop Neethling Fouche are set to make their first appearances off the bench.

Another notable inclusion is that of Lood de Jager, who will partner up with Jean Kleyn in the second row. The experienced lock is back for his first Test since the Springboks' 2023 Rugby Championship clash against the All Blacks nearly two years ago, having finally recovered from a string of injuries.

Several players were not considered for selection due to their late arrival to the squad, including most of the Bulls contingent as well as lock RG Snyman and flyhalf Handre Pollard. Only Bulls utility forward Jan-Hendrik Wessels has been included in the match-23 from this group.

The squad assembled in Cape Town on Sunday afternoon after two weeks of training in Johannesburg and started their on-field match preparations on Monday. They were also joined by utility forward Pieter-Steph du Toit, who has recovered from his injury, taking the size of the squad to 46 players.

Despite the new names in the line-up, many of Erasmus' combinations are tried and tested, with Aphelele Fassi, Cheslin Kolbe and Kurt-Lee Arendse joining forces in the back three, while Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel will make their presence felt in the midfield. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Morne van den Berg form an exciting halfback pairing.

Erasmus named a loose trio of Jean-Luc du Preez, Tshituka, and captain Siya Kolisi, while Ox Nche and Malcolm Marx provide some serious firepower alongside newcomer Ntlabakanye up front.

Franco Mostert and Kwagga Smith will join up with Van der Merwe, Wessels, and Fouche as replacement forwards in a five-three bench split that also includes Cobus Reinach, Manie Libbok, and Andre Esterhuizen.

"We've said over the last few weeks that this match will provide the ideal opportunity to get the Japanese-based players and a few other players back into full match mode for the Castle Lager Incoming Series, while we also have the opportunity to see first-hand how a few of the newer players in the squad perform at this level, so we are excited to see what this group can do," said Erasmus.

"That said, we are planning to rotate our squad throughout the season to manage the players, and we are pleased with the depth we have within this group."

On the four uncapped players in the matchday team, Erasmus said: "They have all slotted into our systems really well and have a good understanding of what we want to do in this match, while it also presents us with a fantastic opportunity to see how they measure up against a handful of experienced players in the Barbarians team. This may not be an official Test match, but we are approaching it as such, and a good result will hopefully set us on course for an exciting season."

Erasmus was also pleased to welcome De Jager back after an extended stint on the sidelines.

"Lood is in great form and hopped straight back into the thick of things with the intensity and work rate that we are used to seeing him deliver, and we are thrilled to see him and players like Faf (de Klerk) and Sacha (Feinberg-Mngomezulu) who missed a large chunk of last season back from injury."

Looking ahead to the Barbarians game, Erasmus said: "A whole lot of players in this squad have played for the Baabaas, and I've also coached them before, so we have an idea of what to expect from them.

"They don't have much time to train together as a group, but if one looks at the calibre of players they have announced so far and the history between the teams over the years, we know it's going to take a top-class effort to get the desired result.

"That said, we are pleased with how our preparations are going, and our focus in this match will be to get our structures and systems in place for the Test matches coming up. So, this is a vital game for us."

With the Barbarians being a composite team, no Test caps will be awarded for the match. The match kicks off Saturday at 17h10.

Springboks - 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Morne van den Berg, 8 Jean-Luc du Preez, 7 Vincent Tshituka, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche.

Replacements: 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.

READ MORE: Barbarians land in Cape Town with full squad confirmed for Springbok showdown