Sport—15 Aug 2025

Springboks chase historic win over the Wallabies

The Springboks will be looking for a historic victory when taking on the Wallabies at Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg on Saturday evening.

The four-time world champions have beaten Australia in their past four meetings, and a win on Saturday will see the boys in green and gold extend their streak to five for the first time in over half a century.

On the other hand, the Wallabies will be looking to end their losing streak and score their first victory at Ellis Park.

The two rugby powerhouses have clashed 95 times, with the Boks winning 52 of these meetings to the Wallabies’ 40.

Saturday’s match will also see veteran Eben Etzebeth extend his record as the most capped Springbok player of all time to 134 Test matches after coach Rassie Erasmus named him in the starting lineup.

Erasmus named Siya Kolisi the skipper, however, he will start at number eight, the first time he has done so for the national team.

The head coach said this ensures the team has all the necessary players on the field to adequately deal with Australia’s threat at the breakdown.

Kolisi will be accompanied by flankers Marco van Staden and Pieter-Steph du Toit, at six and seven respectively.

“The more we practised and prepared, the more we realised that the only place the guy plays number eight is at scrum, which probably happens 13 or 14 times in a game,” Erasmus said.

“However, general play is probably what happens the most, and we feel we will need guys like Pieter-Steph, Marco, and Siya on the field at the breakdowns.”

Kolisi is also nearing the 100-Test cap mark, which only eight players have achieved in South Africa’s history. Saturday will be his 94th cap.

Erasmus has named an experienced lineup for the rest of the team. The starting 15 have a combined 725 caps, and only three players have had less than 20 starts.

Some notable changes include the absence of Damian DeAllende, who was not named in the squad due to a niggle suffered in training. Andre Esterhuizen has replaced him, who will start at 13.

As for the bench, Erasmus has named five forwards, with Cobus Reinach, Canan Moodie, and Damian Willemse ready to cover the backs.

The match will kick off at 5.10 p.m. on Saturday 16 August.

Springbok squad for Saturday

Springbok starting XV vs the Wallabies on 16 August

Bench:

Bongi Mbonambi
Jan-Hendrik Wessels
Asenathi Ntlabakanye
Franco Mostert
Kwagga Smith
Cobus Reinach
Canan Moodie
Damian Willemse

Erasmus said the team has been experimenting with several new player combinations over the past few weeks and in recent matches, allowing the team to “play the type of rugby they want to play against Australia.”

“The Wallabies will be determined to change their win record against us in the last three seasons, so they’ll come out guns blazing, and we are confident that the players we selected will be up for the challenge,” Erasmus said.

“All of the starters except for Edwill have faced them before, and we are confident that he is ready for this challenge.”

The Springboks coach said that the Wallabies will feel confident going into Saturday’s game, after their back-to-back wins against the British and Irish Lions, winning the test series 2-1.

He added that Australia will also be looking to bounce back from its previous results against South Africa and seek its first win at Ellis Park.