Rassie Rings The Changes For Italian Job

Kolisi is one of just four players who’ve been retained in the run-on side following last weekend’s 32-17 victory against France, the others being Boan Venter (prop), Kurt-Lee Arendse (wing) and Damian Willemse (fullback)

Venter will scrum down in the front row with Johan Grobbelaar and Zachary Porthen (who made his Test debut against Japan in London), while Jean Kleyn will feature in his first Test since the 2023 Rugby World Cup Final when he pairs up with Franco Mostert in the engine room.

Kolisi is joined in the back row by Ben-Jason Dixon, in what marks his first Test this season, and Marco van Staden, who will start at No 8.

Morne van den Berg and Handre Pollard will run the backline as the new halfback pairing, with Ethan Hooker and Canan Moodie forming a young and physical centre pairing, and Edwill van der Merwe links up with Arendse and Willemse in the back three.

Erasmus has opted for the same bench, aside from Kwagga Smith, who replaces the promoted Grobbelaar. With no back-up hooker, Van Staden will have to provide cover if needed. RG Snyman, meanwhile, is in line to earn his 49th Test cap, leaving him only one match short of joining the select group of players who have racked up a half-century of Test caps.

“We said from the outset of the tour that we want to give as many players as possible a chance to play, and we believe this team is best suited to the threats Italy will pose,” said Erasmus.

“One of our key pillars is to build squad depth, and it’s great to have players like Jean, Handre, Edwill, and Ben-Jason back, who have all been in the mix in the last few seasons.

“Handre and Jean have played in Rugby World Cups, while Ben-Jason and Edwill have both performed for us at the highest level, and we are excited to see what they’ll bring this weekend.”

Of the decision not to include a specialist back-up hooker among the replacements, Erasmus said: “Marco played hooker for us at the World Cup, and he has been training in the position since, so it doesn’t make a difference whether he starts at loose forward and moves to hooker, or whether we named him solely as the back-up hooker on the bench.

“He’s a versatile player, and we are confident that he’ll be able to do the job required at No 8 and at hooker if necessary this weekend.”

Fast facts:

• RG Snyman requires only one Test cap after Saturday’s encounter to join the select club of players to earn 50 Test caps.
• The Springboks have faced Italy 18 times and won 17 of those matches. Their only defeat was in Florence in 2016, where Italy pipped the Boks by 20-18.
• This will mark the first time the teams face one another in Turin.
• Manie Libbok requires only nine more points to score 150 Test points.
• The total Test caps for the Springbok starting line-up is 430.
• There are 193 caps in the backline, with 237 caps among the forwards. On the bench, there are a further 240 caps.
• The average caps per player in the backline is 28, the forwards 30, while the players on the bench average 30.

South Africa: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Edwill van der Merwe, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 Ethan Hooker, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Morné van den Berg, 8 Marco van Staden, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Zachary Porthen, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Boan Venter.

Replacements: 16 Gerhard Steenekamp, 17 Wilco Louw, 18 RG Snyman, 19 Ruan Nortje, 20 André Esterhuizen, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Manie Libbok.