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TimesLIVE
6 days ago
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
The question is how, not if, the Boks will win — by Georgia!
It's been a near-perfect month of international rugby for the Springboks in preparation for a successful defence of the Rugby Championship, which starts mid-August. All that remains is an injury-free hit out against Georgia in which squad depth continues to be built. July has been about squad depth for Rassie Erasmus and his long-term build towards the 2027 World Cup in Australia. Erasmus has been insistent that he can build, think 2027 and win short term. Winning is a habit, and it is easier to introduce new players into a winning system. Georgia, physically always a worthy opponent, especially in the set piece, will offer resistance, but they will be outclassed in player pedigree regardless of the match 23 selected for this one-off Test. Erasmus, post Saturday, would have given every squad player game time, some more than others, but every single player has seen action from the season's opener against the Barbarians in Cape Town, through the two Tests against Italy and the final Bok Test of July on Saturday. The Bok coach would have used five fullbacks, with four starting and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu's cameo last Saturday as a late substitute introduction. He has tried different wing combinations in all but two of the four matches. Equally the midfield and he has given Handré Pollard, Manie Libbok and Feinberg-Mngomezulu starts at No 10. Hopefully, this time the memory of being in South Africa will be more pleasant for the Georgians. Grant Williams and Morne van den Berg have each got two starts at No 9, with veteran World Cup winners Faf de Klerk and Cobus Reinach introduced in the last quarter of those matches in which they have made the match 23. The loose-forward options have also been many. Pieter-Steph du Toit is comfortably the first choice No 7 and he plays his second successive Test after a six-month absence and operation-enforced layoff. Siya Kolisi gets his first match of the four, having been rested for the Barbarians match and the two Tests against Italy. Bok record-holder (in Test appearances) Eben Etzebeth is back for a second start in four, having also had limited game time in the United Rugby Championship for the Sharks, while hooker Malcolm Marx gets a rest this Saturday having been involved in the first three matches. Erasmus has introduced new players and each new selection would have been capped by Saturday night. He has used Jesse Kriel and Salmaan Moerat as captains, restored Kolisi's armband for Saturday and spoken of his confidence in Du Toit and Etzebeth's ability to lead the Boks, as they have done in the past. He has also said that players like Pollard and Feinberg-Mngomezulu had the rugby IQ and EQ to captain the Boks, given they had captained South Africa at junior levels. Willie le Roux also became the eighth Bok centurion a week ago, with his 81st start at fullback one more than 102 Test World Cup winner Percy Montgomery's 80 starts as a Test fullback. The Boks and Georgia have only played once, in Pretoria in the warm-up to the British & Irish Lions series in 2021. The Boks won 40-9 in what was their first Test since winning the 2019 World Cup. Covid had put a freeze on the Boks and 26 of the squad contracted the virus after that match, which forced the cancellation of the second Test and meant the only match several of the frontline Boks played before the Lions three-Test series was the SA 'A' match in Cape Town. Several of Georgia's players, management and coaches were also laid low with Covid. Hopefully, this time the memory of being in South Africa will be more pleasant for the Georgians. They are a feisty lot and there is plenty of respect for their size and ability to be a menace in the collisions and at the scrums. It will be a good physical hit out for the Boks, but the real Test stuff begins in August for the Boks and for the Wallabies it all gets real in Brisbane on Saturday when they host the first of three Tests against the British & Irish Lions. Boks by 10 is always my call, meaning there is no question of doubting a Boks win, and in this instance the differential will be closer to 30 than 10.
IOL News
14-07-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Siya Kolisi's potential return sparks No 8 jersey debate for Springboks ahead of Georgia clash
After missing out on the first three matches of the season due to a couple of niggles, Springbok captain Siya Kolisi could be in line to play his first Bok Test this year on Saturday in Nelspruit. Image: BackpagePix The Springboks are weighing up the option of playing Siya Kolisi at eighth man should he be fit to face Georgia in the final mid-year Test on Saturday in Nelspruit. With a ban hanging over the head of Jasper Wiese, who was red-carded for a headbutt against Italy this past weekend, the world champions are a bit thin when it comes to the eighth man position. Stormers bruiser Evan Roos was the replacement on Saturday, and he is another strong candidate for the jersey, seeing that he hasn't had many minutes for the Boks this season. Roos made a telling impact when he took to the field and gained some valuable running meters with the ball in hand. He was also solid on defence. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Kolisi missed the last three games due to neck and Achilles niggles, but Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus alluded to playing him against Georgia to give him game time. Should the Bok captain be selected, it will be the only playing minutes he will have ahead of the Rugby Championship. Marco van Staden 'We have a bunch of versatile players in the squad, like Siya who has played primarily for us at six, but have played at No 8 for the Sharks,' Deon Davids, Springbok assistant coach, said on Monday. 'Evan Roos played this weekend, Marco van Staden played in that position. There are different players we can look at who we feel can play there. It will depend on the mix of the loose trio and pack. All the players are available for selection and Siya is one of many players who are part of the discussion.' The volume in the stadium 🔊📈 Siya Kolisi bringing the Web Ellis Cup onto the pitch in Gqeberha before kick-off 🏆🇿🇦#SSRugby — SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) July 13, 2025 Davids added that they won't rest on their laurels against the physical Georgians. The Boks expect a big onslaught from their visitors, despite their loss to provincial side, the Cheetahs, this past weekend. The Springboks come off a resounding win in Gqeberha and will look to continue with that momentum, despite the prospect of fielding a changed lineup. 'We see every Test as an important game because we want to win it. We never underestimate our opponents and understand Georgia's DNA. They are a team that brings a lot of physicality and leaves everything out there. They were competitive in their last couple of games. The Jasper Wiese headbutt incident. Some say it was soft and should have only been a yellow. It's not about the result or even intent ... it's about the action. Headbutt is a headbutt is a headbutt basically. Red card all day long unfortunately for Jasper. — Front Row Rugby (@FrontRowRugbyXV) July 13, 2025 'They have their own goals and are pressing hard to be part of the Six Nations. Them coming here is another step in that direction. We expect a competitive game and want to continue setting our standards and improve looking at the Rugby Championship and the rest of the year.' The Bok assistant coach added that it is unfortunate that Wiese got himself on the wrong side of the law, but they are a physical team that tries to do things with intent. He added that the team will support Wiese and that they trust the disciplinary process. 'As a team, we work very hard to stay on the right side of the law. That is why we have Jaco Peyper here and we train with him to stay inside the laws. World Rugby have laid out the procedure they will follow, and we trust the decision and process.'
