4 days ago
Kolisi returns as Springboks select uncapped front row to tackle Georgia
Boan Venter, Marnus van der Merwe and Neethling Fouche will all make their Test debuts for the Springboks against Georgia.
Regular captain Siya Kolisi is also back to lead the team for the first time this year.
After Saturday's Test, the Boks will have employed 46 players so far this season.
The Springboks have selected an uncapped starting front row for Saturday's Test against Georgia in Nelspruit.
Boan Venter, Marnus van der Merwe and Neethling Fouche will make their Test debuts as regular captain Siya Kolisi returns to lead the Boks for the first time this year.
READ | Bok No 8 Jasper Wiese cops hefty ban for headbutt
Venter, who plays for Edinburgh in Scotland, was called into the Bok squad in June as injury cover at prop. Van der Merwe and Fouche had their first taste of Springbok rugby in the non-capped game against the Barbarians in Cape Town last month.
'We wanted to make sure that Siya is 100% fit before selecting him, so it's great to have him back in the squad, while Boan, Marnus and Neethling have been training hard and deserve their chance,' said Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus
'Marnus and Neethling played against the Barbarians, so they have an idea of what international rugby is about, while Boan has shown great potential at club level and with the squad in the last few weeks, and we are looking forward to seeing him play.
'Building squad depth has been one of our pillars as a squad since 2018, and they are all undoubtedly ready to make the step-up.'
The uncapped trio will increase the number of newly capped players this season to seven after Vincent Tshituka (flanker), Cobus Wiese (loose forward), Asenathi Ntlabakanye (prop), and Ethan Hooker (utility back) all made their Test debuts against Italy.
Only five players who started against Italy last weekend - and eight in the match-day 23 - have retained their places.
The five players who retained their places in the starting line-up are Edwill van der Merwe (wing), Canan Moodie (utility back), Grant Williams (scrumhalf), Pieter-Steph du Toit (flank) and Ruan Nortje (lock), while Wiese, who replaces his suspended brother Jasper as eighth man, and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (flyhalf) are promoted from the bench to starting team.
The inclusion of Kolisi and Venter in the squad increases the size of the group used by Erasmus so far this season to 46 players.
Up front, Eben Etzebeth also returns at lock to partner Ruan Nortje, while Erasmus opted for a five-three forwards-backs split on the bench.
Springbok team to face Georgia:
15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Edwill van der Merwe, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Grant Williams, 8 Cobus Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Neethling Fouche, 2 Marnus van der Merwe, 1 Boan Venter
Substitutes: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Thomas du Toit, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Faf de Klerk, 22 Handre Pollard, 23 Damian Willemse
Regarding his team selections, Erasmus elaborated: 'We know how passionate and intense this Georgian side is, and they will be determined to make a strong statement, so we selected some experienced players who we would like to get more game time before the Rugby Championship, and a few of the younger players, who have put up their hands another run, so we are pleased with the balance we have in this group.'
The Springboks have won their last two matches against Georgia - the last of which was in 2021 before the British & Irish Lions series - but the world champions are not underestimating their opponents.
'Georgia are a tough outfit, and they pride themselves on their physicality and brute force in the collisions, so the set pieces, mauls, and breakdowns will be key areas,' warned Erasmus.
'They also have quality backline players to round off their team, so we need to be sharp in all the departments of our game to ensure that we continue to lift our standards, build momentum, and get the desired result.'
Saturday's match at Mbombela Stadium kicks off at 17:10.
