Eben Etzebeth will set the record as the most capped Springbok of all time after being named in the starting XV for Saturday’s Rugby Championship decider.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has mostly returned to his tried and trusted for the must-win clash against Argentina, with the most notable calls his decision to select Manie Libbok at flyhalf alongside scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse.
Libbok failed to kick the Boks to victory in Santiago but has been given a chance to atone for that mistake, with Handre Pollard likely to replace him from the bench later in the game.
Elsewhere, Erasmus has recalled six double Rugby World Cup winners to the starting XV in Bongi Mbonambi, Frans Malherbe, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Cheslin Kolbe, Damian de Allende and captain Siya Kolisi.
Ox Nche, Malherbe and Mbonambi will start in the front row, while Etzebeth will again pair up with Ruan Nortje in the engine room, with Kolisi, Du Toit, and Jasper Wiese forming a physical loose trio.
The five forward replacements on the bench are Gerhard Steenekamp, Vincent Koch, Malcolm Marx, Elrigh Louw and Kwagga Smith.
At the back, the most capped centre pairing in Springbok history in De Allende and Jesse Kriel are reunited, with a back three of Aphelele Fassi and wings Kurt-Lee Arendse and Kolbe.
On the bench, Pollard, Cobus Reinach and Lukhanyo Am make up a formidably experienced trio, who will provide the necessary impact in the backline.
The Springboks need only a point from the match to guarantee their first Rugby Championship title since the abbreviated version in 2019 and their first full tournament title since 2009. The only permutation that would see Argentina snatch the title from the Boks is if Los Pumas win with a bonus point and deny the hosts a point.
“We planned to recall the players we rested last week because it allowed us to ensure that we have a group of core players who remained in the South African time zone and who would slot back into the team with ease,” said Erasmus.
“They will not only bring fresh legs and vast experience to the team, but it also allows us to select a settled team that played most of the matches in the incoming series.”
On his decision to recall Libbok amid the ongoing absence of the injured Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Erasmus said: “Manie’s general play is fantastic, and he brings a lot of energy and play-making abilities to the backline. He dictates play well, so we back Manie fully to do the job for us at flyhalf.
“It’s not just up to him to find solutions for his goal-kicking, it is something we have to do as a team, and we are working on a plan.”
Erasmus also lauded Etzebeth for his impressive career milestone: “As a former Springbok I can attest to what a massive achievement it will be for Eben to become the most capped Springbok ever, and we are all very proud of him and want to make this a special and memorable occasion for him.
“If we can win the title and finish the competition off with a victory it would be a massive occasion for the team and Eben as an individual, and we’ll give everything to make this a special day for him.”
Although there is only one permutation that would deny the Boks the Rugby Championship title, Erasmus said the Boks’ goal was to win the match and finish the competition on a high note.
“We know it’s not going to be easy because Argentina really believe they have what it takes to win the title.
“The Pumas are a lot like South Africans. They come from a country where their players have also had to overcome great challenges to be where they are today, and this is the first time in history they have a shot at winning the trophy, so they’ll come out guns blazing because they have everything to gain and nothing to lose.
“They showed the quality of rugby they can play all around last week, and they run hard, which is one of the reasons we opted for a five-three split for this game, so we are preparing for a proper final and we know it will take a massive 23-man effort for the full 80 minutes to win the trophy.”
Springboks – 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche.
Replacements: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Elrigh Louw, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Handre Pollard, 23 Lukhanyo Am.
