Damian Willemse's form as a fullback significantly strengthens the Springboks squad ahead of test matches against Argentina and the All Blacks. The Springboks concluded the first stage of the Rugby World Cup undefeated, scoring 15 points in three games against England, Scotland, and Wales, and leading New Zealand on point difference in the Southern Hemisphere.
The team is now focusing on Argentina, with whom they will play next weekend in Buenos Aires. This match will serve as the final preparation before the greatest rugby rivalry against the All Blacks.
In the coming days, Independent Media will analyze the recent successes of the Boks, starting with an analysis of external players, to determine who should start in the first test match against the All Blacks at Ellis Park on Saturday, August 22nd.
The Springboks team looks completely different when Damian Willemse plays at position #15. The 28-year-old player demonstrates a high level of confidence and form. Although there is an argument for playing Willemse at inside centre, where he showed a decent performance against Scotland, his best position currently is fullback.
A large part of this is related to Fassie's recent performance. The Sharks fullback looked sluggish against Wales and struggled with high ball handling, making too many errors, according to the author. Since Kolbe, Hooker, Keenan Moody, and Sasha Feinberg-Mngomezulu can adequately cover this position, Fassie might end up as a substitute in the coming weeks in case of injuries.
Meanwhile, Horn, who played most of his time at fly-half against the Barbarians and Scotland, felt much more comfortable when playing at #15. He is a good option for the one-off match against the Pumas next weekend.
The right wing position is securely occupied, as Kolbe is among the top candidates, making the fight for the #11 spot more open. Kurt-Lee Arendse started on the left wing in the matches against England and Wales and showed good results, scoring two touchdowns.
However, according to the author, the fit Hooker possesses the physical strength necessary for a tough confrontation with the All Blacks. Van der Merwe, meanwhile, may travel to Argentina.
The possible starting lineup for the Springboks in the match on the 23rd against the All Blacks at Ellis Park includes: #15 Damian Willemse, #14 Cheslin Kolbe, and #11 Ethan Hooker. The analysis of the centres will be conducted on Wednesday.
The Springboks team confidently defeated Wales with a score of 43-0 at the Hollywoodbets Kings Park stadium in Durban on Saturday. The match was marked by Wales' sloppy play, which involved numerous handling errors due to the slippery pitch.
The Springboks quickly took the lead, scoring in both halves within the first 14 minutes of the match. The score first became 7-0 after number eight Jasper Wiese made a powerful break, and debutant Wusi Moyo converted the kick. The hosts then doubled their advantage: scrumhalf Kobus Reinach, playing his 52nd test match, scored his 20th test try by breaking through the dominant Springboks scrum machine. Moyo maintained his perfect kicking record, bringing the score to 14-0.
Despite territorial superiority, the Springboks faced challenges, including handling errors, and were unable to increase the score for the next twenty minutes. Hooker Jesse Kriel eventually scored in the final minutes of the first half, increasing South Africa's lead to 19-0 at halftime. In the second half, the Springboks demonstrated stronger play, scoring four more tries and once again preventing Wales from scoring.
The 43-0 result secured an overwhelming victory for South Africa and marked the second consecutive test match where Wales failed to score against the Springboks. Argentina will be the team's next opponent.
A match between the Springboks and Wales will take place in Durban at Kings Park stadium on Saturday. This fixture gives Rassie Erasmus an opportunity to test the depth of the Springboks squad, as they aim to maintain a winning streak at the start of the new Nations Championship.
Several young players are debuting for the 'green and gold'. They will strive to contribute to the world champions before facing a series of great opponents and the upcoming Rugby World Cup in Australia in 2027. The match is scheduled for Saturday evening, starting at 17:40.
The game is expected to feature many intriguing moments, especially in the following five confrontations:
One of the Springboks' debutants, Carlo Seedi, will face a serious test from the experienced Rhys Carre. After a tough fight for a spot in the squad, including recovery from a potentially neck-injuring incident, the sturdy forward in the tight five will want to make a strong impression in scrums and on the field. However, Carre is an experienced player capable of putting pressure on any No. 3. If Seedi can hold his position in the set-piece and apply his physical strength in open play, it will be a strong statement from the debutant.
This confrontation represents a clash of youth and experience. Jaco Williams is wearing the Springbok jersey for the first time and will aim to demonstrate his speed and ability to finish attacks on the wing when he receives the ball. His ability to handle high passes will also be closely watched. Facing him is Josh Adams, one of Wales' most successful back-rowers and a dangerous attacking player. The Welsh winger has 72 international caps, and he will be a serious challenge for the Springboks newcomer. Nevertheless, Williams will try to use his pace and agility to create problems for the Welsh defence in the wide areas.
This battle could play a decisive role in the battle for the out ball. Ruben van Heerden has established himself as one of South Africa's outstanding out-ball operators at the franchise level. He will finally get a chance to apply his wide skills at Test level. But against the very experienced Adam Bird, this could be a harsh baptism of fire. The Welshman is also effective in the air and poses a real threat from both sides of the kick. In addition to the set-piece, both locks enjoy carrying the ball and will aim to apply their physical power in intense clashes.
The duel between two young playmakers will be exciting. Moyo has been given the opportunity to play at Springboks' No. 10 on his debut. This is a clear sign that the Springboks coaching staff fully trusts his abilities and game management, which will be important against an unpredictable team. He has an exciting attacking line behind him, which he must lead in attack. Edwards, for his part, gets the chance to cement his place in the Wales squad. Territory, tactical play, and calm decision-making will be crucial for his team, given the Springboks' style of play. If he remains calm under pressure, it could significantly advance his team.
This is a heavyweight contest among the forwards. Du Toit is the heart of the Springboks squad and led in the absence of captain Siya Kolisi due to his relentless tackling, physical power, and immense work rate on both sides of the ball. Morgan is one of Wales' inspiring forwards, and his skill in contesting the ball, tireless engine, and physical strength could be key in this department. Both are expected to be actively involved in collisions, ball contests, and carrying the ball, which could bring invaluable momentum to their teams.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus generated significant public interest with his very early announcement of the squad for the upcoming match against Scotland this Saturday. As always, announcements from Rassie Erasmus cause a stir, and the lineup presented for the game in Pretoria on Saturday was no exception. The coach revealed the list of players as early as noon on Monday.
Despite numerous changes to the squad, Erasmus retained a solid core of Bulls players for the fixture at Loftus Versfeld Stadium. The Bulls players were not included in the Barbarians match squad as they were still returning home after the United Rugby Championship final in Dublin. There are four Bulls players in the tight five and nine individuals on the bench for the match-23.
The starting trio of wingers presents an exciting mix of diverse talents. The central figure is the versatile workhorse Pieter-Steph du Toit, supported by the powerful runner Paul de Villiers and the sturdy number 8 Evan Russ. De Villiers made a strong impression in his debut against England, and Russ had a valuable chance to showcase his abilities. The addition of Vincent Tshituku, Elrig Luva, and Ben-Jason Dixon to the bench provides insight into the future of wingers in the Boks team.
There was much reaction to Papier's return to the starting lineup after playing for the Boks (and Erasmus) in 2018 when he earned all eight of his badges. However, Pollard, despite his excellent statistics with the Boks, is aware that attention is also focused on him following the unsatisfactory conclusion of the URC season with the Bulls. This veteran plays to show that he still deserves a spot in the green and gold, and Papier plays to justify his return. The combination of these two players after a year-long partnership is a brilliant move by the coach.
Luva will value his chance from the bench, as he was initially not included in the National Championship squad. The opportunity arose for him after the injury to Riley Norton. Luva debuted for the Boks in 2022 at the age of 22, but after four years, he had only a small number of badges. A major reason for this was a terrible leg injury that kept him out of play for almost a year. Luva last played for the Boks in 2024 and intends to use every second on the field at his home ground.
Damian Willemse was close to perfection at fullback against England and was Man of the Match, although an off-field error led to his teammate Damian de Allende receiving the award in front of millions of viewers. Undeniably, both Damians laughed in the dressing room. Now Willemse has the opportunity to demonstrate his skills at inside centre instead of the rested de Allende. He last played there during the Boks' victorious 43-10 match against the All Blacks in Wellington last year. The Boks do not have many players at position 12 besides Andre Esterhuizen and de Allende, so Willemse's ability to play well in this position is an important part of Erasmus's broader plan.
