Springboks captain Siya Kolisi is set to return to lead the team in the match against the All Blacks, despite the strong performances of young forwards during the Nations Cup.
Earlier this month, the Springboks completed the first stage of the Nations Cup without a loss, securing a maximum of 15 points in three matches against England, Scotland, and Wales. Because of this, they are leading New Zealand in the Southern Hemisphere tournament table based on point difference.
The Boks team will now focus on Argentina, whom they will play this weekend in Buenos Aires. This match will serve as the final preparation before the start of the Rugby Rivalry (RGR) against the All Blacks.
In the coming days, Independent Media will analyze the recent successes of the Boks to determine who should be in the starting lineup for the first test against the All Blacks at Ellis Park on Saturday, August 22. Outside defenders, centers, and halfbacks were previously considered. Now it is the forwards' turn.
Coach Rassie Erasmus does not intend to exclude such a key player as Kolisi, as he continues to show a high level of play and meets the physical fitness requirements. Although Paul de Villiers performed well in the captain's absence, speculation that Kolisi's days are numbered is premature and inaccurate. Nevertheless, it is noted that De Villiers is capable of playing 100 matches for South Africa, and his time will certainly come.
Ben-Jason Dixon has improved his status in the squad, playing both as a flanker and a substitute in the center. Cameron Hanekom and Elryke Low have also returned to the Springboks squad, and Marco van Staden delivered impressive performances as a guest for the Bomb Squad team. Despite the depth of the forward squad, Erasmus has already determined the starting trio: Jasper Wiese, Pieter-Steph du Toit, and Kolisi.
The Springboks' starting fifteen for the match against the All Blacks includes the following players: Damian Willemse (15), Cheslin Kolbe (14), Jesse Kriel (13), Damian de Allende (12), Ethan Hooker (11), Sasha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (10), Kobus Reinah (9), Jasper Wiese (8), Pieter-Steph du Toit (7), and Siya Kolisi (6) as captain.
Since his arrival in the IPL, causing a stir, and becoming one of the country's most discussed young cricketers in just a few months, Vaibhav Suryavanshi's journey resembles a movie plot. However, the toughest phase of his career has now begun, as international cricket is assessing not his age, but his level of preparation.
Those who believe that Vaibhav Suryavanshi will once again bombard balls with sixes and fours immediately upon arriving in Zimbabwe might be underestimating the upcoming difficulties. Three T20 matches in Harare, even if they are not as fast and bouncy as in England, will be a serious test for him.
Vaibhav's main advantage in the IPL was his fearless batting. He attacked from the first ball, put pressure on bowlers, and unleashed a barrage of sixes. Nevertheless, in international cricket, opponents have video analysts, data, and clear strategies. As shown during the tour of England, as soon as a player's weakness is discovered, the same delivery is used against them.
During his visit to England, Vaibhav scored innings of 14, 13, and 15 runs. Despite these modest scores, he managed to demonstrate his strength against fast bowlers like Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue. However, this tour also showed that aggression alone is not enough to achieve consistent success in international cricket.
The biggest challenge for Vaibhav is not just scoring runs, but developing the patience to play long innings. The style of play that succeeds on flat subcontinent pitches with small boundaries is not applicable in all foreign conditions. There, one must first understand the situation and then play their shots.
The second problem is short balls. In England, he was troubled by balls that bounced twice. This weakness was evident in both the IPL and the three-nation series in Sri Lanka. Now, opponents have a clear strategy against Vaibhav: fast balls into the body and constant bouncers. The question is no longer what his weakness is, but what he has learned from it.
In Indian cricket, Zimbabwe is often considered an easy opponent. However, the current Zimbabwean team is very different from the past. In recent years, it has fiercely confronted many strong teams and achieved unexpected victories when given the chance.
The added height of Blessing Muzarabani, the pace of Richard Ngrawa, the variety of Brad Evans, and the experience of captain Sikander Raza make the attacking lines quite challenging to test any young batsman. Scoring runs against such an attack will not be easy for Vaibhav.
The conditions in Harare are different from those in England, but they are not like India's. Therefore, here Vaibhav will have to rely not only on his power but also on his understanding of the game. If he spends the first few overs studying the speed and height of the ball, and then transitions to his natural aggressive style, his chances of success will increase significantly. But if he tries to send every ball to the stands from the beginning, opponents may take advantage of his haste.
The visit to Zimbabwe is not just another T20 series. It is the next stage in the development of his cricketing skills. Three matches will not define his career, but they will certainly answer a number of questions:
This tour is important not only for Vaibhav Suryavanshi. It is also a test for the management of the Indian team, which wants to prepare young players. One cannot expect big scores from a 15-year-old player in every match. It is more important to observe how quickly he learns from his mistakes and how much trust the team management places in him. The role of captain Shreyas Iyer and interim head coach VVS Laxman will also be extremely significant.
All Blacks legend Sean Fitzpatrick believes that Rassie Erasmus's greatest achievement is creating an unprecedented depth of squad within the Springboks. He compared the current two-time World Rugby Champions from South Africa with the iconic New Zealand team of 2015.
Fitzpatrick noted that while winning two consecutive World Cups is highly significant, Erasmus's true accomplishment lies in fostering an extremely competitive atmosphere within the team. The All Blacks legend emphasized that players at the highest level discuss this competition.
Under Erasmus, the Springboks won the Rugby World Cup titles in 2019 and 2023. Ahead of the next major tournament, South Africa is again considered one of the main favorites to retain the Webb Ellis Cup. However, they face their main rivals—the All Blacks, who achieved similar success in 2011 and 2015.
Fitzpatrick explained Erasmus's success by citing the 2015 team, which defeated Australia in the final. He stated that one could field another 15 players in the same positions in that team and still remain clear favorites. Such a level of squad depth, according to Fitzpatrick, was astonishingly realized by Rassie.
Comparing the current Springboks squad to the 2015 All Blacks team is a huge compliment, as the New Zealand team is considered one of the greatest in rugby history. Meanwhile, the All Blacks are undergoing a period of transformation following the appointment of Dave Rennie as head coach.
Fitzpatrick noted that Dave Rennie's primary task is to recreate that same fierce competition. He added that it is important to have several players constantly competing against each other for highly contested positions, regardless of the weekly match result.
The dominance of powerful Southern Hemisphere teams remains a defining characteristic of the sport. Since England's victory in 2003, New Zealand and South Africa have won all the World Cups against each other. Even despite Ireland's impressive rise as a global power in recent years, the Irish have yet to advance past the quarter-finals of the tournament.
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.
