Wild stallion Tshituka rewarded with Spingbok Test debut while Kriel retains captaincy

Vincent Tshituka, the athletic storm who blitzed the Barbarians like a twister in Cape Town last week, will be strapped into the No. 7 jersey for his first full-blooded Test when the green-and gold machine, rich in legacy and muscle, rolls out to face Italy in their opening Test of the Castle Lager Incoming Series at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday.

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus, the master tactician with a penchant for theatre and thunder, has handed the young flanker a baptism not in fire—but in Italian granite.

“Vincent has fitted into our structures really well. He showed last week that he has the potential to play Test rugby, and we’re excited to see what he can do,” Erasmus declared, like a general anointing a young lieutenant before a major campaign.

Tshituka’s inclusion is a stirring statement—an emblem of Erasmus’ blueprint that welds continuity with fresh steel. His two-try performance against the Baabaas was a revelation. Now, under the lights of Loftus and the pressure of a Test cauldron, he’ll have to hunt with the same ferocity that made the Cape Town fans leap to their feet just days ago.

While a new name is etched into Test scrolls, Jesse Kriel—veteran, centre, and now leader—will wear the captain’s armband in Siya Kolisi’s absence. If Kolisi is the soul of the Springboks, then Kriel is the spine: firm, flexible, always upright under pressure. Saturday marks his first official captaincy in a capped international, making him the 67th man to shoulder this nation’s mighty rugby weight.

“There are so many leaders in this group. Jesse really impressed us with how he took on the captaincy last week,” Erasmus said.

“He’s a player who leads by example and he deserves this honour.”

Kriel’s voice will be the beacon on the field, but he won’t be alone in command. Eben Etzebeth—returning like a thundercloud on the highveld after a stint on the sidelines—slots in at lock and takes up the vice-captaincy. His pairing with Lood de Jager brings towering experience, snarling intensity, and over 200kg of engine room brutality to the set-piece.

With the needle of his squad compass pointing toward the 2027 World Cup in Australia, Erasmus is again sewing together a patchwork of old legends and rising warriors. The backline, a dreamscape of flair and firepower, sees the electric Damian Willemse return from the treatment room and a suspension, linking up with the sizzling wings Kurt-Lee Arendse and Cheslin Kolbe.

Handre Pollard, the Springbok metronome, reclaims the No. 10 jersey with his cool-headed command and inch-perfect boot, partnered by the zippy Morne van den Berg at scrumhalf.

Behind the scrum, the midfield duo of Damian de Allende and Kriel forms a battering ram laced with finesse, while the pack up front is a heavyweight orchestra of snarls, grunts and grit. Ox Nche, Malcolm Marx, and Wilco Louw will anchor the scrum, each one capable of turning scrummaging into a form of dark art.

The loose trio is a cocktail of fury and finesse: Jasper Wiese brings the raw bludgeon at 8, Marco van Staden the relentless jackal at 6, and debutant Tshituka the wild stallion at 7.

Bok Team vs Italy Graphic: https://x.com/SSRugby/status/1940040672314052937

Erasmus, ever the strategist, has once again opted for a 6-2 bench split—a signal of war. Reinforcements such as RG Snyman, Franco Mostert, and Kwagga Smith lie in wait, ready to unleash havoc in the final quarter. Bongi Mbonambi and Vincent Koch will ensure there’s no drop in scrummaging venom, while Faf de Klerk and the ever-graceful Willie le Roux—who stands on the edge of his 99th cap—will provide backs coverage.

“We have a big squad and want to balance game time while maintaining continuity,” said Erasmus. “We believe this team is best suited for what we want to achieve against Italy.”

Italy, though ranked 10th in the world, are no longer the side that once folded beneath the pressure of the green tide. Under Gonzalo Quesada, they have become braver, brasher, and bolder—an outfit that plays with Mediterranean flair but northern grit.

“They are a quality team with a strong pack and dangerous backs,” Erasmus warned. “They also play an exciting brand of rugby, so we’ll need to stick to our structures and deliver a quality performance.”

The Boks know that no Test is ever won in the tunnels or with a name. At Loftus—where the ghosts of battles past will watch from the bleachers—the Test match will be won or lost in the storm: in the first scrum, the first tackle, the first breathless sprint down the touchline.

And somewhere in that storm, Tshituka will charge into Test history, and Kriel will lead the charge—under the banner of a legacy that stretches back more than a century and forward into the unknown.