The Springboks will march into Wellington this weekend with a backline reshuffled like a deck of cards, as Coach Rassie Erasmus sharpens his blades for a second swing at the All Blacks in the Rugby Championship.
With the Freedom Cup on the line, South Africa have rolled the dice on youth, pace and fresh legs, hoping to turn last week’s narrow 24–17 defeat in Auckland into redemption.
Ethan Hooker, still wet behind the ears in Test rugby, will start his first match in the green-and-gold, his boots carrying both promise and pressure on the wing. Around him, Erasmus has crafted a new tapestry.
Cobus Reinach and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu will be pulling the strings at halfback.
Damian Willemse and Canan Moodie forms a new a midfield combination built on guile and grit.
Aphelele Fassi lurks at fullback like a predator waiting to pounce. On the opposite wing, Cheslin Kolbe, the human firecracker adds a familiar spark.
Up front, it’s a case of muscle memory. Siya Kolisi returns as captain and to hsiusual post on the flank, alongside Pieter-Steph du Toit. Jasper Wiese roars back from suspension like a caged bull finally set loose.
The pack remains largely intact, Malcolm Marx anchoring the scrum with the granite presence of Ox Nche and Thomas du Toit on either side, while Lood de Jager’s return adds steel beside the industrious Ruan Nortje.
Rassie Erasmus has made a number of tweaks to the #Springboks team for Saturday's second clash against the All Blacks in New Zealand 🫡#ForeverGreenForeverGold
— Springboks (@Springboks) September 8, 2025
Erasmus has again decided to go with 5–3 bench split, with RG Snyman towering in reserve and Kwagga Smith ready to bring chaos.
In the backs, Manie Libbok waits like a sniper for his moment, with Andre Esterhuizen offering midfield muscle.
“This is an exciting team, which we believe will provide us with the forward power we require, and spark in the backline against a quality All Blacks side,” said Erasmus.
“We’ve maintained consistency in selection to a large degree in the last few matches, but apart from what we feel some of the players selected can add to our attack, we’d like to see what some of the players can do against the top-ranked team in the world.
“This is a vital match for our Rugby Championship campaign, and we feel some fresh legs and energy are what we need to come away with the desired result.”
Erasmus added: “Every player in this squad knows we believe in them and back them, and this will serve as a great occasion for them to show us what they are capable of against a team such as the All Blacks.
“They have all done the job for us against some of the top teams in the world earlier this year, and others over the last few years, and we know they’ll relish this opportunity to face New Zealand in their backyard.”
Last week, the Boks handed the All Blacks 15 careless minutes, and that lapse proved fatal. This week, there can be no soft underbelly; the full 80 must be an armoured wall.
History does not sit kindly with the Boks in New Zealand. They’ve won just 38% of their encounters and have yet to dominate consistently on Kiwi soil.
But Sky Stadium has yielded tight battles before, including a 16–16 stalemate in 2019. Now, with the Freedom Cup glinting like a prize bull’s horn, the Boks will charge again, hunting a statement win that could tilt the Championship.
For Erasmus, the reshaped backline is a gamble on pace, youth, and unpredictability.
The All Blacks may be the world’s top-ranked side, but South Africa’s new look is designed to surprise, like a sidestep no one saw coming.
The question is: will it spark fireworks, or fizzle in the Wellington wind?
SPRINGBOKS – 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 Damian Willemse, 11 Ethan Hooker, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Ruan Nortjé, 4 Lood de Jager, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nché.
Bench: 16 Marnus van der Merwe, 17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Grant Williams, 22 Manie Libbok, 23 André Esterhuizen.
