Rassie Erasmus has pulled back the curtain on two of the biggest talking points surrounding the Springboks’ Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry opener: Siya Kolisi’s omission and Damian de Allende’s impending 100th Test.
The Boks will face the All Blacks at 10bet Ellis Park on Saturday, with Pieter-Steph du Toit captaining a side that blends continuity, caution and calculated experimentation.
For Kolisi, the omission is not a demotion. Erasmus stressed that the two-time World Cup-winning captain trained well throughout the week, with the coaching staff opting to manage his return carefully while rewarding the form of 23-year-old Paul de Villiers.
“Siya trained well with us this week, and although we could have selected him for this clash, we thought it would be best to select Paul for this weekend’s game,” the Bok boss said.
He's played them 17 times before, which is why Malcolm Marx knows it will be brutal against the All Blacks on Saturday – more here: https://t.co/5teT0lPmuc 💪#Springboks #ForeverGreenForeverGold #RugbysGreatestRivalry pic.twitter.com/ZJnZQ3iPHD
— Springboks (@Springboks) August 19, 2026
The decision also reflects the scale of the assignment. South Africa face New Zealand four times in the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series, making squad management a marathon rather than a sprint.
“We are playing four Tests against the All Blacks and Paul has been playing well, so we are excited to give him a chance this weekend in what will be his first Test match against New Zealand, while taking a precautionary approach to Siya’s return,” Erasmus said.
“We have a solid group of players, and each one of them deserves their places in the squad, so we will approach team selection week by week.”
It is a selection philosophy built around depth, with Erasmus refusing to put all his eggs in one basket.
The other major storyline belongs to De Allende, who will become only the 10th Springbok to reach 100 Test caps.
Damian De Allende raises his bat as the #Springboks name a settled side for the opening match of #RugbysGreatestRivalry – more here: https://t.co/wnA3URrOkM 🤩
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The veteran centre’s milestone adds another layer of emotion to an already heavyweight occasion, although Erasmus knows sentiment has little place once the whistle blows.
“We are all very excited for Damian, and to achieve this milestone in this series makes it even more special,” he said.
“He’s a great team man, and servant to the game, so we hope we can make it a memorable day for him. That said, his focus all week has only been on this match, and he will certainly not let the occasion shadow what he has to do on the field.”
Erasmus has also been deliberate about his combinations, with only Eben Etzebeth and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu retaining their starting places from the 17-10 win over Argentina.
“The All Blacks are a quality team, and we selected combinations we think would be best suited for the challenge this weekend,” he said.
“The squad is well balanced with players who remained in South Africa to train for this series and some of the players who featured against Argentina. The whole group has now been together for over a week, and we are all aligned regarding the way we want to play this weekend.”
That alignment will be tested by an All Blacks side capable of turning a match into a knife fight in a telephone booth.
“They are a quality team and they’re very well coached, so we are preparing for an 80-minute grind,” Erasmus said.
“Many of the matches between the sides have come down to the wire, so it’s important that we use the chances we create and ensure that our discipline is on point.”
Saturday therefore carries two narratives into Ellis Park: Kolisi watching from the sidelines as De Villiers gets his opportunity, and De Allende stepping into the century club.
For Erasmus, the sentiment can wait. The rivalry demands another heavyweight bout.
RUGBY’S GREATEST RIVALRY
SPRINGBOKS vs ALL BLACKS (Saturday, 5:10pm)
SPRINGBOKS – 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Grant Williams, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit (c), 6 Paul de Villiers, 5 Ruan Nortjé, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nché.
Bench: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Zachary Porthen, 19 Cobus Wiese, 20 André Esterhuizen, 21 Marco van Staden, 22 Cobus Reinach, 23 Manie Libbok.
ALL BLACKS – 15 Damian McKenzie, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Quinn Tupaea, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Josh Moorby, 10 Ruben Love, 9 Cam Roigard, 8 Ardie Savea (c), 7 Luke Jacobson, 6 Tupou Vaa’i, 5 Fabian Holland, 4 Josh Lord, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Ethan de Groot.
Bench: 16 Asafo Aumua, 17 George Bower, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Anton Segner, 20 Peter Lakai, 21 Kyle Preston, 22 Anton Lienert-Brown, 23 Leroy Carter.
