The Springboks will present a largely unchanged match‑day 23 for the third Test against New Zealand at Soccer City on Saturday, with coach Rassie Erasmus making a single, injury‑enforced alteration.
Kolbe moves to fullback; Arendse called up to wing
With Damian Willemse sidelined by injury, fullback duties will fall to Cheslin Kolbe, who shifts from the wing to wear the number 15 shirt. To cover Kolbe’s vacated wing berth, Erasmus has included Kurt‑Lee Arendse in the starting XV at 14.
The change is the only adjustment to a side that edged a bruising second Test 33‑26 in Cape Town to level the four‑match series at 1‑1, and reflects Erasmus’s desire for continuity as the Springboks prepare to face the All Blacks at the 94,500‑seat Soccer City.
“It was always our plan to have a little more continuity in player combinations for this series and we thought that the players who did the job for us last week really showed composure and did well to stick to the plan and what we wanted to achieve last week,” Erasmus said.
Front row continuity, Libbok stays on bench
Erasmus has returned to the front row he had initially selected to start the Cape Town Test: hooker Malcolm Marx will start alongside props Ox Nche and Wilco Louw. Those three had been switched just before kickoff in the previous Test, but are now back in the starting pack while Deon Fourie, Gerhard Steenekamp and Thomas du Toit are named among the replacements.
At flyhalf, Sacha Feinberg‑Mngomezulu retains the number 10 jersey, with Manie Libbok again named on the bench. Notably, Handre Pollard is unavailable for selection because of a calf problem.
Experience and leadership in the pack
Skipper Siya Kolisi starts following his return from a hamstring problem and will form the back row with Pieter‑Steph du Toit and No 8 Jasper Wiese. In the second row, lock Eben Etzebeth will extend his record as the most capped Springbok to 145 appearances.
The selection reads as a vote of confidence in combinations that handled pressure in Cape Town and a pragmatic attempt to preserve cohesion while managing injuries across the squad.
- Main change: Damian Willemse out injured; Cheslin Kolbe moves to 15; Kurt‑Lee Arendse starts at 14.
- Front row: Malcolm Marx, Ox Nche, Wilco Louw return to start.
- Key absences: Handre Pollard unavailable due to calf injury; Willemse ruled out.
Match‑day 23
| Position | Player |
|---|---|
| 15 | Cheslin Kolbe |
| 14 | Kurt‑Lee Arendse |
| 13 | Jesse Kriel |
| 12 | Damian de Allende |
| 11 | Ethan Hooker |
| 10 | Sacha Feinberg‑Mngomezulu |
| 9 | Cobus Reinach |
| 8 | Jasper Wiese |
| 7 | Pieter‑Steph du Toit |
| 6 | Siya Kolisi (captain) |
| 5 | Ruan Nortje |
| 4 | Eben Etzebeth |
| 3 | Wilco Louw |
| 2 | Malcolm Marx |
| 1 | Ox Nche |
Replacements named are: Deon Fourie, Gerhard Steenekamp, Thomas du Toit, Lood de Jager, Andre Esterhuizen, Cameron Hanekom, Morne van den Berg and Manie Libbok.
What’s at stake
This selection signals that the Springboks will back the group who delivered in Cape Town and attempt to maintain momentum as the series shifts to Johannesburg. With the series poised at 1‑1, the third Test carries huge weight: a win would put one side on the brink of a series victory, and the Test at Soccer City will also test squad depth and conditioning so early in the international window.
Fans will be watching closely for how Kolbe adapts to fullback duties after moving from the wing, and whether the front‑row adjustments restore the set‑piece solidity Erasmus seeks. The All Blacks, meanwhile, will be eager to respond after losing the second Test, so expect a physical, tactical chess match when the teams run out under the lights.
