Springboks name frightening team to face Ireland this weekend
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Fully loaded.
RG Snyman will join the select group of players to earn 50 Test caps for South Africa when the Springboks run out at the Aviva Stadium against Ireland on Saturday, in a matchday squad that reflects only two personnel changes to the team that defeated France 32-17 two weeks ago.
With most of the players being rested last week against Italy to ensure that Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus could field a fresh team to match the hosts’ energy, he reverted to his tried and tested combinations for their clash against Ireland, who they last defeated on home soil in 2012.
Snyman will become the third squad member to achieve a significant milestone on the Castle Lager Outgoing Tour, following Siya Kolisi and Erasmus sharing the special occasion of earning their 100th Test caps as a player and 50th as the head coach against France.
The two personnel changes to Erasmus’ squad see Ruan Nortje being promoted from the replacements bench to the starting lineup in place of Lood de Jager, while Kwagga Smith returns to the team on the bench in his place.
The only other change to the squad is in the backline, where Canan Moodie switches from centre against Italy to wing to fill the void left by Kurt-Lee Arendse, who has returned to South Africa after suffering a concussion last week.
Springbok team to face Ireland in Dublin:
15 Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers) – 47 caps, 66 pts (6t, 9c, 4p, 2dg)
14 Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls) – 20 caps, 40 pts (8t)
13 Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles) – 86 caps, 100 pts (20t)
12 Damian de Allende (Wild Knights) – 95 caps, 55 pts (11t)
11 Cheslin Kolbe (Tokyo Sungoliath) – 48 caps, 126 pts (21t, 3c, 5p)
10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers) – 17 caps, 137 pts (6t, 34c, 13p)
9 Cobus Reinach (DHL Stormers) – 48 caps, 90 pts (18t)
8 Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks) – 41 caps, 10 pts (2t)
7 Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz) – 94 caps, 70 pts (14t)
6 Siya Kolisi (captain, Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 101 caps, 70 pts (14t)
5 Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls) – 16 caps, 0 pts
4 Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 139 caps, 35 pts (7t)
3 Thomas du Toit (Bath) – 31 caps, 5 pts (1t)
2 Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 86 caps, 135 pts (27t)
1 Boan Venter (Edinburgh) – 7 caps, 5 pts (1t)
Replacements:
16 Johan Grobbelaar (Vodacom Bulls) – 6 caps, 0 pts
17 Gerhard Steenekamp (Vodacom Bulls) – 14 caps, 5 pts (1t)
18 Wilco Louw (Vodacom Bulls) – 27 caps, 5 pts (1t)
19 RG Snyman (Leinster) – 49 caps, 15 points (3t)
20 Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs) – 61 caps, 55 pts (11t)
21 Andre Esterhuizen (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 27 caps, 20 pts (4t)
22 Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 27 caps, 35 pts (7t)
23 Manie Libbok (Kintetsu Liners) – 27 caps, 145 pts (2t, 48c, 13p)
