Coach Rassie Erasmus has made two changes to the Springbok match 23 for Friday night’s Nations Championship clash against France in Paris.
Wilco Louw will start at tighthead prop ahead of Thomas du Toit, who moves to the bench, while scrumhalf Cobus Reinach replaces Grant Williams among the replacements.
Lood de Jager and Ruan Nortjé will again partner in the second row after Erasmus was forced to make a late change in Turin last week following the withdrawal of Salmaan Moerat due to back spasms during the warm-up.
The Bok coach also retained the split of six forwards and two backs on the bench.
MALLETT: Bok front row must ‘destroy’ France
Sixteen players in the match 23 featured in the Boks’ 32-17 victory over France in Paris last year, including the entire starting forward pack with the exception of Nché, as well as five of the backs in the run-on team – Feinberg-Mngomezulu, De Allende, Kriel and Willemse.
Ten players in the group were members of the team that defeated France 29-28 in the 2023 World Cup quarter-final in Paris.
The Boks have won nine of their last 10 encounters against France, and their last four Tests at the Stade de France.
KEO: Springboks have made Paris their fortress
SPRINGBOKS – 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Ethan Hooker, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Morné van den Berg, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Ruan Nortjé, 4 Lood de Jager, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nché.
Bench: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 Franco Mostert, 20 Cameron Hanekom, 21 Paul de Villiers, 22 Cobus Reinach, 23 Manie Libbok.
Photo: Antony Dickson/Gallo Images
The post Boks load up front row for France appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Coach Rassie Erasmus has made two changes to the Springbok match 23 for Friday night’s Nations Championship clash against France in Paris.
The post Boks load up front row for France appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
