Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has named most of the players who were members of the squad that retained the Freedom Cup in New Zealand last weekend in his 33-man squad for their closing two Castle Lager Rugby Championship matches against Argentina in Durban and London. The Bok squad assembled in Durban on Thursday after having a few days off with their families following their return from New Zealand on Sunday night to begin their preparations for the last two matches…

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has named a new-look backline for the second Test against the All Blacks in Wellington on Saturday, where Ethan Hooker will earn his first start in the green and gold jumper. The fourth-round Castle Lager Rugby Championship encounter at Sky Stadium will decide which team claims the Freedom Cup. Erasmus made seven personnel changes to his starting XV, with 16 players in the match-23 retained from the side that went down 24-17 against the All Blacks…

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has stuck to his tried and tested combinations for their third Castle Lager Rugby Championship encounter against the All Blacks at Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday. Erasmus has made only four changes to the starting team that beat the Wallabies in Cape Town, with Jesse Kriel retaining the captaincy. The changes see the return of South Africa’s most experienced player, Eben Etzebeth, to the starting XV in the engine room alongside Ruan Nortje, in what…

The Springboks defeated the Wallabies 30-22 (half-time 20-10), bouncing back to form in their Castle Lager Rugby Championship match on a cold and windy Saturday evening in Cape Town. However, the South Africans had to work hard for their win in front of 56,350 supporters at a packed DHL Stadium, especially after last weekend’s shock loss to the Wallabies on the Highveld. This victory, which saw South Africa retain the Mandela Challenge Plate, was built on a solid grind, with…

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus named a team featuring 10 changes to the starting XV for their second Castle Lager Rugby Championship match against Australia in Cape Town on Saturday. Only five players in the starting 15 retained their places from the team’s 38-22 defeat against the Wallabies in Johannesburg last week at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. The five players who will start against Australia for the second week in a row are Ox Nché, Malcolm Marx, Marco van Staden, Grant…

The Springboks will look back to the defeat to Australia at Ellis Park on Saturday with so much regret. The reigning world champions raced to a 22-0 lead in less than 20 minutes, only for the Wallabies to stage a fightback that carried them to a 38-22 victory (halftime 22-5) in the opening Castle Lager Rugby Championship match of the campaign in Johannesburg. The Boks scored three unanswered tries in a sparkling opening stanza but a mounting penalty county and…

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has named a strong team for the side’s opening Castle Lager Rugby Championship match against Australia at Ellis Park on Saturday. The matchday squad features 18 Rugby World Cup winners and only one player who made his Test debut during the Castle Lager Incoming Series. The Springboks will be hunting their fifth successive victory against the Wallabies in the match after defeating them in both Castle Lager Rugby Championship games in Australia last season and once…

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has selected a 37-man squad for the first two Tests in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship against Australia, featuring 24 Rugby World Cup-winners and five players who made their Test debuts during their successful Castle Lager Incoming Series. The Bok coach also invited three Young Guns, who were members of the triumphant Junior Springbok World Rugby U20 Championship squad – Bathobele Hlekani, Cheswill Jooste, and Haashim Pead – to train with the group during their two-week…