Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has returned to his most experienced combinations for Saturday’s final big test match of the year against Ireland at AVIVA Stadium in Dublin.
Erasmus mixed and matched last week for the game against Ireland, making 11 changes to the side that beat France in Paris the week before. He has effectively now gone back to the group that won 32-17 at the Stade de France, with the obvious caveat that Lood de Jager, who was red carded in that game, is unavailable.
There are some other minor switches from the game against France, however, and one of them is Canan Moodie playing on the right wing instead of Kurt-Lee Arendse. The Bulls wing has returned to South Africa after a minor concussion suffered last week but the change won’t hugely hurt the team.
𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆: Rassie Erasmus names his Springbok side to face Ireland 🇿🇦🚨
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) November 20, 2025
Kick-off at 19:30 on Saturday night, build-up from 18:30 on SS Grandstand 📺#SSRugby | #QuilterNS pic.twitter.com/30Q7QL8Va6
Moodie was at outside centre for last week’s game in Turin so there are effectively 12 changes from that game if you factor in that positional switch. Moodie was good in countering Italy’s aerial kicking assault last week and that may have in any case become a factor in his selection in the position where he has played most of his games for the Boks so far. Ireland were really good at their contestable kicking game when they beat Australia 46-19 in Dublin last weekend.
CHANGE OF FORMULA TO FORWARD BENCH BACK-UP
Although Franco Mostert was cleared and his red card received early in last week’s game rescinded in a disciplinary hearing this week, he is not playing any part in the AVIVA Stadium clash. That may be an indication that Erasmus has stuck with his policy of only considering players who are available for the whole week of training, which would mean there was some cost to Mostert for the poor decision made by referee James Doleman in the Italy game.
However, while the Boks did go in with two locks in their six/two bench split between forwards and backs in the Paris game, thus making it a proper ‘Bomb Squad’, meaning he has an entire tight five backing up, this week he has only RG Snyman as a lock and Kwagga Smith, excellent as a replacement against Italy, on the bench.
With Andre Esterhuizen again fulfilling his hybrid role, meaning he can play both centre and flank, this might be an indication that Erasmus’ selection is more around tactics, with Ireland’s proficiency at the breakdown and their reliance on quickly recycled ball coming into his thinking.
LANDMARK FOR RG
Talking of Snyman, the double World Cup winner will be playing his 50th test for his country in Dublin at a stadium he knows well as he is currently a Leinster player. He will no doubt see it as fitting that he plays his landmark game for the Boks in the city where he currently resides.
Erasmus’ selection means that the same halfback pairing that has fronted for all the big Bok games since the win over New Zealand in Wellington in September will be starting, with Cobus Reinach and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu again being backed up by Grant Williams and Manie Libbok.
With most of the players being rested last week against Italy to ensure that 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.
The last meeting between the Springboks and Ireland ended in heartbreak 💔
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) November 19, 2025
Saturday night presents a new chance for both teams to write the next chapter of the rivalry 🍿#SSRugby | #QuilterNS pic.twitter.com/m6n9Lo9TFc
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 apart from Moodie playing in Arendse’s place from the Paris game to Erasmus’ squad sees Ruan Nortje being promoted from the replacements bench to the starting line-up in place of De Jager, while Kwagga Smith returns to the team on the bench in his place.
Cheslin Kolbe (wing) and Reinach will both feature in their 49th test matches, leaving them only one game short of joining Snyman and several other teammates on 50 caps.
MOST OF TEAM HAVE FACED IRELAND BEFORE
“The majority of this team were rested last week to ensure that they recover from the physically taxing match against France, and it was always our plan to name an experienced outfit against Ireland,” said Erasmus in explaining his selection.
A classic Juan Smith intercept and some Gio Aplon footwork 👏
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) November 19, 2025
Two brilliant tries from a memorable 23-21 win for the Springboks at the Aviva back in 2010 ✅
Kick-off at 19:30 on Saturday night, build-up from 18:30 on SS Grandstand 📺#SSRugby | #QuilterNS pic.twitter.com/yGfGEgmhEO
“Most of these players have faced Ireland in Dublin, as well as in the 2023 Rugby World Cup, and Castle Lager Incoming Series, so they understand the magnitude of this challenge and what to expect from the hosts. So, we believe this is the right group of players for this match.”
The Bok coach was full of praise for Snyman: “We are thrilled for RG and we’ll do everything we can to hopefully make this a special occasion for him. He’s a great player and team man, and had it not been for injuries along the way, he would have probably earned 50 caps a while ago. He deserves this achievement, and it speaks volumes about the quality of the player he is.”
EXPECTING PHYSICAL ENCOUNTER
Looking at the match, Erasmus said they are expecting a physical and testing encounter.
“Ireland have been among the top-ranked teams in the last few years, and they are a force to be reckoned with at home,” he said.
“They have a good balance of experienced and exciting young players in their squad, and they pose threats up-front and with their talented backs, so it’s going to require a massive effort to beat them.
“This group of players have never won a match in Ireland before, so we know how tough it’s going to be to win here, and that will certainly motivate us. It will take a colossal effort, but we are excited about the challenge, and we know that we have to be razor sharp in all departments to get the desired result.”
The match kicks off at 19h40 (SA time) and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.
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)
