Eben Etzebeth Set for 123rd Test Appearance in Brisbane
Eben Etzebeth is poised to play his 123rd Test for the Springboks, putting him just four appearances shy of equaling Victor Matfield’s record of 127 Test caps for South Africa.
Etzebeth has been named in the starting XV for the Springboks’ Rugby Championship opener against Australia in Brisbane this weekend.
Springboks Making History in Brisbane
In addition to Etzebeth’s milestone, Frans Malherbe will make his 60th start at tighthead prop, trailing only Tendai Mtawarira (102) and Os du Randt (75) in starts.
The center pairing of Jesse Kriel and Damian de Allende will extend their record for the most Test matches together in the midfield to 31, surpassing the previous record held by Jean de Villiers and Jaque Fourie with 29 Tests.
Willie le Roux will inch closer to joining the elite club of Springbok centurions as he earns his 96th cap on Saturday.
If Kwagga Smith takes the field, he will be just six caps away from joining the Springboks’ 50-cap club.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Elrigh Louw will also make their first Test starts for the Springboks against the Wallabies in Brisbane.
Comments from the Coach
“Sacha has made a notable impact off the bench in all four Tests he has played so far, and he’s slotted into the system with ease, so we are excited to see what dynamic he adds to the team as a starter. His goal-kicking has also been impressive, and we know that against teams like Australia, New Zealand, and Argentina the margins are very small, so every point will count,” said the coach.
“We’re also keen to see what Elrigh brings to the game, given his consistently strong performances for the Vodacom Bulls in the last few seasons and off the bench against Portugal. With Pieter-Steph du Toit and Siya Kolisi alongside him, he’ll have good guidance to play to his strengths and do what he does best.”
Building Depth
“One of the big talking points for us as a team from the beginning of the season was that we need to get the balance right between selecting teams featuring youth and experience as we build toward the 2027 Rugby World Cup,” Erasmus added.
“We’re pleased with the way we’ve been able to integrate some of the young players into the squad this season and give them game time against top opposition. We rested several players against Portugal to ensure that we had a fresh squad for the Castle Lager Rugby Championship, while a few young players really grabbed the opportunity to show what they can do in the first four Tests of the season.
“We’re excited to see what they have to offer against a team such as Australia which plays a vastly different style of rugby to that which we faced against Wales, Ireland, and Portugal. Sacha and Ben-Jason showed proper class when they earned their chance to play this season, and we are looking forward to seeing them in action against the Wallabies.”
