Jesse Kriel will lead the Springboks for the first time when they take on the Barbarians at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.
Regular captain Siya Kolisi has been ruled out of the non-cap fixture due to injury. Marco van Staden comes straight into the starting lineup in Kolisi’s absence, while the rest of the matchday 23 remains unchanged.
Kriel, who made his Test debut in 2015, has earned 79 caps and now steps up to captain the national team for the first time. The match is set to kick off at 17:10 in Cape Town.
This clash offers the Boks an opportunity to give game time to a number of players, combining experienced internationals with newer faces looking to impress in the green and gold.
Springbok Starting XV:
15. Aphelele Fassi
14. Cheslin Kolbe
13. Jesse Kriel (c)
12. Damian de Allende
11. Kurt-Lee Arendse
10. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu
9. Morne van den Berg
8. Jean-Luc du Preez
7. Vincent Tshituka
6. Marco van Staden
5. Lood de Jager
4. Jean Kleyn
3. Asenathi Ntlabakanye
2. Malcolm Marx
1. Ox Nche
Replacements:
16. Marnus van der Merwe
17. Jan-Hendrik Wessels
18. Neethling Fouche
19. Franco Mostert
20. Kwagga Smith
21. Cobus Reinach
22. Manie Libbok
23. Andre Esterhuizen
The fixture provides another key step in the Springboks’ preparations and squad development. It’s also a chance for South African fans to see some of their favourite players take the field in a unique setting.
