The Springboks have announced a squad of 24 players for the opening Test against Ireland, featuring 12 starters from their 2023 Rugby World Cup final win. Despite being an injury doubt, Faf de Klerk has been cleared to start, with Handre Pollard at fly-half. Several players who came off the bench in the World Cup final, including Willie le Roux, Kwagga Smith, and Ox Nche, will also start in the upcoming match.
Notably, only three replacements in the matchday squad did not feature in the final, highlighting the depth of the Springboks squad. Head coach Rassie Erasmus is confident that the selected team will rise to the challenge against the ranked Ireland team. Although Makazole Mapimpi and Damian Willemse are missing from the squad, Erasmus believes that they have enough talent and experience to succeed.
Erasmus has chosen a 6-2 split on the bench and emphasized the advantage of having many Rugby World Cup-winners in the squad. The familiarity and experience of playing together will be valuable against Ireland, who haven’t been beaten by South Africa since 2016. Ireland has never won a Test series in South Africa but registered a memorable victory over the Springboks during the World Cup.
Ireland’s head coach Andy Farrell is yet to reveal his team for the opening match, setting up an exciting clash between two rivals with high stakes. The anticipation is high as both teams prepare to showcase their skills and determination on
