Willie le Roux will reach a significant personal milestone on Saturday when he earns his 100th Test cap for South Africa in their Castle Lager incoming series clash against Italy at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha.
The experienced fullback will become only the eighth Springbok to reach the century mark, joining an elite group in South African rugby history. His achievement comes as coach Rassie Erasmus has named a heavily rotated squad featuring three uncapped players and a new captain.
With regular skipper Siya Kolisi sidelined due to injury management, lock Salmaan Moerat will lead the team for the first time since their Rugby Championship encounter against Argentina last year.
New kids on the block
Three players are in line for their Test debuts, all named on the bench. Prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye, who impressed in the Boks’ 54-7 victory over the Barbarians, gets his opportunity alongside utility forward Cobus Wiese – brother of starting No 8 Jasper Wiese – and utility back Ethan Hooker.
The inclusion of the Wiese brothers makes them the 37th set of siblings to represent the Springboks, following in the footsteps of Jaden and Jordan Hendrikse as the most recent fraternal duo.
“It’s always fantastic to see siblings play together, and one can sense their excitement about this memorable occasion,” said Erasmus. “I have no doubt that will motivate them even more going into the game.”
Continuity amid change
Despite the wholesale changes, seven players retain their places from last week’s 42-24 victory in Pretoria. Le Roux leads a new-look backline that includes Eastern Cape local Makazole Mapimpi on the wing and the returning Edwill van der Merwe, who scored on his debut against Wales last season.
Andre Esterhuizen partners with Canan Moodie in the midfield, while Manie Libbok and Grant Williams form the halfback combination.
The pack sees the return of several key players from injury, including Pieter-Steph du Toit, Ruan Nortje, and Evan Roos, who will provide impact off the bench.
Special occasion for Le Roux
Erasmus was full of praise for le Roux, who made his debut against Italy in Durban in 2013.
“Willie has been a stalwart for us in the last few years after making his debut against Italy in Durban in 2013, and he’s a fantastic playmaker, so we are thrilled to see him achieve this incredible feat,” said the coach.
“Only seven players in Springbok history have played 100 Tests before him, and to reach this milestone is testament to the player and team man that Willie is.”
Building for the Future
The team selection reflects Erasmus’s broader strategy of squad rotation while maintaining competitive standards. Thirteen players in the squad are World Cup winners, with 11 starting and two on the bench.
“We said from the outset that we would rotate the team as we have a large and very talented squad, and all but three of the players have played Test rugby before,” Erasmus explained.
“What makes this squad particularly exciting is that many of them have done the job for us before on the biggest stage, while players such as Asenathi, Cobus, and Ethan have made a fantastic impression on us both at their franchises and at training, and they certainly deserve this opportunity.”
Italian Challenge Expected
Despite the convincing victory last week, Erasmus expects a tough encounter from an Italian side looking to bounce back.
“We said from the get-go that they are a tough team and that they will test us, and we know that their performance last week will psyche them up going into this match,” he warned.
“They will come hard at us and deliver another passionate performance, but we also have high standards as a team, and we know that we need to shift into a different gear this weekend.”
The match kicks off at 5:10 PM and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.
Springbok team to face Italy: 15 Willie le Roux | 14 Edwill van der Merwe | 13 Canan Moodie | 12 Andre Esterhuizen | 11 Makazole Mapimpi | 10 Manie Libbok | 9 Grant Williams | 8 Jasper Wiese | 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit | 6 Marco van Staden | 5 Ruan Nortje | 4 Salmaan Moerat (captain) | 3 Wilco Louw | 2 Malcolm Marx | 1 Thomas du Toit
Replacements: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels | 17 Ox Nche | 18 Asenathi Ntlabakanye | 19 Cobus Wiese | 20 Evan Roos | 21 Cobus Reinach | 22 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu | 23 Ethan Hooker
