{"id":29730,"date":"2025-09-18T15:17:49","date_gmt":"2025-09-18T13:17:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/?p=29730"},"modified":"2026-03-12T09:50:03","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T07:50:03","slug":"springboks-name-33-man-squad-for-rugby-championship-finale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/springboks-name-33-man-squad-for-rugby-championship-finale\/","title":{"rendered":"Rassie Erasmus names 33-man Springboks squad for Rugby Championship finale"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus has announced a familiar-looking 33-man squad for the final two rounds of the Rugby Championship, keeping continuity while battling a growing injury list. The Boks face Argentina in Durban next Saturday before a decisive clash at Twickenham a week later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>South Africa remain firmly in the title race, sitting second on the log with 10 points, level with New Zealand and just one point behind leaders Australia. Argentina trail by only a point, meaning the competition is wide open with every match now critical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Apart from a few injured players, Rassie Erasmus has retained the core of the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Springboks?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#Springboks<\/a> squad for the Tests against Argentina \ud83d\udc4a<br>Limited tickets for Durban still available: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/rXSrJ433va\">https:\/\/t.co\/rXSrJ433va<\/a> \ud83c\udf9f <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/ForeverGreenForeverGold?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#ForeverGreenForeverGold<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Springboks (@Springboks) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Springboks\/status\/1968229714545332719?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">September 17, 2025<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-injuries-hit-key-positions\">Injuries hit key positions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Erasmus will be without several senior players. Lock Lood de Jager, loose forward Jean-Luc du Preez, and fullback Aphelele Fassi were all sidelined after injuries on the New Zealand tour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other absentees include props Gerhard Steenekamp and Frans Malherbe, lock Salmaan Moerat, and star utility back Kurt-Lee Arendse, all still recovering. Despite the setbacks, Erasmus insists the squad retains balance and depth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cWe are blessed with talent in South Africa, so as sad as we are for players such as Lood, Jean-Luc, Aphelele, Kurt-Lee, and many others, we have capable guys to fill their boots,\u201d said Erasmus in a statement.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"gaute-28664020\" class=\"gaute-inbetween-content gaute-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-argentina-pose-stern-challenge\">Argentina pose stern challenge<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Argentina head into the Durban clash brimming with confidence after edging Australia 28-26 last weekend. The Pumas have already beaten New Zealand in this year\u2019s Championship and stunned the Boks in Santiago del Estero last season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Erasmus acknowledged the danger of their South American rivals:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cThey have quality forwards and backs, and they play with guts and passion. We know it will take two great performances to beat them and hopefully reclaim the Championship title. Any team can still win the competition, so there is no margin for error, and every point will count.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-full-33-man-springboks-squad\">Full 33-man Springboks squad<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Forwards:<\/strong> Pieter-Steph du Toit, Thomas du Toit, Eben Etzebeth, Vincent Koch, Siya Kolisi, Wilco Louw, Malcolm Marx, Bongi Mbonambi, Franco Mostert, Ox Nche, Ruan Nortje, Kwagga Smith, RG Snyman, Marnus van der Merwe, Marco van Staden, Boan Venter, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Jasper Wiese<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Backs:<\/strong> Damian de Allende, Faf de Klerk, Andre Esterhuizen, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Ethan Hooker, Cheslin Kolbe, Jesse Kriel, Manie Libbok, Makazole Mapimpi, Canan Moodie, Handre Pollard, Cobus Reinach, Morne van den Berg, Damian Willemse, Grant Williams<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"gaute-3206090381\" class=\"gaute-inbetween-content gaute-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-this-means-for-the-boks\">What this means for the Boks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>With injuries stripping away some proven performers, Erasmus will rely heavily on squad versatility. The likes of Damian Willemse, Canan Moodie, and Kwagga Smith provide options across multiple positions, a factor that could prove decisive in a tournament this tight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Durban Test against Argentina is shaping up as a must-win if South Africa hope to lift the Rugby Championship trophy. Victory would set up a blockbuster finale at Twickenham.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Check also: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/how-springboks-thrashed-all-blacks\/\">How Springboks Thrashed All Blacks to Stay No. 1 in World Rugby Rankings<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Rugby Championship is delicately poised, with all four teams still in the hunt. Erasmus\u2019 faith in continuity may give the Boks the edge, but Argentina\u2019s resilience ensures nothing will come easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Do you think the Springboks have enough depth to reclaim the Rugby Championship despite their injuries? Share your views in the comments.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rassie Erasmus has named a settled 33-man Springbok squad for the Rugby Championship\u2019s final leg against Argentina. Injuries force key changes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":29748,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_focus_keyword":"","rank_math_title":"","rank_math_description":"Rassie Erasmus has named a settled 33-man Springbok squad for the Rugby Championship\u2019s final leg against Argentina. Injuries force key changes.","footnotes":""},"categories":[56,64],"tags":[11108,415,873],"class_list":{"0":"post-29730","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"category-sports-news","9":"tag-latest-sports-news","10":"tag-sa-rugby","11":"tag-springboks"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29730","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29730"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29730\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29751,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29730\/revisions\/29751"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29748"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29730"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29730"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29730"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}