Cape Town’s excitement for the Springboks-All Blacks rivalry has reached fever pitch, with all 62,000 seats at DHL Stadium sold out ahead of Saturday’s highly anticipated Test.
Despite ticket prices reaching as much as R4,000, demand has remained strong for one of Cape Town’s biggest rugby fixtures of the year. Tickets went on sale earlier this year from R850 to R4,000, with the cheaper options among the first to sell out.
The match will also be a milestone occasion for the Springboks, with utility forward Pieter-Steph du Toit set to earn his 100th Test cap, becoming only the 11th player in South African history to reach the landmark.
Prop Ox Nche will also celebrate a significant milestone, earning his 50th Test cap.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has named a largely unchanged starting XV following last weekend’s match against New Zealand in Johannesburg.
Siya Kolisi has been bracketed with Paul de Villiers at flank, with Kolisi expected to start if he comes through training comfortably this week. Handre Pollard and Cobus Reinach will form the halfback pairing, while Ethan Hooker replaces Cheslin Kolbe on the wing after Kolbe picked up a niggle in the first Test.
If Kolisi starts, he will join Du Toit and Jasper Wiese in the loose trio, while Kurt-Lee Arendse will move to the right wing, forming a back three with Damian Willemse.
Du Toit will retain the captaincy.
Should Kolisi take the field, the Springbok starting XV will boast a combined 1,012 Test caps - the most experienced team South Africa has ever fielded. The backline accounts for 428 caps, with the forwards contributing 584.
Erasmus said the changes were aimed at ensuring the team is prepared for the intensity of another physical encounter.
“Cheslin and Grant (Williams) suffered niggles last weekend, which ruled them out of contention for selection, while we have bracketed Siya alongside Paul to allow us time to monitor how Siya comes through training this week,” said Erasmus.
“The changes we made are in line with what we want to achieve on the field, and it is valuable that almost all of the players have been involved in the last two games, so they will be able to cope with the intensity and physicality of this match.”
The coach also highlighted the different options available to him at flyhalf and scrumhalf.
“Handre has delivered for us under extreme pressure, and we feel that what he and Cobus have the potential to bring at the beginning of the game, and then have Morne and Sacha come on later with their different styles of play will be good for us this weekend,” he said.
On Du Toit and Nche reaching their respective milestones, Erasmus praised their contribution to the Springbok set-up.
“Pieter-Steph and Ox have been pillars of strength for us on and off the field, and they both deserve these accolades,” he said.
“It is a remarkable achievement to play 100 Test matches, and for Pieter-Steph to deliver week in and week out the way he has over the years is incredible.
“We are equally proud of Ox for the player and team man he has grown into, and to see him reach 50 Test caps is fantastic.”
The Springboks will be looking to respond after New Zealand won the first Test, with Erasmus acknowledging that South Africa failed to capitalise on several scoring opportunities.
“There were a handful of positives and negatives last week, but the main thing that let us down was that we created so many chances, but mistakes at crucial times cost us,” he said.
“We’ll put in a lot of work this week to ensure that we are sharp in that regard this weekend because if we had used even some of those chances, the result could have been completely different.”
The match kicks off at 17:10 on Saturday and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.
Springbok team
15 Damian Willemse
14 Kurt-Lee Arendse
13 Jesse Kriel
12 Damian de Allende
11 Ethan Hooker
10 Handre Pollard
9 Cobus Reinach
8 Jasper Wiese
7 Pieter-Steph du Toit (captain)
6 Siya Kolisi / Paul de Villiers
5 Ruan Nortje
4 Eben Etzebeth
3 Wilco Louw
2 Malcolm Marx
1 Ox Nche
Replacements: Deon Fourie, Gerhard Steenekamp, Thomas du Toit, Lood de Jager, Andre Esterhuizen, Cameron Hanekom, Morne van den Berg and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
If selected, 39-year-old Fourie could also become the oldest player to represent the Springboks in a Test, surpassing Victor Matfield and Schalk Brits, who were 38 when they played their final Tests.
The match will be Fourie’s first appearance for South Africa since the 2023 Rugby World Cup final, when the Springboks defeated New Zealand 12-11 to lift the trophy.
South Africa have won five of their last seven matches against the All Blacks dating back to August 2023. The last meeting between the sides in Cape Town came in 2024, when the Springboks won 18-12.
Saturday’s clash forms part of the Castle Lager Double Malt Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series and marks the All Blacks’ first traditional rugby tour of South Africa since 1996.
Despite ticket prices reaching as much as R4,000, demand has remained strong for one of Cape Town’s biggest rugby fixtures of the year. Tickets went on sale earlier this year from R850 to R4,000, with the cheaper options among the first to sell out.
The match will also be a milestone occasion for the Springboks, with utility forward Pieter-Steph du Toit set to earn his 100th Test cap, becoming only the 11th player in South African history to reach the landmark.
Prop Ox Nche will also celebrate a significant milestone, earning his 50th Test cap.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has named a largely unchanged starting XV following last weekend’s match against New Zealand in Johannesburg.
Siya Kolisi has been bracketed with Paul de Villiers at flank, with Kolisi expected to start if he comes through training comfortably this week. Handre Pollard and Cobus Reinach will form the halfback pairing, while Ethan Hooker replaces Cheslin Kolbe on the wing after Kolbe picked up a niggle in the first Test.
If Kolisi starts, he will join Du Toit and Jasper Wiese in the loose trio, while Kurt-Lee Arendse will move to the right wing, forming a back three with Damian Willemse.
Du Toit will retain the captaincy.
Should Kolisi take the field, the Springbok starting XV will boast a combined 1,012 Test caps - the most experienced team South Africa has ever fielded. The backline accounts for 428 caps, with the forwards contributing 584.
Erasmus said the changes were aimed at ensuring the team is prepared for the intensity of another physical encounter.
“Cheslin and Grant (Williams) suffered niggles last weekend, which ruled them out of contention for selection, while we have bracketed Siya alongside Paul to allow us time to monitor how Siya comes through training this week,” said Erasmus.
“The changes we made are in line with what we want to achieve on the field, and it is valuable that almost all of the players have been involved in the last two games, so they will be able to cope with the intensity and physicality of this match.”
The coach also highlighted the different options available to him at flyhalf and scrumhalf.
“Handre has delivered for us under extreme pressure, and we feel that what he and Cobus have the potential to bring at the beginning of the game, and then have Morne and Sacha come on later with their different styles of play will be good for us this weekend,” he said.
On Du Toit and Nche reaching their respective milestones, Erasmus praised their contribution to the Springbok set-up.
“Pieter-Steph and Ox have been pillars of strength for us on and off the field, and they both deserve these accolades,” he said.
“It is a remarkable achievement to play 100 Test matches, and for Pieter-Steph to deliver week in and week out the way he has over the years is incredible.
“We are equally proud of Ox for the player and team man he has grown into, and to see him reach 50 Test caps is fantastic.”
The Springboks will be looking to respond after New Zealand won the first Test, with Erasmus acknowledging that South Africa failed to capitalise on several scoring opportunities.
“There were a handful of positives and negatives last week, but the main thing that let us down was that we created so many chances, but mistakes at crucial times cost us,” he said.
“We’ll put in a lot of work this week to ensure that we are sharp in that regard this weekend because if we had used even some of those chances, the result could have been completely different.”
The match kicks off at 17:10 on Saturday and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.
Springbok team
15 Damian Willemse
14 Kurt-Lee Arendse
13 Jesse Kriel
12 Damian de Allende
11 Ethan Hooker
10 Handre Pollard
9 Cobus Reinach
8 Jasper Wiese
7 Pieter-Steph du Toit (captain)
6 Siya Kolisi / Paul de Villiers
5 Ruan Nortje
4 Eben Etzebeth
3 Wilco Louw
2 Malcolm Marx
1 Ox Nche
Replacements: Deon Fourie, Gerhard Steenekamp, Thomas du Toit, Lood de Jager, Andre Esterhuizen, Cameron Hanekom, Morne van den Berg and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
If selected, 39-year-old Fourie could also become the oldest player to represent the Springboks in a Test, surpassing Victor Matfield and Schalk Brits, who were 38 when they played their final Tests.
The match will be Fourie’s first appearance for South Africa since the 2023 Rugby World Cup final, when the Springboks defeated New Zealand 12-11 to lift the trophy.
South Africa have won five of their last seven matches against the All Blacks dating back to August 2023. The last meeting between the sides in Cape Town came in 2024, when the Springboks won 18-12.
Saturday’s clash forms part of the Castle Lager Double Malt Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series and marks the All Blacks’ first traditional rugby tour of South Africa since 1996.