South Africa Autumn Internationals Squad 2022 – Rugby World

Jacques Nienaber has announced his team for the Springboks’ tour opener in Dublin

South Africa Autumn Internationals Squad 2022 – Team to play Ireland

Cheslin Kolbe will play his first Test at full-back as the Springboks open their European tour against world No 1 Ireland at Aviva Stadium on Saturday.

Toulon star Kolbe, whose last Test was in the summer series against Wales, features in an experienced line-up; Bulls wing Kurt-Lee Arendse is the only player in the starting XV with fewer than ten caps.

Former Munster centre Damian de Allende is one of eight Japan-based players in the match squad. That 23 contains just one UK & Ireland-based player in Leicester No 8 Jasper Wiese.

“We selected a team we believe contains the best combinations to counter the threats posed by Ireland,” said head coach Jacques Nienaber. “Damian (Willemse) has done well for us at fly-half and he’s continuing to grow as a player in that role, while we think Cheslin has the potential to add a new dimension to our game at full-back.

“He was sidelined for a while after breaking his jaw against Wales, but he has played four 80-minute matches for Toulon since returning to play, and we’re confident that he will step up to the challenge.”

There is a six-two split on the bench, with Faf de Klerk and Willie le Roux covering the back-line. De Klerk and Kolbe are both fly-half options should Willemse not go the distance.

The Springboks face three of the world’s top five teams on their four-Test tour and Nienaber expects a huge challenge against the country that won a series in New Zealand last summer.

“Ireland are the top-ranked team in the world and they’ve shown in the past that they can be a force to reckoned with in Dublin. We last faced them on their home patch in 2017 and they beat us 38-3 in that match, and they also beat us here 29-15 in 2014 and they will draw confidence from that.

“Similarly to us, they will view this as a vital clash with an eye on next year’s Rugby World Cup in France where we will cross paths in the pool stages.”

Wing Sbu Nkosi and flanker Marco van Staden, who suffered rib injuries in the Bulls’ URC clash against the Sharks on Sunday, have pulled out of the squad. They will not be replaced at this stage as Nienaber feels there is sufficient cover in the touring group.

South Africa Team to Play Ireland – Saturday 5 November

Cheslin Kolbe; Kurt-Lee Arendse, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Makazole Mapimpi; Damian Willemse, Jaden Hendrikse; Steven Kitshoff, Malcolm Marx, Frans Malherbe, Eben Etzebeth, Lood de Jager, Siya Kolisi (capt), Pieter-Steph du Toit, Jasper Wiese.

Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Ox Nche, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Franco Mostert, 20 Deon Fourie, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Faf de Klerk, 23 Willie le Roux.

South Africa Autumn Internationals Squad 2022

(DoB/Club/Position/Test debut/caps)

Backs

Kurt-Lee Arendse (17 June 1996/Vodacom Bulls/Wing/2022 v Wales/3)
Damian de Allende (25 Nov 1991/Wild Knights/Centre/2014 v Argentina/66)
Faf de Klerk (19 Oct 1991/Canon Eagles/Scrum-half/2016 v Ireland/42)
Andre Esterhuizen (30 Mar 1994/Harlequins/Centre/2018 v Wales/10)
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (22 Feb 2002/DHL Stormers/Utility back/uncapped)
Jaden Hendrikse (23 Mar 2000/Cell C Sharks/Scrum-half/2022 v Wales/10)
Cheslin Kolbe (28 Oct 1993/Toulon/Wing/2018 v Australia/20)
Jesse Kriel (15 Feb 1994/Canon Eagles/Centre/2015 v Australia/56)
Willie le Roux (18 Aug 1989/Toyota Verblitz/Full-back/2013 v Italy/79)
Manie Libbok (15 July 1997/DHL Stormers/Fly-half/uncapped)
Makazole Mapimpi (26 Jul 1990/Cell C Sharks/Wing/2018 v Wales/33)
Sbu Nkosi (21 Jan 1996/Vodacom Bulls/2018 v England/16) – withdrawn through injury
Cobus Reinach (7 Feb 1990/Montpellier/Scrum-half/2014 v Australia/22)
Damian Willemse (7 May 1998/DHL Stormers/Fly-half2018 v Argentina/23)

Forwards

Lood de Jager (17 Dec 1992/Wild Knights/Lock/2014 v Wales/64)
Pieter-Steph du Toit (20 Aug 1992/Toyota Verblitz/back-row/2013 v Wales/64)
Thomas du Toit (5 May 1995/Cell C Sharks/Prop/2018 v Wales/14)
Eben Etzebeth (29 Oct 1991/Cell C Sharks/Lock/2012 v England/106)
Deon Fourie (25 Sept 1986/DHL Stormers/Back-row/2022 v Wales/3)
Jason Jenkins (2 Dec 1995/Leinster/Lock/2018 v Wales/1)
Steven Kitshoff (10 Feb 1992/DHL Stormers/Prop/2016 v Ireland/67)
Siya Kolisi (16 Jun 1991/Cell C Sharks/Back-row/2013 v Scotland/71)
Vincent Koch (13 Mar 1990/unattached/Prop/2015 v New Zealand/38)
Frans Malherbe (14 Mar 1991/DHL Stormers/Prop/2013 v Wales/54)
Malcolm Marx (13 Jul 1994/Kubota Spears/Hooker/2016 v New Zealand/55)
Bongi Mbonambi (7 Jan 1991/Cell C Sharks/Hooker/2016 v Ireland/52)
Salmaan Moerat (6 Mar 1998/DHL Stormers/Lock/2022 v Wales/2)
Franco Mostert (27 Nov 1990/Honda Heat/Lock/2016 v Ireland/59)
Ox Nché (23 Jul 1995/Cell C Sharks/Prop/2018 v Wales/15)
Trevor Nyakane (4 May 1989/Racing 92/Prop/2013 v Italy/59)
Marvin Orie (15 Feb 1993/DHL Stormers/Lock/2018 v Wales/8)
Evan Roos (21 Jan 2000/DHL Stormers/No 8/2022 v Wales/1)
Kwagga Smith (11 June 1993/Shizuoka Blue Revs/Back-row/2018 v Wales/27)
Marco van Staden (25 Aug 1995/Vodacom Bulls/Back-row/2018 v Argentina/9) – withdrawn through injury
Jasper Wiese (21 Oct 1995/Leicester Tigers/Back-row/2021 v Georgia/18)

South Africa Autumn Internationals Fixtures 2022

Sat 5 November             Ireland v South Africa (5.30pm, Aviva Stadium) Live on Amazon Prime

Sat 12 November           France v South Africa (8pm, Stade Vélodrome) Live on Amazon Prime

Sat 19 November           Italy v South Africa (1pm, Stadio Ferrais) Live on Amazon Prime

Sat 26 November          England v South Africa (5.30pm, Twickenham) Live on Amazon Prime

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