Willie le Roux will earn his 100th Test cap on Saturday when a much-changed Springbok team faces Italy in Gqeberha.
The veteran fullback becomes just the eighth Springbok to reach the milestone, in a new-look team captained by Salmaan Moerat and featuring three uncapped players on the bench.
Prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye — who impressed against the Barbarians — is joined by utility forward Cobus Wiese and utility back Ethan Hooker, with all three in line to make their Test debuts at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
With Siya Kolisi being managed due to a niggle, Moerat takes the reins of a Bok side that includes seven players who started in last week’s 42–24 win over the Azzurri. Moerat last captained South Africa against Argentina in the 2024 Rugby Championship.
The returning starters include Wilco Louw, Malcolm Marx, Marco van Staden and Jasper Wiese, with Le Roux, Ox Nche and Jan-Hendrik Wessels among the replacements.
South Africa’s eighth Test centurion will be joined by three uncapped players in the #Springboks‘ match-23 for Saturday’s return Test against Italy in Gqeberha 💯#ForeverGreenForeverGold
— Springboks (@Springboks) July 8, 2025
Rassie Erasmus has selected a refreshed backline, with Edwill van der Merwe and Eastern Cape favourite Makazole Mapimpi on the wings, and Andre Esterhuizen partnering Canan Moodie in midfield. Manie Libbok starts at flyhalf alongside Grant Williams.
The loose trio features Wiese, Van Staden and Pieter-Steph du Toit, while Moerat partners Ruan Nortje at lock. The front row consists of Louw, Marx and Thomas du Toit.
On the bench, Erasmus opted for a 5-3 split with Wessels reverting to hooker cover, joined on the bench by Nche and debutant Ntlabakanye, and Cobus Wiese and Evan Roos the other forward reinforcements. The backs are Cobus Reinach, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Hooker.
There are welcome returns from injury for Du Toit, Nortje, Williams, Mapimpi and Roos. Van der Merwe also features for the first time since scoring a try on debut against Wales in London last year.
Erasmus praised Le Roux for his contribution over more than a decade in green and gold.
“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.
“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.
“Having come a long way with him during his career, I have no doubt that he’ll put the team before his own achievements this weekend, and as a team we would certainly like to make it a special and memorable occasion for him.”
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Erasmus said he was excited to see the selected team in action.
“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.
“Adding to that, 13 players in this squad have won a World Cup before, 11 of whom are in the starting lineup and two on the bench, and that shows the depth we have as we continue to build our squad for the next few seasons and ultimately the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
“What makes this squad particularly exciting is that many of them have done the job for us before on the biggest stage, while Edwill has been knocking hard on the door since making his debut last season, and other 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.”
The Wiese brothers will become the 37th set of siblings to play for South Africa.
“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.”
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Erasmus also expects Italy to bounce back strongly.
“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.
“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 to produce a performance we can be proud of.
“We had an honest and thorough review of last week’s game, and we know that we must improve in every department to get the desired result and do everything we can to make this game special for Willie, the debutantes, and the country.”
SPRINGBOKS – 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 (c), 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Thomas du Toit.
Bench: 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.
Photo: Anton Geyser/Getty Images
