Boks, Barbarians promise thrilling encounter in much-anticipated clash
Springbok captain Siya Kolisi and Barbarians counterpart Peter O’Mahony pose with the trophy at stake at the Cape Town Stadium tomorrow.
Image: SA Rugby
“IT WILL be an atmosphere that will be hard to forget. I am very excited for the clash.”
That’s what debutant Bok flank Vincent Tshituka expects when more than 40,000 supporters pack the Cape Town Stadium for the Springboks’ thrilling first match of 2025 against the Barbarians on Friday afternoon.
“Cape Town is very well known for its crowd, and I have no doubt they will be out in their full voice despite the weather,” he said about the support the world champions are expecting.
The match could be a muddy affair after rain lashed the Cape this past week, but knowing the invitational side, they will do everything in their power to play running rugby.
And the almost capacity crowd will want to see some action between the two sides.
It’s the first time they meet on South African soil, but the Baabaas carry the advantage into this game.
They’ve won four of the eight clashes between them and the world champions, with three going to their hosts and one ending in a draw.
The Boks are not messing about, and selected a strong side to kick-start their season. They will be out to give a good reckoning of themselves in front of their rugby-mad Cape fans.
Robbie Deans, the Barbarians coach, said they will be looking to entertain the crowd, despite the predicted wet weather.
“This is the first occasion we play each other in Africa, and it’s going to be a great fixture,” Deans said.
“Rassie (Erasmus, the Springbok coach) doesn’t like losing at the best of times. But we will look to entertain, despite the weather. We want to show how much we value this privilege (playing against the world champions).”
Valid ticket-holders will be able to make use of the free MyCiTi shuttle provided by the City of Cape Town, but they will need to show their match-day ticket to the marshals.
Fans are encouraged to make use of the shuttle services to avoid congestion on the roads. Certain streets leading to and from the DHL Stadium will be closed for the match.
Cape Times