Erasmus will eye full-strength lineup as Boks aim to extend dominant record over France

For more than two decades, the Springboks have largely had the upper hand over France — a record the world champions will look to extend when the two sides clash at the iconic Stade de France in Paris on Saturday night.

Over the past 15 years, South Africa have lost to Les Bleus only once — a narrow 30–26 defeat at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille in 2022. It was a fierce and physical contest that went down to the wire, with the French just edging it in front of their passionate home crowd.

But the Boks got their revenge the following year at the Rugby World Cup, stunning the host nation 29–28 in the quarter-finals at the same venue where they are set to renew their rivalry this weekend. It was a classic encounter that saw the defending champions fight back from behind to knock the hosts out and go on to win a record fourth world title.

Now, as the two nations prepare to face off again, the stakes are as high as ever. For France, it’s about redemption and proving they can beat the world champions when it matters. For South Africa, it’s about keeping their proud record intact and continuing their dominance over one of Europe’s strongest sides.

That’s why getting the combinations and personnel right in his match-day 23 will be crucial for Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus. He’s made the rugby world wait until Thursday afternoon for the team announcement, when he normally names it on a Tuesday.

That probably has a lot to do with the fact that No. 1 loosehead prop Ox Nché is out injured, while fullback Damian Willemse is still nursing a hamstring niggle picked up at the Stormers. Erasmus is expected to name his strongest available side for the duel — and nothing else matters.

That includes bringing back Pieter-Steph du Toit and Eben Etzebeth at flank and lock respectively, while Gerhard Steenekamp should be trusted with the loosehead jersey and Boan Venter given more minutes as the replacement.

Versatile front-rower Thomas du Toit has been the tighthead anchor in the starting lineup this past season, and that should remain the case. He paves the way in the first half for the colossal Wilco Louw to destroy opposition scrums in the second forty. Steenekamp, alongside the experienced hooker Malcolm Marx and Du Toit, will form a formidable front row.

Behind them, Etzebeth and Lood de Jager should reignite their experienced combination, bringing physicality in the tight exchanges and a competitive lineout on attack and defence. They should be well complemented by Test centurion captain Siya Kolisi, Du Toit as his flank partner, and the bruising Jasper Wiese at eighth man.

Apart from the loosehead and tighthead selections, the composition of the pack should be fairly straightforward.

It’s in the backline where things get a bit tricky.

The verdict is still out on whether veteran Cobus Reinach has eclipsed the nippy Grant Williams at scrumhalf. Judging by how Reinach has been running the Bok backline, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Erasmus sticks with him and brings Williams off the bench to inject some pace later in the game. The duo have undoubtedly been the top two scrumhalves in the national setup.

While there will be calls for Handré Pollard to start the crunch Test, it’s not the time to move away from Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu or Manie Libbok. Libbok’s maturity since the 2023 Rugby World Cup could make him an ideal starter in Paris. If anything happens to Willemse at fullback, a fresh Feinberg-Mngomezulu as a utility back option could provide a solid backup.

A midfield combination of Damian de Allende and Canan Moodie will offer an element of unpredictability, especially with Kurt-Lee Arendse and Cheslin Kolbe waiting in the wings.

While this match is one of the most anticipated clashes since the 2023 World Cup, history may be on South Africa’s side — but they’ll know this is no time to loosen their grip on the French.