Springboks v Barbarians: Kick-off time, teams and weather forecast
The Springboks' 2025 season has finally arrived, with the world champions set to open their account with what should be an entertaining 'warm-up' game against the Barbarians in Cape Town on Saturday.
Kick off is at 17:10.
When it comes to team news, Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus was forced to make a late change following the withdrawal of Siya Kolisi due to a niggle. His place at openside flank will be taken by Marco van Staden, while Jesse Kriel will captain the side.
Springboks – revised: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel (captain), 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Morné van den Berg, 8 Jean-Luc du Preez, 7 Vincent Tshituka, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche.
Replacements: 16 Marnus van der Merwe, 17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 18 Neethling Fouche, 19 Franco Mostert, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Manie Libbok, 23 Andre Esterhuizen.
Barbarians: 15 Melvyn Jaminet, 14 Mark Telea, 13 Leicester Fainga'anuku, 12 Peter Umaga-Jensen, 11 Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkins, 10 Josh Jacomb, 9 Tawera Kerr-Barlow, 8 Shannon Frizell, 7 Sam Cane, 6 Peter O'Mahony (captain), 5 David Ribbans, 4 Ruben van Heerden, 3 Paul Alo-Emile, 2 Camille Chat, 1 Cian Healy.
Replacements: 16 Ricky Riccitelli, 17 Hassane Kolingar, 18 Will Collier, 19 Josh Beehre, 20 Hoskins Sotutu, 21 Santiago Arata, 22 Joe Marchant, 23 Lachlan Boshier.
Date: Saturday, June 28
Venue: Cape Town Stadium
Kick-off: 17.10 (15.10 GMT)
Referee: AJ Jacobs
Assistant referees: Christopher Allison and Stephan Geldenhuys
TMO: Egon Seconds
As it stands, according to the ever-reliable WindGuru weather forecaster, there is heavy cloud cover and strong winds predicted throughout the day on Saturday, while temperatures are not expected to peak much beyond 14°C.
There is also expected to be light, but persistent, rain for most of the day, and so spectators heading to the stadium would do well to prepare accordingly.
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211.
Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
TimesLIVE
42 minutes ago
- TimesLIVE
Kolbe shines through storm to power Boks to dominant win
Though clashes against the Barbarians are devoid of Test status the hunger to improve in the Springbok camp was perhaps best exemplified by wing Cheslin Kolbe in Saturday's 54-7 win at a rain-soaked Cape Town Stadium. Kolbe delivered a star-studded performance in atrocious conditions to help elevate the home team to an emphatic win to start off their season. Kolbe, a man who has risen to the occasion on the game's best illuminated stage, again shone with restless, relentless energy en route to a man of the match performance against the game's most revered and cherished composite team. Though he scored a first half try when he chased after a well weighted Aphelele Fassi toe poke, it was after the break that he stamped his authority on proceedings. While others tread water, Kolbe ran and manoeuvred like a player fitted with all-weather tyres as he deftly teased and tormented the Barbarians defence. He ran onto and jumped for the ball with zeal and purpose. He slid past defenders at will and even ran over visiting hooker Ricky Riccitelli in a surge for the try line before being halted just short. The Springboks retain the Qatar Airways Cup 👏👏 #SSRugby | #BARvRSA — SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) June 28, 2025 Barbarians coach Robbie Deans is an admirer of Kolbe's work. 'I always enjoy watching Cheslin. Even when you're playing against him. He's just so positive. You can see his positivity into contact and in the air. He is just a freakish footballer.' Kolbe, 31, showed that his desire to make an impression in the Bok jersey remains undiminished. To be fair, that attitude permeated the Boks ranks with several players putting shoulder to the wheel in the kind of match often dismissed for its frivolity. After a two-year absence lock Lood de Jager made an impressive return to the Bok fold. He tirelessly toiled for 70 minutes before being withdrawn from the action. Jean-Luc du Preez, another Bok absentee in the last few seasons, also showed his worth in the No.8 jersey. He however left the field injured just before the break. Flank Vincent Tshituka went through a huge workload and would have been well satisfied with his effort. Like Kolbe, Kurt-Lee Arendse also sparked when opportunity presented. It was the need to impress before the two-Test series against Italy that drove the Boks. In the second half in particular they played with greater hunger and urgency, displaying also the willingness to go the extra mile. Centre Andre Esterhuizen certainly fell into that category when he was deployed as a loose forward when he came on as a second-half substitute. Champagne rugby by the Boks 🥳🎉 📺 Stream #BARvRSA on DStv: — SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) June 28, 2025 'If I wasn't willing I would not have played today,' he said. 'I'm willing to learn and slot into a bit of a hybrid role that covers forwards and backs. It can help me as a player as well and it can help the team. Hopefully we can see more of that in the future.' Knowing head coach Rassie Erasmus and his penchant for innovation Esterhuizen wasn't surprised to be pressed into a new role. 'I was waiting for the conversation to happen. It has been brought up in the past and it was shrugged off by different people. As you get older you learn how you can slot in everywhere. How you can get yourself into the team more constantly. You have to adapt as a player. I'm looking forward to see what it can be.' It is another example of the back-to-back Rugby World Cup holders forever pushing boundaries. At the last Rugby World Cup they often pushed players into situations and positions with which they are less familiar. The players by and large responded positively and rose to the occasion. A fleet-footed forward like Kwagga Smith may find himself in the backline but now a hulking back like Esterhuizen finds himself mixing it with the heavies upfront. The Boks keep innovating and it is keeping the rugby world on its toes.
The South African
an hour ago
- The South African
Rassie Erasmus introduces rugby's first ever 'hybrid player'
Innovative Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus called centre-turned-flanker Andre Esterhuizen a 'hybrid player' on Saturday after a 54-7 victory over the Barbarians in wet and cold Cape Town. South Africa winger Cheslin Kolbe (left) tackles Barbarians centre Leicester Fainga'anuku at Cape Town Stadium. Image: RODGER BOSCH / AFP When replacement back Andre Esterhuizen came on early in the second half of the non-cap exhibition match for the world champions, it was as a loose forward. 'You can call him a hybrid player – he is a backline player who can also play in the forwards now,' Erasmus told a press conference. 'You can have a forward covering a back position like (flanker) Kwagga Smith covering wing, and you can have a back covering a forward position, like Andre. 'We started chatting to Andre about it five months ago, now he is a backline player who can also play as a forward.' Former Springboks flanker Rassie Erasmus, who played key coaching roles in the 2019 and 2023 Rugby World Cup triumphs of South Africa, is a master innovator. He is best known for changing the traditional five forwards-three backs split on the substitutes' bench, choosing six-two and even seven-one combinations instead. Erasmus hailed lock Lood de Jager, back in the team after a two-year absence with a career-threatening heart illness and then injuries. 'The condition that he had was almost career ending, but when we did the fitness testing three weeks ago, he was exceptional,' said the coach. 'His body might be 32 or 33, but he has had some 'rest' in the last couple of years, and I think that showed. 'We are very glad Lood came through, and we have some nice depth at lock now,' said Erasmus, referring to eight locks in a 45-man squad for three July Tests against Italy and Georgia. After torrential rain during the eight-try victory over the Baabaas, Erasmus said he was hoping for dry weather when the record four-time Rugby World Cup title-holders face Italy on July 5. 'Some of the half gaps and some of the line breaks we made today would have stuck if the weather had been drier,' he said. 'We cannot wait to play on a dry pitch and improve our attack. We want to get better and in the next three matches we will be trying to focus on ourselves before the Rugby Championship. 'We know who is going to play in the two Tests against Italy, and certainly by the end of the Georgia game, which will be a grind, we will have a group that have had some game time. 'We will not get carried away with this performance, (but) some of the newer guys showed us that they can do it at this level,' added Rassie Erasmus. Democratic Republic of Congo-born flanker Vincent Tshituka from the Sharks, one of four debutants, scored two tries. South Africa face Italy in Pretoria, then in Gqeberha on July 12 before a one-off Test against Georgia in Mbombela on July 19. Two Rugby Championship fixtures each against Australia, New Zealand and Argentina follow between August and October. November Tests in France, Italy, Ireland and Wales complete the schedule for the Springboks, who will defend the World Cup in Australia in 2027. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The South African
3 hours ago
- The South African
Erasmus breaks the mold again as backline ace shifts into forward role
Rassie Erasmus added another tactical twist on Saturday, deploying centre André Esterhuizen as a loose forward against the Barbarians. Supporters have grown used to Kwagga Smith acting as a winger-forward hybrid due to his sevens background and explosive mobility. Erasmus reversed the formula this time, using a backline player – Esterhuizen – to fill in as a flanker during the second half. The Sharks star replaced Marco van Staden in the 44th minute and immediately made an impression in the physical exchanges. Although Esterhuizen still floated into the midfield occasionally, his presence in the forward pack added fresh physicality and dynamism. After the match, Erasmus confirmed the move had been in development for several months as part of long-term planning. 'When we do a 6-2 split, we usually have Kwagga cover wing, but this time we flipped the concept,' Erasmus said. 'Now we're letting a backline player cover flanker, and André fits that role because he's trained with both units recently.' Erasmus praised assistant coach Felix Jones for managing Esterhuizen's training load effectively across both backs and forwards. 'We started talking to André five months ago about this idea,' Erasmus said. 'We wanted him comfortable in both roles.' 'You can call him a hybrid player – but he is a backline player who can also play in the forwards now. He has been training with both the forwards and the backs, and I must say Felix handles his load very well in how much he does with the forwards and how much he does with the backs. Esterhuizen was enthusiastic about the opportunity and eager to continue contributing in this new hybrid capacity moving forward. 'I enjoyed it a lot,' he said. 'I trained at flank this week and really liked the challenge—it adds to my game.' He emphasised that this type of versatility benefits both individual players and the Springbok squad's depth and adaptability. 'At my age, it's important to stay useful,' said Esterhuizen. 'This gives me a better chance to stay in the mix.' The idea isn't new in Springbok strategy, having worked successfully during the two previously World Cup campaigns. As always with Erasmus, innovation remains central to South Africa's evolving identity as the world champions refine their winning formula. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT RASSIE ERASMUS' LATEST PIECE OF INNOVATION? Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
