Erasmus makes just two changes for Springboks’ clash against France

Prop Wilco Louw slots into the starting team and experienced scrumhalf Cobus Reinach is drafted onto the bench. Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has shown faith in the players who steered the team to victory against Italy last week, making only two changes to his match 23 to face France in their second Nations Championship Test in Paris on Friday night. Prop Wilco Louw slots into the starting team, switching places with Thomas du Toit who drops to the bench, and experienced scrumhalf Cobus Reinach, who spent half a decade playing club rugby for Montpellier in France, is drafted onto the bench in place of Grant Williams. Louw will join forces with Ox Nché and Malcolm Marx in the front row, while Du Toit will link up with Jan-Hendrik Wessels and Gerhard Steenekamp among the replacements. Lood de Jager and Ruan Nortje will again partner in the second row after Erasmus was forced to make a late change to his matchday squad in Turin last week, following the withdrawal of Salmaan Moerat due to back spasms experienced during the warm-up, while the experienced loose trio of captain Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Jasper Wiese will complete the forward pack. Erasmus has named an identical backline, with Morné van den Berg and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu at halfback, Jesse Kriel and Damian de Allende in the midfield, and Ethan Hooker, Kurt-Lee Arendse and Damian Willemse serving as the back three. Bomb squad The Bok coach also retained the split of six forwards and two backs on the bench, where utility forward Franco Mostert and loose forwards Cameron Hanekom and Paul de Villiers will provide an impact, while Reinach, who covers scrumhalf and wing, and Manie Libbok have been named as the two backline replacements. A total of 16 players in the match 23 featured in the Boks’ 32-17 victory over France in Paris last year, including the entire starting forward pack with the exception of Nché, as well as five of the backs in the run-on team, namely Feinberg-Mngomezulu, De Allende, Kriel and Willemse. Ten players in the group were members of the team that defeated France 29-28 in the quarterfinal of the Rugby World Cup in 2023. “We said from the outset that we would not rotate too much on this tour, so it was always our intention to select a settled squad for this game to build momentum in the competition,” Erasmus said after naming his team on Monday. “Most of these players have faced France at home and know what to expect from them. They have also experienced their passionate and vocal crowd first-hand.” Springbok starting XV Damian Willemse, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Ethan Hooker, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Morné van den Berg, Jasper Wiese, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Siya Kolisi, Ruan Nortje, Lood de Jager, Wilco Louw, Malcolm Marx, Ox Nché Bench: Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Gerhard Steenekamp, Thomas du Toit, Franco Mostert, Cameron Hanekom, Paul de Villiers, Cobus Reinach, Manie Libbok