Rugby Championship 2025: South Africa v Australia

[Slim 293]

Or to help some on here

Pollard
Slipper

Frost
Hooper / Valetini

Lonergan
Edmed
Ikitau
Toole / Wright

I like it...

Loser brumbies fans I guess?

Thankfully G&GR only caters for the most winningest Brumbies' fans...

 

[JRugby2]

I think with either Edmed or Donaldson at 10 you HAVE to play White at 10 to take pressure off them both.

I think he's a better choice than Teddy or Kalani if either Tate or Lonners goes down. I don't think we should completely throw the series away for the sake of development, especially considering both (Teddy or Kalani) aren't likely to be near the wallabies squad until after the RWC at the earliest.

 

[Wilson]

LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) in for Canham, Edmed in for Lynagh, Lonergan in for Gordon, Nasser in for Porecki/Faessler. Seem to be the only changes post Lions, or did I miss something? Canham the only player effectively dropped.

Flook over Daugunu is not a change from the squad at the end of the Lions, but he was effectively an injury replacement for a concussed Daugunu so it's sort of a dropping (but also a bit of a balance shift in the squad).

 

[Ignoto]

I wouldn't expect him to crack the 23 ahead of Skelton, Frost, Williams and Hooper.

I dunno - considering we're onto our 3rd and 4th string TH for the first game, I would be suggesting you need Skelton and Lukhan's weight to be helping Robertson and Zane against the HGH units from SA.

Its hard to know about the back row composition with Bobby V lacking significant conditioning to play 80 so anyones guess what way Joe goes i.e. with/without Hooper or Wilson.

 

[Slim 293]

I dunno - considering we're onto our 3rd and 4th string TH for the first game, I would be suggesting you need Skelton and Lukhan's weight to be helping Robertson and Zane against the HGH units from SA.

I would be surprised to see any unforced changes after last week with Valetini coming in the only exception...

Having said that, might want to freshen things up for the second match depending how things play out.

 

[KOB1987]

Flook over Daugunu is not a change from the squad at the end of the Lions, but he was effectively an injury replacement for a concussed Daugunu so it's sort of a dropping (but also a bit of a balance shift in the squad).

I did miss that one and Filipo is not listed as injured so I’d say he’s been dropped

 

[VassMan]

I did miss that one and Filipo is not listed as injured so I’d say he’s been dropped

"with Filipo Daugunu (birth of child) and Matt Faessler (injury) not making the trip"

https://www.rugby.com.au/news/walla...rugby-championship-edmed-salakaia-loto-202587

 

[Blue]

Anyway stab at the Bok Team based on noises from journos:

Nche, Marx, Louw
Etsebeth, Nortje
Kolisi, JL du Preez, PS du Toit

Grant Williams, Libbok

De Allende, Kriel

Cheslin, Arendse, Fassi

Bench:
JH Wessels, vd Merwe, du Toit, De Jager, Cobus Wiese, Kwagga, Reinach, Pollard

 

[wamberal99]

According to Doran No

According to Rugby Australia, yes.

 

[Dctarget]

Anyway stab at the Bok Team based on noises from journos:

Nche, Marx, Louw
Etsebeth, Nortje
Kolisi, JL du Preez, PS du Toit

Grant Williams, Libbok

De Allende, Kriel

Cheslin, Arendse, Fassi

Bench:
JH Wessels, vd Merwe, du Toit, De Jager, Cobus Wiese, Kwagga, Reinach, Pollard

Blue, which young Springboks should we watch out for? I don't know many/any who've debuted since your Super-exile. Except for that Sacha kid. Though looking at that 23 they all seem to be Springbok classics already. Don't recognise the two bench props.

 

[Dctarget]

Pete Samu could've been named too. I wouldn't start him over any of the backrowers listed but I would have him on the bench before CdC.

 

[KOB1987]

Pete Samu could've been named too. I wouldn't start him over any of the backrowers listed but I would have him on the bench before CdC.

I’d say that comes down to that announcement during the week that they will favor the local player in a 50/50 situation. Yeah, he’s signed with a local franchise but don’t want him to waltz straight back into the wallabies from overseas. EOYT might be his calling

 

[Blue]

Blue, which young Springboks should we watch out for? I don't know many/any who've debuted since your Super-exile. Except for that Sacha kid. Though looking at that 23 they all seem to be Springbok classics already. Don't recognise the two bench props.

I doubt we will see too many of them in the first test, but with Rassie you never know.

As for the bench front row:

Thomas du Toit - plays both sides. Players player in the Premiership (plays for Bath)
vd Merwe - Hooker who plays for Cardiff. Very good player. Was their standout. Big unit, great over the ball. Marx mark 2.
Jan Hendrik Wessels - LH / Hooker hybrid type. Freak of an athlete. Equally comfortable in both positions. Future starting hooker.

There are a crapload of injuries to the younger guys. Most notably Cameron Hanekom, the bulls 8. Real pity. He would likely have started. Big body, pace of a back. Pierre Spies type but with balls of a forward and can play openside as well.

Then of course Sasha F Mgomezulu at ten. Absolute gem of a talent and the future. They are managing him carefully. HE will feature against the ABs I reckon. Seems a little injury prone.

Biggest find last year was Nortje, Bulls skipper at 5. Lock / blindside hybrid type. Leads tackle count in almost every game he plays. Mentored by Matfield so lineout skills are top notch. 70+ test Springbok no doubt.

The most exciting player I have seen in a long time is the under 21's half back - Haashim Pead. Remember that name. I will not be surprised to see him feature off the bench soon. Three of the baby boks are in the senior squad as "extras" to learn. We are spoilt at 9 with Grant Williams finally living up to his potential. He just seems to get better and better. I would say he is our best all round 9 since Fourie du Preez.

Other than that the rest of the squad have all been around for a while. I think this year is the last for some of the stalwarts like Mbonambi, Koch, Mapimpi and Kleyn.

And of course Asenathi at TH. Spent a lot of time with scrum coach Daan Human on his farm. Shed 15 kgs (150 to 135). A beast who can move. Frightening human being. Played 10 at school haha.

LineBreak SA Rugby News on Instagram: "“In Asenathi we’ve got somebody who we see has an unbelievable touch and feel for the game.” - Springbok Coach Rassie Erasmus . . . . . . . @bokrugby @officialspringboks @nikeza_ @pumasportstyle @pumaso

8,993 likes, 119 comments - linebreak_sarugbynews on June 24, 2025: "“In Asenathi we’ve got somebody who we see has an unbelievable touch and feel for the game.” - Springbok Coach Rassie Erasmus . . . . . . . @bokrugby @officialspringboks @nikeza_ @pumasportstyle @pumasouthafrica...

www.instagram.com

We will see him off the bench at some point.

Last thing to mention is that Andre Esterhuizen (centre) has been training all season with the forwards. Rassie speak of him as a hybrid player who can play centre and on the blind side / 8. Sounds nuts but has the body and likes to mix it up. SA got a red card against Georgia 20 minutes in and he ended up on the blindside for an hour and looked very comfortable. That makes him a very valuable bench player.

 

[Tomthumb]

Corey Toole must be getting pretty close to breaking the record of amount of times making the Wallabies squad without ever getting a cap

 

[whitefalcon]

Corey Toole must be getting pretty close to breaking the record of amount of times making the Wallabies squad without ever getting a cap

Longergan can pass the record to him in the next few weeks hopefully

 

[Tomthumb]

Longergan can pass the record to him in the next few weeks hopefully

Has Lonergan even made many squads? Outside of the Eddie Jones year, he was always the number 4 Halfback and not in the squad. Crazy to think Darby Lancaster has more caps than both of them combined

 

[Sully]

Here's the summary:
Everybody.

 

[Heavyd]

I watched abit of the Boks vs Italy game. South Africans are scary big, like farking the largest humans on the planet.

 

[Major Tom]

I watched abit of the Boks vs Italy game. South Africans are scary big, like farking the largest humans on the planet.

Roids will do that for you

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Anyway stab at the Bok Team based on noises from journos:

Nche, Marx, Louw
Etsebeth, Nortje
Kolisi, JL du Preez, PS du Toit

Grant Williams, Libbok

De Allende, Kriel

Cheslin, Arendse, Fassi

Bench:
JH Wessels, vd Merwe, du Toit, De Jager, Cobus Wiese, Kwagga, Reinach, Pollard

Formidable