{"id":9524,"date":"2025-09-08T10:33:07","date_gmt":"2025-09-08T10:33:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/9524\/"},"modified":"2025-09-08T10:33:07","modified_gmt":"2025-09-08T10:33:07","slug":"springboks-team-rassie-erasmus-makes-sweeping-backline-changes-for-second-test-in-wellington","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/9524\/","title":{"rendered":"Springboks team: Rassie Erasmus makes sweeping backline changes for second test in Wellington"},"content":{"rendered":"

Regular skipper Siya Kolisi will be in charge of the team, after the captaincy duties were managed by Kriel last week.<\/p>\n

\"CheslinCheslin Kolbe is the only member of the backline who will return in the starting line-up for the Springboks in the second test against the All Blacks. Photo \/ Photosport<\/p>\n

There are two changes to the starting roles among the forwards. Kolisi will revert to his normal role as a flanker, with Jasper Wiese donning the No 8 jersey. <\/p>\n

Lood de Jager replaces the veteran Eben Etzebeth at lock. <\/p>\n

On the bench, Erasmus has named a split of five forwards and three backs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is an exciting team, which we believe will provide us with the forward power we require, and spark in the backline against a quality All Blacks side<\/a>,\u201d said Erasmus.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve maintained consistency in selection to a large degree in the last few matches, but apart from what we feel some of the players selected can add to our attack, we\u2019d like to see what some of the players can do against the top-ranked team in the world.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery player in this squad knows we believe in them and back them, and this will serve as a great occasion for them to show us what they are capable of against a team such as the All Blacks.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey have all done the job for us against some of the top teams in the world earlier this year, and others over the last few years, and we know they\u2019ll relish this opportunity to face New Zealand in their backyard.\u201d<\/p>\n

The winner of the fourth-round Rugby Championship match will decide which team claims the Freedom Cup.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know where we went wrong last week<\/a> and what we must fix, and we\u2019ll leave no stone unturned to fix those errors. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no doubt that we have to deliver a proper 80-minute performance to do well, and we will give everything to achieve that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Springboks team to face the All Blacks in Wellington:<\/p>\n

15. Aphelele Fassi, 14. Cheslin Kolbe, 13. Canan Moodie, 12. Damian Willemse, 11. Ethan Hooker, 10. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9. Cobus Reinach, 8. Jasper Wiese, 7. Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6. Siya Kolisi (c), 5. Ruan Nortje, 4 Lood de Jager, 3. Thomas du Toit, 2. Malcolm Marx, 1. Ox Nche<\/p>\n

Replacements:<\/p>\n

16. Marnus van der Merwe, 17. Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 18. Wilco Louw, 19. RG Snyman, 20. Kwagga Smith, 21 Grant Williams, 22. Manie Libbok, 23. Andre Esterhuizen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Regular skipper Siya Kolisi will be in charge of the team, after the captaincy duties were managed by…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":9525,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[74,9092,11988,8136,4500,1320,5506,8142,11986,2082,78,5338,111,43,139,69,8143,11985,11990,1534,8466,11989,8137,11987,7187,765,52],"class_list":{"0":"post-9524","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-zealand","8":"tag-after","9":"tag-against","10":"tag-backline","11":"tag-blacks","12":"tag-changes","13":"tag-coach","14":"tag-defeat","15":"tag-eden","16":"tag-erasmus","17":"tag-for","18":"tag-in","19":"tag-makes","20":"tag-new-zealand","21":"tag-news","22":"tag-newzealand","23":"tag-nz","24":"tag-park","25":"tag-rassie","26":"tag-rung","27":"tag-saturday","28":"tag-second","29":"tag-springbok","30":"tag-springboks","31":"tag-sweeping","32":"tag-team","33":"tag-test","34":"tag-wellington"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9524","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9524"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9524\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9525"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9524"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9524"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9524"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}