Rugby
Snyman to earn 50th cap against Ireland─── MORGAN PIEK 15:15 Thu, 20 Nov 2025
The Springbok lock, RG Snyman, will reach his 50th cap for South Africa on Saturday when he comes off the bench during the eagerly anticipated Test against Ireland in Dublin.
While the Test will be played on Snyman’s home field, coach Rassie Erasmus has opted to play the towering second-rower off the bench, as is the norm, providing cover for Ruan Nortjé, who starts alongside Eben Etzebeth. Damian Willemse, the man of the match against Italy, retains the number 15 jersey, while Canan Moodie and Cheslin Kolbe will start on the wing.
Jesse Kriel and Damian de Allende return to patrol the midfield as Erasmus has reverted to the tried-and-trusted combination.
Sasha Feinberg-Mngomezulu. Photo: Morgan Piek
The in-form Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Cobus Reinach also return to form the starting halfback pairing. Up front, Jasper Wiese, Pieter-Steph du Toit, and captain Siya Kolisi will form the loose trio, while Thomas du Toit, Malcolm Marx, and Boan Venter make up the front row.
Johan Grobbelaar did enough against Italy to be named on the bench as a replacement hooker. True to form, Erasmus has opted for a six-two split again, with Grant Williams and Manie Libbok as the specialist backline players.
That said, André Esterhuizen is on the bench once more to provide cover both up front and at the back as he continues to evolve as a so-called hybrid player.
Cobus Reinach. Photo: Morgan Piek
Speaking about Snyman’s milestone game, Erasmus said they hope to make it a memorable occasion for the 2,06m tall player.
“We are thrilled for RG and we’ll do everything we can to hopefully make this a special occasion for him,” said Erasmus.
“He’s a great player and team man, and had it not been for injuries along the way, he would probably have earned 50 caps a while ago. He deserves this achievement, and it speaks volumes about the quality of player he is.”
Thomas du Toit. Photo: Morgan Piek
Regarding the challenge that awaits, Erasmus added that they will have to man up physically if they are to break their 12-year losing streak in Dublin.
“Ireland have been among the top-ranked teams in the last few years, and they are a force to be reckoned with at home,” said Erasmus.
“They have a good balance of experienced and exciting young players in their squad, and they pose threats up front as well as with their talented backs, so it’s going to require a massive effort to beat them.
“This group of players has never won a match in Ireland before, so we know how tough it’s going to be, and that will certainly motivate us. It will take a colossal effort, but we are excited about the challenge, and we know that we have to be razor sharp in all departments to get the desired result.”
Saturday’s eagerly anticipated Test between Ireland and the Springboks at the Aviva Stadium will kick off at 19:40.
Ireland – TBA
Springboks – 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Canan Moodie, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Cheslin Kolbe, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Ruan Nortjé, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Boan Venter
Replacements – 16 Johan Grobbelaar, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 André Esterhuizen, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Manie Libbok
