@Springboks
The Springbok coaching staff will send the most experienced and capped team ever to take on the host nation France in the World Cup quarter-final clash on Sunday evening.
Manie Libbok will be starting at Number 10, while Handre Pollard is on the bench.
The team includes 15 players who featured in the 2019 final.
"Most of these players have Rugby World Cup experience and several of them were involved in the 2019 final, so they know what it takes to perform in big moments," said Bok coach Jacques Nienaber.
"Twenty of these players were also in the matchday squad that played France in Marseille last season, which was a good dress rehearsal for what we can expect from France and their supporters."
According to a statement by SA Rugby, the only players in the 23 who do not have a winners' medal are Kurt-Lee Arendse, Manie Libbok, and replacements Deon Fourie and Ox Nche.
The starting team shows 11 personnel changes to the side that beat Tonga 49-18 in Marseille two weeks ago but, more pertinently, shows only two changes from the team that faced Ireland, with De Klerk moving to the bench and Vermeulen selected at number 8 in the place of Jasper Wiese.
Kitshoff, Mbonambi, and Malherbe will pack down in the front row, while Etzebeth and Mostert will pair up at lock, with Kolisi, Du Toit, and Vermeulen forming the loose trio.
Manie Libbok and Cobus Reinach will start as the halfback combination, with De Allende and Kriel on duty in the midfield, Kolbe and Arendse on the wings, while Damian Willemse manages the back.
Nienaber's replacement bench features five forwards and three backs. Fourie serves as the impact hooker, with Nche and Koch, Snyman and Smith.
The three backline players among the replacements are also very experienced, with a combined total of 209 caps between De Klerk, Pollard, and Le Roux, who started at scrumhalf, flyhalf and fullback in Yokohama four years ago.
"We've been working with most of these players since 2018 and we've been building a squad capable of defending our title we believe this group will offer us the impetus we need against a quality French side that will be playing in front of a passionate home crowd," said Nienaber.
However, the Boks also have a healthy group of locals who have flown to France to support them, especially in this encounter. The Gwijo squad, who loudly supports the Boks, Landed in Paris on Friday morning.
Nienaber says the clash will be a big one for the players and supporters, "And we are really excited about that. We have to go out there and give everything."
He also emphasised the importance of executing the game plan and capitalising on opportunities.
"We know the match is going to be as intense as last year, if not more intense. We had a red card in that match but we were still in with a chance to win it with three or four minutes to go, so discipline will again be important and we'll have to maintain our good disciplinary record."
The Bok team to face France in Paris:
15 - Damian Willemse
14 - Kurt-Lee Arendse
13 - Jesse Kriel
12 - Damian de Allende
11 - Cheslin Kolbe
10 - Manie Libbok
9 - Cobus Reinach
8 - Duane Vermeulen
7 - Pieter-Steph du Toit
6 - Siya Kolisi
5 - Franco Mostert
4 - Eben Etzebeth
3 - Frans Malherbe
2 - Bongi Mbonambi
1 - Steven Kitshoff
Replacements:
16 - Deon Fourie
17 - Ox Nche
18 - Vincent Koch
19 - RG Snyman
20 - Kwagga Smith
21 - Faf de Klerk
22 - Handre Pollard
23 - Willie le Roux
