South Africa’s head coach, Jacques Nienaber, has decided to maintain an unchanged match-day 23 for the Rugby World Cup 2023 semi-final clash against England at Stade de France on Saturday, 21 October. The team mirrors the lineup that secured victory against France in the quarter-finals. Key players such as Cobus Reinach and Duane Vermeulen retain their positions at scrum-half and number eight, respectively.
The Starting XV includes:
- Steven Kitshoff
- Mbongeni Mbonambi
- Frans Malherbe
- Eben Etzebeth
- Franco Mostert
- Siya Kolisi (c)
- Pieter-Steph du Toit
- Duane Vermeulen
- Cobus Reinach
- Manie Libbok
- Cheslin Kolbe
- Damian de Allende
- Jesse Kriel
- Kurt-Lee Arendse
- Damian Willemse
The Replacements are:
- Deon Fourie
- Ox Nche
- Vincent Koch
- RG Snyman
- Kwagga Smith
- Faf de Klerk
- Handre Pollard
- Willie Le Roux
Noteworthy facts about the team and players:
- Six players from this match-day team have previously featured in South Africa’s last two Rugby World Cup semi-finals in 2015 and 2019.
- The team has opted for a 5-3 split between forwards and backs on the bench for the third time since 2021 against England, deviating from the 6-2 split chosen for the RWC 2019 final.
- Thirteen players from this squad were part of the RWC 2019 final, with eight of them being named to start both matches.
- Eben Etzebeth has notably improved his try-scoring record and has been a defensive force at RWC 2023, registering the most dominant tackles among the Springboks.
- Kurt-Lee Arendse has showcased impressive scoring prowess, having scored 13 tries in 13 tests for South Africa since his debut.
- Siya Kolisi is set to equal John Smit for the most games as South Africa captain at the Rugby World Cup during his 11th test in charge.
- Manie Libbok has exhibited proficiency in high kicks during RWC 2023, with a successful retention rate of 30%. His previous encounter against England saw him playing for 20 minutes in their 27-13 victory at Twickenham last year.
- Handre Pollard, the replacement fly-half for this match, boasts a remarkable track record, having scored 22 points in the RWC 2019 final against England and maintaining a 100% goal-kicking accuracy at RWC 2023.
