What time will Springboks name team to face Ireland?
What time will Springboks name team to face Ireland?
For the first time since the World Cup final, Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus is poised to reveal his current first-choice team, with his selections for the opening Test against Ireland set to be drawn from the 39 players included in an expanded squad.
A host of World Cup winners have now been reunited, while there are also some newcomers in the mix, including four uncapped players.
It’s unlikely that Rassie Erasmus will stray too far from the tried and tested selections for the highly anticipated opening clash against Ireland, but all will be revealed at 12pm on Tuesday, 2 July.
Erasmus has already confirmed that Siya Kolisi, who is based overseas with French club Racing 92, will again lead the team, ending speculation that the loose forward could be replaced by a locally-based Bok captain.
“Siya will be the captain and will again wear the No 6 jersey,” said Erasmus. “He’s fit and isn’t carrying any injuries.”
Casting an eye on the two Tests against Ireland, Erasmus refused to be drawn into the reported banter from the Irish saying: “If there’s one team that has the upper hand, it’s them. We haven’t beaten them since 2016.”
Here is a look at the full 13 confirmed fixtures for the 2024 Test season.
THE SPRINGBOKS KICK OFF A BLOCKBUSTER SEASON AGAINST IRELAND
Saturday, 6 July: SA vs Ireland (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)
Saturday, 13 July: SA vs Ireland (Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban)
Saturday, 20 July: SA vs Portugal (Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein)
Saturday, 10 August: Australia vs SA (Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane)
Saturday, 17 August: Australia vs SA (Optus Stadium, Perth)
Saturday, 31 August: SA vs New Zealand (Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg)
Saturday, 7 September: SA v New Zealand (DHL Stadium, Cape Town)
Saturday, 21 September: Argentina v SA (Estadio Unico Madre de Ciudades, Santiago)
Saturday, 28 September: SA v Argentina (Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit)
Sunday, 10 November: Scotland vs SA (Murrayfield, Edinburgh)
Saturday, 16 November: England vs SA (Twickenham, London)
Saturday, 23 November: Wales vs SA (Principality Stadium, Cardiff)
So, realistically, how many matches might the Springboks win?
The Springboks began the season with a comfortable win over Wales, but it’s the two-Test series against Ireland that is likely to be a thriller, and there is every chance it could be shared at one win apiece.
The Springboks should then win their next three games against Portugal and the two against the Wallabies, although they have not always had the best record in Australia.
When it comes to the fixtures against the All Blacks, the Springboks should be expected to win on the highveld. But it would not be a huge surprise to see New Zealand bounce back in Cape Town where they generally have huge support.
We’d then back South Africa to win both games against Argentina in the Rugby Championship before heading on the end-of-year tour.
All three of those matches will be extremely challenging, but our prediction is that the Springboks will return with two wins out of three.
Ultimately, our prediction is that the Springboks will emerge triumphant in 10 out of 13 games this year for a 77% win return that certainly would not be bad.
*Let us know in the comments section how many games you predict the Springboks will win?