The Springbok skipper is back in action! Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus has officially unveiled a focused 26-man travelling squad for the upcoming one-off Test against Argentina, taking place on Saturday, 8 August in Buenos Aires.
In a major boost for South African rugby, inspirational captain Siya Kolisi leads a cohort of high-profile stars returning from injury, including lock duo Eben Etzebeth and Lood de Jager, dynamic playmaker Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, and scrumhalf Morné van den Berg.
Strategic Rotation: Managing Workloads Ahead of the All Blacks
Rassie Erasmus has implemented a calculated split-squad strategy to balance match fitness with player welfare ahead of the anticipated Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry (RGR) Tour against New Zealand:
- Returning Stars: Players who missed recent action are being thrown straight into the Test cauldron to build crucial match fitness against Los Pumas.
- Managed Rest: Core stars like Cheslin Kolbe, Damian Willemse, Jesse Kriel, and Ruan Nortje will stay behind, reassembling in Johannesburg on Sunday to begin preparations for the All Blacks series.
- Rehabilitation: Front-rower Ox Nché and lock Franco Mostert remain on the road to recovery and will continue their rehab programs at the Johannesburg training base.
“We tried to get the balance right between giving some guys who are returning from injury a valuable run against Argentina, while at the same time managing the players who have played a lot of rugby this year.” — Rassie Erasmus
Official 26-Man Travelling Squad to Argentina
Forwards (15)
- Lood de Jager, Ben-Jason Dixon, Thomas du Toit, Eben Etzebeth, Johan Grobbelaar, Cameron Hanekom, Siya Kolisi (c), Elrigh Louw, Wilco Louw, Zachary Porthen, Gerhard Steenekamp, Marco van Staden, Boan Venter, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Cobus Wiese.
Backs (11)
- André Esterhuizen, Aphelele Fassi, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Ethan Hooker, Quan Horn, Herschel Jantjies, Canan Moodie, Handré Pollard, Cobus Reinach, Morné van den Berg, Edwill van der Merwe.
Fixture & Broadcast Details
- Match: Argentina vs South Africa
- Date: Saturday, 8 August 2026
- Kick-off: 21:00 SAST
- Broadcast: SuperSport Grandstand & Rugby channels
