The Springboks will discover their matchday squad for Friday’s highly anticipated clash against France on Monday, with head coach Rassie Erasmus confirming the announcement schedule.
South Africa are preparing for a major test at the Stade de France after producing a dominant 66-7 victory over Italy in their previous Nations Championship fixture.
Erasmus will officially name his 23-man matchday squad at 13:00 South African time on Monday, giving supporters an indication of the team that will take on France.
Springboks Target Another Big Performance
The world champions head into the encounter with plenty of confidence following their emphatic win over Italy.
South Africa have won nine of their last 10 Tests against France, but recent meetings between the two sides suggest another closely contested battle could be on the cards.
The last five encounters have all been decided by margins of five points or fewer, highlighting the competitive nature of this rivalry.
Erasmus is also expected to maintain much of the winning combination that featured against Italy, although the final selection will only become clear when the matchday 23 is announced.
Van den Berg Highlights Importance of Italy Victory
Despite the convincing scoreline against Italy, the Springboks were not entirely satisfied with their second-half performance.
South Africa went into the break with a commanding 45-0 lead but conceded points after the interval, leaving room for improvement ahead of the France encounter.
Scrumhalf Morne van den Berg stressed that securing the victory was important for building momentum in the competition.
“It was especially important for us to get our game and the things we worked on during the week right,” he said.
He added that the result would help the team carry confidence into the next challenge.
“Obviously it was important for us to get momentum going into this week’s game, so the result was very important.”
Eben Etzebeth Boosts Springboks Ahead of France Clash
The Springboks have received a significant boost with experienced lock Eben Etzebeth returning to the national squad after recovering from injury.
The veteran forward is expected to join the team in France on Monday. However, it remains uncertain whether he will be ready to feature against France or whether the coaching staff will take a cautious approach.
His return adds valuable experience and leadership to the Springbok setup as they prepare for one of their toughest tests of the tournament.
France Suffer Romain Ntamack Injury Blow
France, meanwhile, have been dealt a major setback following an injury to star flyhalf Romain Ntamack.
The playmaker injured his shoulder over the weekend, with French coach Fabien Galthié confirming that he is expected to miss the remainder of the competition.
“Romain went off with this injury and we won’t have him for the rest of the competition,” Galthié told TF1.
“I won’t go into the details but I think that’s the competition over for him. He has a pretty serious shoulder injury.”
Ntamack’s absence could influence France’s preparations, although the hosts will still pose a formidable challenge for the Springboks.
When Do the Springboks Play France?
The Springboks will face France on Friday, 13 November 2026, at the Stade de France in Paris.
The match is scheduled to kick off at 22:10 South African time.
All eyes will first be on Monday’s team announcement, when Erasmus reveals the 23 players tasked with taking on France in this crucial Nations Championship encounter.
