The wait is officially over. The world champion Springboks are set to kick off their highly anticipated 2026 Test season this Saturday in an epic Nations Championship opener against England. Rassie Erasmus has named a powerhouse, highly experienced squad to take on Steve Borthwick’s unpredictable English side under the high-altitude pressure of fortress Ellis Park in Johannesburg.
Match Essential Details
- Fixture: South Africa vs. England
- Date: Saturday, 4 July 2026
- Kick-off Time: 17:40 SAST
- Venue: Ellis Park, Johannesburg
- Broadcast: Live on SuperSport
The Match Officials
An all-Kiwi team leads the command structure on the field and in the booth, balanced by European flair on the touchlines:
- Referee: James Doleman (New Zealand)
- Assistant Referees: Andrew Brace (Ireland) & Pierre Brousset (France)
- TMO: Richard Kelly (New Zealand)
Official Team Sheets
Both coaches have opted for stability, setting the stage for an absolute heavyweight collision.
South Africa (Springboks)
The starting XV boasts a staggering 935 combined Test caps (567 in the massive forward pack, 368 in the lethal backline).
| Position | Starter | # | Replacements |
| Fullback | Damian Willemse | 16 | Jan-Hendrik Wessels |
| Right Wing | Cheslin Kolbe | 17 | Gerhard Steenekamp |
| Outside Center | Jesse Kriel | 18 | Zachary Porthen |
| Inside Center | Damian De Allende | 19 | Marco van Staden |
| Left Wing | Kurt-Lee Arendse | 20 | Cameron Hanekom |
| Flyhalf | Manie Libbok | 21 | Cobus Reinach |
| Scrumhalf | Grant Williams | 22 | Andre Esterhuizen |
| Number 8 | Jasper Wiese | 23 | Canan Moodie |
| Flanker | Pieter-Steph Du Toit | ||
| Flanker | Siya Kolisi (Captain) | ||
| Lock | Ruan Nortje | ||
| Lock | Eben Etzebeth | ||
| Tighthead Prop | Thomas Du Toit | ||
| Hooker | Malcolm Marx | ||
| Loosehead Prop | Ox Nche |
England (Red Roses)
Steve Borthwick counter-attacks with a dangerous, young spine built to thrive as underdogs on South African soil.
- Starting XV: 15 George Furbank, 14 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, 13 Tommy Freeman, 12 Seb Atkinson, 11 Cadan Murley, 10 Fin Smith, 9 Jack van Poortvliet, 8 Ben Earl, 7 Tom Curry, 6 Ollie Chessum, 5 George Martin, 4 Alex Coles, 3 Joe Heyes, 2 Jamie George (Captain), 1 Ellis Genge.
- Replacements: 16 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 17 Beno Obano, 18 Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 19 Charlie Ewels, 20 Guy Pepper, 21 Henry Pollock, 22 Alex Mitchell, 23 Marcus Smith.
Epic Milestones & Key Historical Facts
The 50-Cap Club: Superstars Cheslin Kolbe and Damian Willemse will both run out to earn their historic 50th Test caps for South Africa—exactly eight years after making their international debuts in 2018.
- Etzebeth Extends His Legend: Lock forward Eben Etzebeth will extend his all-time Springbok cap record to an unbelievable 142 appearances this weekend.
- The Centurion Waiting List: Damian de Allende (98 caps) and Pieter-Steph du Toit (96 caps) move agonizingly close to the prestigious 100-cap club. Meanwhile, Ox Nche needs just two more appearances after this weekend to hit his own half-century.
- Ellis Park Dominance: The Boks have won three of their four historical clashes against England at Ellis Park. England’s singular, lone victory at the stadium dates all the way back to 1972.
- Reinach’s Century: Veteran scrumhalf Cobus Reinach sits on the bench needing just 5 more points to cross the milestone of 100 total points in the green and gold jersey.
