Kolisi, Pollard return as Springboks back World Cup experience for Ireland blockbuster
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has backed experience and his seasoned World Cup winners for Saturday's first Test against Ireland at Loftus.
The only three players in the squad who did not feature in the 2023 World Cup in France, where the Springboks claimed their second successive Webb Ellis Cup, are Gerhard Steenekamp , Salmaan Moerat and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu , who are elevated to a selection featuring a six-two bench split in favour of the forwards.
"This is the team we believe will give us the impetus we need against Ireland, who are the second highest ranked team in the world," said Erasmus. "The fact that most of these guys have played together is a bonus for us, and most of them have faced Ireland before so they are well aware of the challenge that lies ahead, especially since we haven’t beaten them since 2016.
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