Erasmus hands five uncapped Springboks their chance against the Barbarians

Rassie Erasmus has handed five uncapped players their first taste of Springbok rugby by naming them in South Africa’s starting XV to face the Barbarians at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha on Saturday, with a further two players who have just one cap between them also included.

The selection reflects a deliberate strategy from the Springbok coaching staff to blood younger talent ahead of a demanding season, while simultaneously easing previously injured players back into international competition before the Nations Championship opener against England next month.

“We said from the outset that we wanted to give a few players returning from injury and others who have been playing overseas game time in this match, while at the same time exposing some of the younger players on our radar to top-class international rugby, and we believe this squad reflects those objectives,” Erasmus said.

Among those returning from injury is Pieter-Steph du Toit, who has been sidelined since January following a shoulder procedure sustained during the Japan Rugby League One season. The Barbarians fixture offers him a controlled environment to rebuild match sharpness before the intensity of the Nations Championship.

Also included in the starting XV is Riley Norton, the second-row who captained South Africa to the World Rugby Junior World Championship title in 2025, underlining the depth of young talent now pushing for senior recognition.

Erasmus was encouraged by how quickly the new faces have adapted to the Springboks’ well-documented systems. “We have been very impressed with the way the new players have jumped straight into action and grasped our systems and structures, and we are excited to see what they can do alongside some of our regular Springbok players, as we build for what will be a challenging season with the Nations Championship and Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series approaching.”

The Barbarians, as ever, present a difficult opponent to prepare for. “They have a group of exciting and experienced players in their squad, and they’ll come out guns blazing and try to produce an entertaining style of rugby, which will serve as a good test for us,” Erasmus said. “They are always a tough side to analyse because they have players from all around the world, and a quality coaching team, who will set high standards for them, so it will be important for us to focus on our game and what we would like to achieve.”

South Africa A are also scheduled to face Zimbabwe at the same venue ahead of the Barbarians clash, giving Erasmus and his staff an extended look at the wider pool of players currently in contention for a Springbok future.