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BOK TEAM: Japanese players make it a strong combination for Cardiff

football27 November 2025 11:00
By:Gavin Rich
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It was never made completely clear which players had stayed on with the Springbok squad for the final tour match against Wales so there will be some understandable surprise at the number of Japanese based players in the team for the Cardiff clash on Saturday.

With this match falling outside of the international window it felt safe to assume that there wouldn’t be too many overseas based players in the Bok 23, but with Munster lock Jean Kleyn starting in the second row and three Japanese-based players in the starting side and one on the bench there are five players based off-shore in the group.


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The bench player is Shizouka Blue Revs loose-forward Kwagga Smith, while the starting players hailing from Japanese clubs include centre Damian de Allende (Wild Knights), No 8 Jasper Wiese (Urayasa Rocks) and blindside flank Franco Mostert.

It is good to see Mostert in the team given that he was unfortunate to be red carded in what for him as now become a rare start at lock against Italy two weeks ago. That red card was later rescinded, or reduced to a yellow, by a disciplinary review so Mostert should welcome the chance to get the chance that he missed out on when he was sent from the field 11 minutes into the game in Turin.

CHANCE FOR BJ AFTER MISSING OUT IN TURIN

Another player who suffered directly from that decision was the Stormers blindside flank Ben-Jason Dixon, who will back up Mostert from the bench. Dixon started against Italy but had to come off the field when Mostert was banished so that Ruan Nortje could come on to call the lineouts.

Speaking of the bench, scrumhalf Cobus Reinach, who needs one more try to hit the 100 point mark in aggregate points scored for his country, will be playing his 50th game for the Boks when he comes onto the field.

Indeed, one of the stand-out features of the match 23 is how much more experienced it is even though it is supposedly depleted than the callow Welsh unit that will face them at the Principality Stadium.

Together the Welsh number 267 caps in the starting team, whereas if you add the caps of just three Bok starters - skipper Siya Kolisi 102 caps, Mostert 83 caps and De Allende 92 - the accumulated number surpasses the 15 Welsh starters. And that is not even factoring in Eben Etzebeth, who will earn his 141st cap should he come off on the bench.

RETURN TO RADICAL 7:1 BENCH SPLIT

The bad news for the Welsh, certainly from a physicality viewpoint, is that the Boks have returned to their more radical 7:1 split between forwards and backs on the bench. With Andre Esterhuizen this time playing in his usual starting position of inside centre rather than as a loose-forward backup on the bench, that may be an indication that Smith is covering centre or wing in this game. Of course Reinach can play wing too.

There are some experimental aspects to the squad, with De Allende playing outside centre this time instead of his usual position of inside centre. The front row that played off the bench last week against Wales, meaning Gerhard Steenekamp, Johan Grobbelaar and Wilco Louw, will start this time.

PORTHEN TO COVER LOOSEHEAD THIS TIME

It is interesting to note that young Zachary Porthen, who has made two appearances for the Boks as a tighthead prop, looks like he is down to cover loosehead in this game, with Asenathi Ntlabakanye set to add to his two caps by performing the role of tighthead cover.

There is no place for Ntuthuko Mchunu, who has returned from injury and was a late replacement on tour, so it will be interesting to see if he has been released to play for the Stormers in their Vodacom URC game against Munster. If he does, it will be his debut for his new franchise.

“We knew from the outset that we would lose players for this match due to their club commitments, and we are pleased with the quality of the team we’ve selected,” said coach Rassie Erasmus.

“We’ve been rotating our players throughout the year, and this group has been together for close to five weeks, so many of these combinations are fully settled, while others, such as Zachary and Asenathi, have shown what they are capable of this season, and we are excited that they will receive another chance to play.

“I’d like to thank the provincial unions and clubs who released these players to represent the country this weekend, so we could field a strong side capable of finishing off our November tour on a high note.”

Erasmus added, “We’ve used a total of 49 players in test matches this season, which is a testament to the depth we have been developing with an eye on the 2027 Rugby World Cup.”

Springbok team

15 Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers) – 48 caps, 71 pts (7t, 9c, 4p, 2dg)

14 Ethan Hooker (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 7 caps, 5 pts (1t)

13 Damian de Allende (Wild Knights) – 96 caps, 55 pts (11t)

12 Andre Esterhuizen (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 28 caps, 20 pts (4t)

11 Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls) – 21 caps, 40 pts (8t)

10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers) – 18 caps, 144 pts (7t, 35c, 13p)

9 Morne van den Berg (Lions) – 5 caps, 20 pts (4t)

8 Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks) – 42 caps, 10 pts (2t)

7 Franco Mostert (Honda Heat) – 83 caps, 20 pts (4t)

6 Siya Kolisi (captain, Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 102 caps, 70 pts (14t)

5 Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls) – 17 caps, 0 pts

4 Jean Kleyn (Munster) – 8 caps, 0 pts

3 Wilco Louw (Vodacom Bulls) – 28 caps, 5 pts (1t)

2 Johan Grobbelaar (Vodacom Bulls) – 7 caps, 0 pts

1 Gerhard Steenekamp (Vodacom Bulls) – 15 caps, 5 pts (1t)

Replacements:

16 Bongi Mbonambi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 81 caps, 70 pts (14t)

17 Zachary Porthen (DHL Stormers) – 2 caps, 0 pts

18 Asenathi Ntlabakanye (Lions) – 2 caps, 0 pts

19 Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 140 caps, 35 pts (7t)

20 Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls) – 32 caps, 20 pts (4t)

21 Ben-Jason Dixon (DHL Stormers) – 6 caps, 5 pts (1t)

22 Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs) – 62 caps, 55 pts (11t)

23 Cobus Reinach (DHL Stormers) – 49 caps, 95 pts (19t)

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