Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus says it’s wise to give Siya Kolisi another week’s rest.

The back-to-back World Cup-winning captain missed the Boks’ first two matches of the season – against the Barbarians in Cape Town due to a “stiff neck” and Italy in Pretoria because of “Achilles stiffness” – and has not been selected for the second Test against Italy in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.

South Africa’s following outing is against Georgia in Bloemfontein on 19 July.

“He’s from Port Elizabeth, we would have loved to play him here, but you weigh up the positives and negatives of playing him a week early,” Erasmus explained. “We’ve got 14 games this year; if he can play 10, that would be awesome, but we’re not expecting anyone to play all of them.

“He wants to be involved in this game, and so do Mapimps [winger Makazole Mapimpi] and I, because we’re also from here. But the wise decision is to give him another week. It can only be better for him.”

TEAM: Willie strikes 100 as Moerat leads new-look Boks

Erasmus has made 11 changes to his starting XV, with flank and 2024 World Rugby Player of the Year Pieter-Steph du Toit set to make his first appearance for the Springboks this year, having missed the entire 2024–25 Japan Rugby League One season following shoulder surgery.

“I’m very excited,” said Erasmus of Du Toit’s return. “When you get him back and see him training – which he’s done for the last two-and-a-half, three weeks with us – you realise the quality he has.

“He could easily have captained the side this week, but he hasn’t played for a really long time. I’m excited for him to play on Saturday, but also for the other guys to have him there to learn from.”

ALSO: I got Willie wrong – Rassie

Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images