Damian de Allende is on the verge of joining an exclusive group of Springboks, with the centre set to win his 100th Test cap when South Africa face New Zealand in Johannesburg on Saturday, 22 August 2026, for Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry.
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The milestone will come in the opening match of the inaugural Castle Double Malt Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series at 10bet Ellis Park, with kick-off scheduled for 5.10pm.
De Allende will become only the 10th player in Springbok history to reach 100 Test appearances, adding another landmark to an international career that has already included two Rugby World Cup triumphs.
Coach shares his picks
Rassie Erasmus has made several changes to the side that defeated Argentina 17-10, with the majority of the selected XV having remained in South Africa while part of the squad travelled to Buenos Aires.
Only Eben Etzebeth and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu retain their starting places from the Argentina victory.
Jesse Kriel will line up alongside De Allende in the midfield, while Damian Willemse, Cheslin Kolbe and Kurt-Lee Arendse make up the back three. Feinberg-Mngomezulu partners Grant Williams at halfback.
Up front, Ox Nche returns from injury alongside Wilco Louw and Malcolm Marx, while Etzebeth links up with Ruan Nortje in the second row.
Pieter-Steph du Toit captains the side from the blindside flank, with Jasper Wiese and Paul de Villiers completing the loose trio.
Siya Kolisi sits this one out
The decision to leave Siya Kolisi out of the starting team has also attracted attention, but Erasmus said the veteran flanker had trained well and that the decision was made as a precaution.
“Siya trained well with us this week, and although we could have selected him for this clash, we thought it would be best to select Paul (de Villiers) for this weekend’s game.
“We are playing four Tests against the All Blacks and Paul has been playing well, so we are excited to give him a chance this weekend in what will be his first Test match against New Zealand, while taking a precautionary approach to Siya’s return.
“We have a solid group of players, and each one of them deserves their places in the squad, so we will approach team selection week by week.”
Also see: Springboks ready for their clash with All Blacks on Saturday
For De Allende, however, Saturday will be about more than simply another Test against New Zealand.
Erasmus said the squad was delighted to see the 99-cap centre reach such a significant moment in his career.
“We are all very excited for Damian, and to achieve this milestone in this series makes it even more special,” said Erasmus.
“He’s a great team man, and servant to the game, so we hope we can make it a memorable day for him. That said, his focus all week has only been on this match, and he will certainly not let the occasion shadow what he has to do on the field.”
Erasmus expects the occasion to produce another demanding chapter in one of rugby’s biggest rivalries.
“The All Blacks are a quality team, and we selected combinations we think would be best suited for the challenge this weekend,” said Erasmus.
“The squad is well balanced with players who remained in South Africa to train for this series and some of the players who featured against Argentina.
“It certainly helped to have some players return from injury last week and to get back into top-flight Test rugby, while some of the others who had a heavy workload in the Nations Championship had sufficient time to recover from the physical toll on them.
“The whole group has now been together for over a week, and we are all aligned regarding the way we want to play this weekend.”
He added, “They are a quality team, and they’re very well coached, so we are preparing for an 80-minute grind. They have a well-rounded squad with physical forwards and an exciting backline, so we have to be sharp and accurate in our execution from the outset.
“Many of the matches between the sides have come down to the wire, so it’s important that we use the chances we create and ensure that our discipline is on point. It’s going to be a big battle, but the entire squad is excited about the match and is looking forward to it.”
The Springboks will be hoping to mark De Allende’s century with another statement performance against their old rivals.
Springbok team to face New Zealand
15. Damian Willemse
14. Cheslin Kolbe
13. Jesse Kriel
12. Damian de Allende
11. Kurt-Lee Arendse
10. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu
9. Grant Williams
8. Jasper Wiese
7. Pieter-Steph du Toit (captain)
6. Paul de Villiers
5. Ruan Nortje
4. Eben Etzebeth
3. Wilco Louw
2. Malcolm Marx
1. Ox Nche
Replacements
16. Jan-Hendrik Wessels
17. Gerhard Steenekamp
18. Zachary Porthen
19. Cobus Wiese
20. Andre Esterhuizen
21. Marco van Staden
22. Cobus Reinach
23. Manie Libbok
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Originally published by Cape{town}etc.
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