Springboks captain Siya Kolisi stood down by Rassie Erasmus

byRugby Rucker

Springboks captain Siya Kolisi has been stood down for this weekend’s clash with Australia as Rassie Erasmus makes sweeping changes to his side.

The double Rugby World Cup-winning skipper has been left out of the matchday 23 for Sunday’s Test against the Wallabies in Perth.

There is currently no suggestion Kolisi is injured, with his absence coming as part of a major Springbok rotation following their demanding four-Test series against the All Blacks.

Erasmus has made 13 changes to the starting XV that beat New Zealand 43-28 in Baltimore to seal a 3-1 series victory.

Only Eben Etzebeth and Ethan Hooker retain their places in the starting side.

Kolisi stood down

Kolisi’s absence is particularly notable because he was still fronting media duties alongside Erasmus over the weekend.

The official Springboks website reported Kolisi discussing the challenge posed by Australia just days before the team was announced.

However, Erasmus has opted to freshen up his side and hand opportunities to players who had fewer minutes during the All Blacks series.

Kolisi’s absence means André Esterhuizen will captain South Africa for the first time.

RUCK has the full story on Erasmus’ surprise decision to hand Esterhuizen the Springboks captaincy.

Esterhuizen becomes the 68th player to captain the Springboks in a Test.

Huge overhaul

Handré Pollard returns at fly-half alongside Herschel Jantjies, while Aphelele Fassi starts at full-back.

Jasper Wiese is set to win his 50th Test cap from the bench, while Malcolm Marx is also among the replacements.

Erasmus has even revealed that Marx could feature at flanker after training in the position.

The Springboks boss told Reuters that Marx had been tried on the flank as South Africa continue experimenting with their considerable forward depth.

Kolisi’s omission appears to be another example of Erasmus managing his senior players while building greater squad depth ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup.