Siya Kolisi’s 100th is a magical Springboks moment

Photo: Dan Mullan/Getty Images

Published on 6th November 2025 | Leave a response

Springboks captain Siya Kolisi returns to the Stade de France for his own Centurion coronation two years after the collective coronation of winning the 2023 Rugby World Cup. This is an occasion never to be forgotten in the history of Springboks rugby, writes Mark Keohane.

Rassie Erasmus coaches the Boks for the 50th time.

Kolisi plays for the 100th and captains them for the 68th time, second only to the 2007 World Cup-winning captain John Smit.

Kolisi has led the Boks to 48 wins in 67 Tests at 71.6 percent. Of all the Springboks leaders, who captained the Boks for more than 30 Tests, only Gary Teichmann (26/36) has a better win percentage. His is 72.2.

Smit won 54 from 83 @65% and Jean de Villiers won 24 from 37 @64.9%.

*Victor Matfield won 17 from his 23 Tests as captain for 73.9%.

Kolisi’s journey has been remarkable, with back to back World Cup wins in 2019 and 2023, four successive Test wins against the All Blacks, back-to-back Castle Rugby Championship titles in 2024 and 2025 and the most trophies won by a Springboks captain in 2024.

Erasmus, in making six changes to the starting XV from the 61-7 Japanese conquerers, has welcomed back Eben Etzebeth and Pieter-Steph du Toit in the forwards and picked a new loosened and tighthead combination in Boan Venter and Thomas du Toit. In the backs, he has moved Cheslin Kolbe from fullback to right wing, shifted Kurt-Lee Arendse from right wing to left wing and picked Damian Willemse to start at 15.

There is no place in the match 23 for winger Ethan Hooker or loose-forward Kwagga Smith.

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It says everything about the depth of the squad that one of Test rugby’s standout players in his first year of internationals, Hooker, does not make the 23 and Smith, consistently influential for the Boks, watches from the stands in Paris.

Pre Erasmus’s confirmation of his 23, Zels and myself unpacked the depth of the current Boks on our rugby podcast Keo & Zels.

Zels was emphatic: “This is not the time to rotate. You need your best team, and everyone knows who that is.”

I agreed, emphasising that while the Springboks took some time to find their rhythm against Japan, the foundation was laid for a big performance in Paris.

Up front, the Bok pack remains the most feared in world rugby.

Wilco Louw was singled out by both for his dominant performance — not only in the scrums, but with a “flashy” winger-style try that lit up the game against Japan.

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Both Zels and I felt that Andre Esterhuizen would make the 23 as a flank/midfielder, given the investment in his skill set as a hybrid player.

Erasmus, who turned 53 on Wednesday, did not disappoint us and picked Esterhuizen.

Loosehead Ox Nche is injured and won’t play again for the Boks this year.

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Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu will start at flyhalf for the fifth successive Test, with Manie Libbok his cover. Handre Pollard, the double World Cup winner, is once again in the stands.

“France can’t match the Boks at the gainline — not for 80 minutes,” he said.

I addded that the Boks know how to win in Paris.

“They’ve done it before, in their last three Tests against France at the Stade de France, and this group won the 2023 World Cup quarter-final, semi-final and final at the Stade de France. It is their spiritual World Cup home, given John Smit’s 2007 Springboks, won the World Cup final as the same venue.