When will the team for Saturday be announced?

This is an important test for the Boks given the lack of any coherent Bok picture at this time. Where are we after a dismal 2022?

Rassie usually announces on Tuesdays. 

The Boks were bumbling and clueless against France. It would be very easy to take every phase of the Boks against France and Ireland and rip them apart. 

Here's the team everyone is predicting:

15 Willie le Roux, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 André Esterhuizen, 11 Canan Moodie, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Duane Vermeulen (captain), 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Marvin Orie/Jean Kleyn, 4 RG Snyman, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nché.

That probably means the likes of Steven Kitshoff, Malcolm Marx, Vincent Koch, Eben Etzebeth, Lood de Jager, Franco Mostert, Jasper Wise, Evan Roos, Deon Fourie, Jean-Luc du Preez, Faf de Klerk, Elton Jantjies, Damian de Allende, Jesse Kriel, Cheslin Kolbe and Makazola Mapimpi will either be on the bench for Saturday or will be in the squad that travels to New Zealand a week early.

We'll know for sure in about 2 hours time.

Team was announced:

15 Willie le Roux, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Canan Moodie, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Duane Vermeulen (c), 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche.

Subs: 16 Joseph Dweba, 17 Thomas du Toit, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Evan Roos, 21 Deon Fourie, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Damian Willems e

Very interesting blend of players. 

Can't believe Orie is in the team. RG on the bench

Duanne, the real captain, is starting and will captain the team. 

No Marx, Faf, Mpimpi, Kolbe, Kitshoff, Lood, Dud, Kriel etc. Guess they are in NZ 

Not sure how many player they sent ahead to NZ

From SA Rugby:

"Another 17 or 18 players and team management members will travel to New Zealand on Sunday afternoon. That group of players will be decided following the Test against Australia – based on the team’s needs for the forthcoming Test against New Zealand and player performances against Australia.

The players that will travel to New Zealand on Tuesday are Steven Kitshoff (prop), Malcolm Marx (hooker), Eben Etzebeth, Lood de Jager (both locks), Franco Mostert and Jean-Luc du Preez (both utility forwards), Kwagga Smith (loose forward), Faf de Klerk (scrumhalf), Cheslin Kolbe and Makazole Mapimpi (both wings), Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel (both centres), and Kolisi.

Jasper Wiese (loose forward) will join those players in New Zealand later in the week following the birth of his child on Monday. "

The players who will travel to New Zealand on Tuesday are Steven Kitshoff (prop), Malcolm Marx (hooker), Eben Etzebeth, Lood de Jager (both locks), Franco Mostert and Jean-Luc du Preez (both utility forwards), Kwagga Smith (loose forward), Faf de Klerk (scrumhalf), Cheslin Kolbe and Makazole Mapimpi (both wings), Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel (both centres), and Kolisi.

No 8 Jasper Wiese will join those players in New Zealand later in the week following the birth of his child on Monday.

Libbok will have Reinach, Esterhuizen, Willie, and Am. That's very useful for him. If the wings can show a bit more effort looking for work then that'd be good too. I'm not a fan of Libbok, but at least he has been given some useful ammo around him. I'm not so sure about the loose trio, but we'll have to wait and see what they deliver. Defensively, out wide, we are quite exposed, and aren't very well armed for the aerial battle. Australia must press this advantage. The bench is patchy. I'll be interested to see what Australia's lineup will be. 

Key  combinations  are new. Reinach/Libbok…..Bongi/Klein. Etzebeth isn’t playing, DudToit is!

Harrassmiss is rolling the dice that he can sweep the first two tests by playing his fresh, best team against an AB team that has travelled. It could work again or we could be zero and two.This is a rare chance for Aussie to win in South Africa, but history is against them

Nice to see Grant Williams on the bench…in that role he could be a weapon for us at the WC.

I'll be interested to see where Australia and New Zealand are, we must frame all results in context. They were all time bad last season, if they are anything like that again, it's not very useful moving forward even if we do win one or both. 

"So glad that van Staden is getting a look-in.

Rate him very highly."

He's had a few chances already...your missing friend Denny also rates him...I'm not a fan...a bools player must truly be exceptional for me to recognize him...Marco isn't there yet...not even close 

Well, the real problem is that we have long in the tooth Vermeulen starting and Roos on the bench. I understand that they selected him for his experience and lack of having our captain or other leadership in the team. 

Not sure Vermeulen has anything left in the tank. He was okay for Ulster but mainly became a ruck inspector. Ulster was happy to cut him loose after this season. 

He doesn't have that line breaking ability anymore or being able to barge through tacklers like he use to. His ground skills is probably the only thing that still works for him. 

Orie is the other big mistake of this team selection. 

I am happy to see how the rest of the team plays. 

But the big problem is that Ox is crocked and Kitthoff is on standby, so we don't have a 3rd choice loosehead. Even though we do have plenty quality prop stocks. You would think that we would have at least 3 world class front rows, not to mention the quality of our lock stocks. 

What ever happened to Muchunu, he got one cap, sat behind Ox at the sharks and now not even in this squad. 

Another Rassie brain implosion by throwing players in the deep end, costing a test for his experiment and then player is nowhere near the squad. 

If he is the director of rugby, why doesn't he plan more A games. 

We could easily have organised A games against NZ and Australia last year. They would have welcomed it. 

He doesn't have that line breaking ability anymore or being able to barge through tacklers like he use to. His ground skills is probably the only thing that still works for him. 

That didn't stop Steph winning player of the year! That being the case, he is plenty good enough! 

The Wallabies have announced their team:

Australia: Tom Wright, 14 Suliasi Vunivalu, 13 Len Ikitau, 12 Reece Hodge, 11 Marika Koroibete, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Nic White, 8 Rob Valetini, 7 Michael Hooper (c), 6 Tom Hooper, 5 Will Skelton, 4 Nick Frost, 3 Allan Alaalatoa, 2 David Porecki, 1 James Slipper (c)
Replacements: 16 Jordan Uelese, 17 Matt Gibbon, 18 Zane Nonggorr, 19 Richie Arnold, 20 Pete Samu, 21 Tate McDermott, 22 Samu Kerevi, 23 Carter Gordon

No Taniela Tupou? Wonder if he's crocked?