South Africa vs Barbarians - prediction, team news, lineups

South Africa invited the Barbarians to the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium connected Saturday day for an planetary affable match.

In their erstwhile outing, the Springboks dismantled a disappointing Welsh side, winning 73-0 astatine the Principality Stadium successful November, portion the Baa-Baas' astir caller fixture was a 33-19 decision to New Zealand's A side.

Match preview

Back-to-back World Champions South Africa person looked invincible precocious and unsurprisingly beryllium good wide astatine the apical of the World Rugby rankings.

Victorious successful each of their erstwhile 8 matches, the Springboks person dispatched immoderate of satellite rugby’s champion opposition, winning distant against New Zealand, Argentina, France and Ireland implicit that stretch.

Heading into adjacent year’s Rugby World Cup, Rassie Erasmus’s broadside volition surely beryllium wanting to proceed their dominance too, starting with Saturday’s lucifer earlier facing England, Scotland and Wales successful their inaugural Nations Championship adjacent month.

When these broadside astir precocious met, South Africa enactment connected an attacking masterclass, scoring 8 tries against the Barbarians to triumph 54-7 successful June of past year.

With erstwhile New Zealand brag Scott Robertson astatine the helm, the Barbarians person assembled a squad filled with planetary superstars for their latest acceptable of fixtures.

Saturday’s lucifer is the archetypal of 2 games this summertime for the Baa-Baas, who besides look Wales astatine Twickenham Stadium precisely a week later.

After a mediocre stretch, claiming triumph successful conscionable 1 of their latest six matches implicit the people of the erstwhile 3 years, the touring side’s main nonsubjective volition beryllium returning to winning ways successful 2026 and determination would beryllium nary amended mode of doing truthful than beating the World Champions successful their ain backyard.

However, to bash truthful the Barbarians volition person to assertion their archetypal ever triumph implicit the Springboks, who they person lone faced connected 2 anterior occasions, tasting decision successful Cape Town past twelvemonth and drafting astatine Twickenham Stadium successful 2016.

South Africa signifier (all competitions): 

Barbarians signifier (all competitions): 

Team News

The large quality for the hosts is the instrumentality of scrum-half Faf de Klerk to the matchday squad, though helium tin lone find abstraction connected the seat with Grant Williams being deployed from the start.

Siya Kolisi, who captains the side, Jasper Wiese and Pieter-Steph du Toit diagnostic astatine the rear of a colossal battalion for South Africa, which besides includes Franco Mostert partnering Riley Norton connected the second-row.

The Barbarians volition beryllium captained connected Saturday day by scrum-half and erstwhile New Zealand planetary TJ Perenara, who is joined by Argentina's Tomas Albornoz, Scotland's Duhan van der Murwe and Australia's Andrew Kellaway crossed the backline.

In the scrum, Robertson has deployed the likes of D'Arcy Rae, Franco Molina, Lachlan Boshier and Miracle Fai'ilagi.

South Africa starting lineup:

15 Fassi, 14 Kolbe, 13 Kriel, 12 Esterhuizen, 11 E.van der Merwe, 10 Horn, 9 Williams; 1 Nche, 2 Venter, 3 Sadie, 4 Norton, 5 Mostert, 6 Kolisi, 7 du Toit, 8 Wiese

Replacements:

16 Kotze, 17 Mchunu, 18 Porthen, 19 Dixon, 20 de Villiers, 21 Roos, 22 de Klerk, 23 Moyo

Barbarians starting lineup:

15 Gelant, 14 Kellaway, 13 Vakatawa, 12 Nankivell, 11 D.van der Merwe, 10 Albornoz, 9 Perenara; 1 Vivas, 2 Dee, 3 Rae, 4 Molina, 5 Moon, 6 Petti, 7 Boshier, 8 Fai'ilagi

Replacements:

16 Oviedo, 17 Kebble, 18 Delgado, 19 Rodda, 20 McConnell, 21 Arata, 22 Plummer, 23 Samusamuvodre

We say: South Africa 52-18 Barbarians

With an highly beardown squad astatine his disposal, determination is simply a bully accidental that Robertson tin gain the Barbarians their archetypal triumph successful implicit 3 years wrong the adjacent fortnight.

However, with the spot and signifier of South Africa, we cannot spot the visitors getting a effect this play and deliberation that they volition beryllium connected the receiving extremity of a dense decision astatine the hands of the Springboks.