Siya Kolisi will mark his 100th appearance for South Africa when he leads the Springboks out against France in Paris on Saturday, joining an elite list of players to reach the century mark in green and gold.
Kolisi’s journey began with his debut against Scotland in 2013, and five years later he made history as the Springboks’ first Black captain, a role he has carried with distinction, guiding the team to back-to-back Rugby World Cup triumphs.
Head coach Rassie Erasmus praised his skipper’s composure and leadership ahead of the landmark occasion. “He’s level-headed and completely focused on the job. We’ll make it special for him, but he knows the team’s mission comes first,” Erasmus said.
The match will be the first meeting between the two sides since South Africa’s dramatic 29–28 win over France in the 2023 Rugby World Cup quarterfinal. Eleven players from that memorable night, including Kolisi, will return to the Stade de France.
Springboks: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Boan Venter Replacements: 16 Johan Grobbelaar, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Ruan Nortje, 21 Andre Esterhuizen, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Manie Libbok
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