SOUTH AFRICA CAPTAIN Siya Kolisi will earn his 100th Test cap against France in the Autumn Nations Series this weekend.
Twelve years on from his international debut, the two-time World Cup-winning skipper will lead his side out in Paris on Saturday night.
South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus has named nine of the same players in his starting 15 from their World Cup quarter-final win vs France in 2023.
Erasmus has made four changes from last Saturday’s 61-7 win over Japan with full-back Damian Willemse, flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit and props Thomas du Toit and Boan Venter coming in.
Winger Ethan Hooker, flanker Franco Mostert, and front-rowers Ox Nche and Zachary Porthen move out of the matchday 23.
La Rochelle scrum-half Nolann Le Garrec will start for France against the Springboks.
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Le Garrec will make his 14th Test appearance on Saturday, with superstar Antoine Dupont out since March with a serious knee issue.
The 23-year-old will start a game alongside Toulouse’s Romain Ntamack at half-back for the first time.
Fabien Galthie has kept just nine names from the matchday squad from the last time the sides met two years ago.
Racing 92 centre Gael Fickou, who captained France on the summer tour of New Zealand, continues with the armband in the absence of Dupont.
Fickou, who will win his 97th cap, is partnered in midfield by Toulouse’s Pierre-Louis Barassi, with Bordeaux-Begles’ Yoram Moefana suffering from a shoulder issue.
La Rochelle No 8 Gregory Alldritt, who led the side to March’s Six Nations crown, is out of the matchday squad with Lyon’s Mickael Guillard preferred in the back-row.
Props Baptiste Erdocio and Regis Montagne are in line for just their third Test appearances, with tightheads Uini Atonio and Tevita Tatafu injured, and loosehead Cyril Baille still making his way back to fitness.
The French Top 14′s leading try scorer this season, Louis Bielle-Biarrey, starts on the wing with his Bordeaux-Begles team-mate Damian Penaud on the other flank.
Toulouse hooker Guillaume Cramont is set for his international debut from the bench, having impressed this season for the Top 14 league leaders.
France: Thomas Ramos; Damian Penaud, Pierre-Louis Barassi, Gael Fickou (capt), Louis Bielle-Biarrey; Romain Ntamack, Nolann Le Garrec; Baptiste Erdocio, Julien Marchand, Regis Montagne; Thibaud Flament, Emmanuel Meafou; Paul Boudehent, Anthony Jelonch, Mickael Guillard.
Replacements: Guillaume Cramont, Jean-Baptiste Gros, Dorian Aldegheri, Hugo Auradou, Romain Taofifenua, Oscar Jegou, Maxime Lucu, Nicolas Depoortere
South Africa: Damian Willemse; Cheslin Kolbe, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Cobus Reinach; Jasper Wiese, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Siya Kolisi (capt); Lood de Jager, Eben Etzebeth, Thomas du Toit, Malcolm Marx, Boan Venter
Replacements: Johan Grobbelaar, Gerhard Steenekamp, Wilco Louw, RG Snyman, Ruan Nortje, Andre Esterhuizen, Grant Williams, Manie Libbok
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France vs South Africa: Springbok skipper Kolisi's 100th cap, Le Garrec as Dupont replacement
LAST UPDATE | 6 Nov 2025
SOUTH AFRICA CAPTAIN Siya Kolisi will earn his 100th Test cap against France in the Autumn Nations Series this weekend.
Twelve years on from his international debut, the two-time World Cup-winning skipper will lead his side out in Paris on Saturday night.
South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus has named nine of the same players in his starting 15 from their World Cup quarter-final win vs France in 2023.
Erasmus has made four changes from last Saturday’s 61-7 win over Japan with full-back Damian Willemse, flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit and props Thomas du Toit and Boan Venter coming in.
Winger Ethan Hooker, flanker Franco Mostert, and front-rowers Ox Nche and Zachary Porthen move out of the matchday 23.
La Rochelle scrum-half Nolann Le Garrec will start for France against the Springboks.
Le Garrec will make his 14th Test appearance on Saturday, with superstar Antoine Dupont out since March with a serious knee issue.
The 23-year-old will start a game alongside Toulouse’s Romain Ntamack at half-back for the first time.
Fabien Galthie has kept just nine names from the matchday squad from the last time the sides met two years ago.
Racing 92 centre Gael Fickou, who captained France on the summer tour of New Zealand, continues with the armband in the absence of Dupont.
Fickou, who will win his 97th cap, is partnered in midfield by Toulouse’s Pierre-Louis Barassi, with Bordeaux-Begles’ Yoram Moefana suffering from a shoulder issue.
La Rochelle No 8 Gregory Alldritt, who led the side to March’s Six Nations crown, is out of the matchday squad with Lyon’s Mickael Guillard preferred in the back-row.
Props Baptiste Erdocio and Regis Montagne are in line for just their third Test appearances, with tightheads Uini Atonio and Tevita Tatafu injured, and loosehead Cyril Baille still making his way back to fitness.
The French Top 14′s leading try scorer this season, Louis Bielle-Biarrey, starts on the wing with his Bordeaux-Begles team-mate Damian Penaud on the other flank.
Toulouse hooker Guillaume Cramont is set for his international debut from the bench, having impressed this season for the Top 14 league leaders.
France: Thomas Ramos; Damian Penaud, Pierre-Louis Barassi, Gael Fickou (capt), Louis Bielle-Biarrey; Romain Ntamack, Nolann Le Garrec; Baptiste Erdocio, Julien Marchand, Regis Montagne; Thibaud Flament, Emmanuel Meafou; Paul Boudehent, Anthony Jelonch, Mickael Guillard.
Replacements: Guillaume Cramont, Jean-Baptiste Gros, Dorian Aldegheri, Hugo Auradou, Romain Taofifenua, Oscar Jegou, Maxime Lucu, Nicolas Depoortere
South Africa: Damian Willemse; Cheslin Kolbe, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Cobus Reinach; Jasper Wiese, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Siya Kolisi (capt); Lood de Jager, Eben Etzebeth, Thomas du Toit, Malcolm Marx, Boan Venter
Replacements: Johan Grobbelaar, Gerhard Steenekamp, Wilco Louw, RG Snyman, Ruan Nortje, Andre Esterhuizen, Grant Williams, Manie Libbok
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