In a positive step ahead of The Rugby Championship, South Africa's top 50 players have been selected for Saturday's Springbok gold and Springbok green trial match.
The match will see World Cup-winning Springboks captain lead the green team, which is being coached by Mzwandile Stick under the watch of South Africa's Director of Rugby, Rassie Erasmus.
Kolisi's side will go head to head with Lukhanyo Am's side, who is being coached by Deon Davids under commissioner Jacques Nienaber.
The match is an important step ahead of The Rugby Championship, with South Africa's players desperate to get some match practice under their belts after not being able to get a
Here are the Green and Gold teams for the Castle Lager Springbok Showdown. 💪
— Springboks (@Springboks) September 30, 2020
Don’t miss out on Saturday’s action - kick-off is at 17h05 and the game is live on SuperSport Grandstand.#StrongerTogether@CastleLagerSA pic.twitter.com/4L8XyLQvbl
"We have a good balance in our team if you look at the mix between the youngsters and senior players," Stick said.
"We have the likes of Siya Kolisi, Duane (Vermeulen), Elton (Jantjies) and Frans (Steyn) that were with us at the Rugby World Cup in Japan, while we worked with some of the youngsters at a junior level, and it is great to give them a taste of a Test week."
"As a player, you have to be adaptable when you get an opportunity to play," Vermeulen said.
"Obviously, its difficult circumstances and something everyone is just getting used to, but as players, we have to be adaptable.
"We still don't know what is going to happen, so we can only focus on what we can control and we can only control the now.
"The only thing we are focussing on now is the Currie Cup, which has been cleared by SA Rugby, and we are not thinking too far ahead.
"If the Rugby Championship does go ahead, though, we would be going in with a bit of a disadvantage - as we are just starting a competition, while in Australia and New Zealand have been playing for the last 10 or 11 weeks and already finished their domestic tournaments.
"It would be difficult for us as players, as there was talk from the medical side that you'd need to ideally have played 400-plus minutes before going into an international competition.
"However, as I said, there are others who will decide the way forward."
Springbok Green: 15 Gianni Lombard, 14 Yaw Penxe, 13 Wandisile Simelane, 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Malcolm Jaer, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Sanele Nohamba; 1 Ox Nche, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 3 Luan de Bruin, 4 JD Schickerling, 5 Hyron Andrews, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 7 Arno Botha, 8 Duane Vermeulen.
Replacements: 16 Schalk Erasmus, 17 Kwenzo Blose, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 JJ van der Mescht, 20 Juarno Augustus, 21 Junior Pokomela, 22 Embrose Papier, 23 Manie Libbok, 24 Jeremy Ward, 25 Kade Wolhuter.
Commissioner: Rassie Erasmus
Coach: Mzwandile Stick
Springbok Gold: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Rosko Specman, 13 Lukhanyo Am (c), 12 Rikus Pretorius, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Damian Willemse, 9 Herschel Jantjies; 1 Steven Kitshoff, 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 4 Salmaan Moerat, 5 Marvin Orie, 6 Marco van Staden, 7 Nizaam Carr, 8 Sikhumbuzo Notshe.
Replacements: 16 Dylan Richardson, 17 Dylan Smith, 18 Carlu Sadie, 19 Jason Jenkins, 20 James Venter, 21 Vincent Tshituka, 22 Ivan van Zyl, 23 Curwin Bosch, 24 Werner Kok, 25 Manual Ras
Commissioner: Jacques Nienaber
Coach: Deon Davids
