Bok superstar ruled out of Nations Championship
INJURY UPDATE: Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has confirmed that Eben Etzebeth will miss South Africa’s entire July Nations Championship schedule as the veteran lock continues his recovery from concussion.
Speaking at the Springboks’ team hotel on Monday, Erasmus revealed the 34-year-old is only expected to return for the Greatest Rugby Rivalry series against New Zealand in August.
The news is a significant blow for the world champions, with Etzebeth having been pencilled in to start against England at Ellis Park on Saturday before he was withdrawn just hours before kick-off.
Captain Siya Kolisi was also a late omission, and Etzebeth’s absence is set to extend through the remainder of the July window.
*Continues below…
#TeamAnnouncement: Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus has made wholesale changes to his matchday squad for Saturday’s clash against Scotland 👇#NationsChampionship #SouthAfrica #Springboks #Scotland #RSAvSCO https://t.co/GBlyCVuEud
— Rugby365 (@rugby365com) July 6, 2026
“Eben will most likely only be ready for the New Zealand series,” Erasmus confirmed.
The latest setback will raise further concerns over the fitness of South Africa’s most-capped player.
Etzebeth has endured a frustrating run with concussion-related issues, which also disrupted his season with the Sharks and forced him to miss significant portions of the United Rugby Championship campaign.
The lock has not completed a full match since November, when he was sent off during the Springboks’ Test against Wales. That red card for foul play resulted in a 12-week suspension, delaying his return before concussion problems further interrupted his comeback.
The Springboks kicks of their Greatest Rivalry against the All Blacks on August 7 in Cape Town.
In the Nations Championship, all teams will play each of the six in the opposing hemisphere once, with three rounds of fixtures staged in July and another three in November.
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In summarizing the long list of injuries, the coach revealed that Etzebeth will not take part in the current competition in July. The injury list among the locks is significant, prompting the coaching staff to move Cobus Wiese to partner with Ruan Nortje.
Ox Nche got injured early against England and left the field with a knee injury. According to Erasmus the prop, together with Sacha Feinberg-Mngomuzulu and Morne van den Berg should be ready three weeks before the fist test against the All Blacks.
“I think Eben will be given proper time. He had a concussion and he had a bit of a history of concussions. I don’t think Eben will play in the incoming matches.
“I think we’re all targeting Argentina for that. Lood might be ready next week. I think he’s closer than the others.
“Ethan Hooker will be ready next week.
“Ox [Nche[, Sacha [Feinberg-Mngomezulu], Krappies [Morne van den Berg] – all of them will be ready about three weeks before New Zealand.”
The team to face Scotland this weekend shows 10 changes to the one that faced England.
In total, 10 of the players in the match-23 from the England Test were retained as the Bok coach looks to balance consistency and spreading the workload.
The five players retained in the starting XV that defeated England 45-21 last weekend are Jesse Kriel, Damian Willemse, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Paul de Villiers, and Ruan Nortje.
“It would have been great to give Cameron another run because he had a steady performance.
“Obviously, Siya is still not available.
“We know Pieter-Steph’s [du Toit] best position is seven flank. So, it’s nice to have him on seven and to have Evan [Roos] at eight.”
