Selection: Greatest Springbok team of all time

In a hypothetical selection that considers players from every generation, we pick the greatest combined Springbok 23 of all time.

Apr 15, 2025 - 09:00
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Selection: Greatest Springbok team of all time

Over the decades, the Springboks have been able to call on the services of some of world rugby’s greatest players of all time.

It makes it an almost impossible task to try and select a combined line-up that could be considered the greatest all-time Springbok team.

Nevertheless, in this hypothetical content piece, we select our all-time Springbok best, having considered players from every generation.

Greatest Springbok all-time XV

 1.⁠ ⁠Beast Mtawarira
 2.⁠ ⁠Malcolm Marx
 3.⁠ ⁠Frans Malherbe
 4.⁠ ⁠Frik du Preez
 5.⁠ ⁠Victor Matfield
 6.⁠ ⁠Schalk Burger
 7.⁠ ⁠Pieter-Steph du Toit
 8.⁠ ⁠Duane Vermeulen
 9.⁠ ⁠Fourie du Preez
10.⁠ ⁠Naas Botha
11.⁠ ⁠Bryan Habana
12.⁠ ⁠Frans Steyn
13.⁠ ⁠Danie Gerber
14.⁠ ⁠Ray Mordt
15.⁠ ⁠HO de Villiers

Substitutes: 16 Bismarck du Plessis, 17 Os du Randt, 18 Hempies du Toit, 19 Eben Etzebeth, 20 Jan Ellis, 21 Hennie Muller, 22 Joost van der Westhuizen, 23 Cheslin Kolbe.

A mixture of modern-day greats and some icons of the past, this is a team that would possess both pace and power in equal measures, not to mention a healthy dose of X factor.

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