Springboks captain Siya Kolisi will reach his 100th Test cap when South Africa faces France at Stade de France on Saturday. Former coach Jacques Nienaber expresses surprise and joy at the milestone, having expected Kolisi to retire from internationals after the 2023 Rugby World Cup. The match pits a veteran Bok side against a younger French team seeking revenge for a past defeat.
The upcoming Test between South Africa and France at Stade de France on November 8, 2025, with a 10:10pm kick-off, marks a significant milestone for Springboks captain Siya Kolisi, who will earn his 100th cap. Jacques Nienaber, the former Bok coach who led the team to the 2023 Rugby World Cup title before joining Leinster in Ireland, admitted he never anticipated seeing Kolisi reach this point. "I definitely expected Siya to continue playing rugby after RWC 2023, just not Test rugby," Nienaber told Daily Maverick from Chicago, where he was watching Ireland versus the All Blacks.
Kolisi's international career appeared headed for a close after the World Cup final, his 83rd Test, where the Boks edged the All Blacks 12-11. Signing with Racing 92 in Paris, Kolisi seemed set to retire from Tests, but he never formally did so. Less than a year later, he returned to South Africa with the Sharks, making him available to continue captaining under coach Rassie Erasmus. "When I left the Boks, did I think Siya would play more Test rugby? No," Nienaber said, adding that Kolisi remains capable at the highest level.
The Boks enter the game with 1,101 collective Test caps and an average age of 30, relying on experience. France, averaging 27 years and 588 caps, fields a younger squad under coach Fabien Galthié, hampered by injuries to players like Antoine Dupont, Cyril Baille, and others. Galthié defended his selections: "We have a big match on Saturday. This is our best team at the moment... We shouldn’t question these players who are making their debuts."
France last beat the Boks at Stade de France in 2005 and seeks revenge for the 29-28 World Cup quarterfinal loss in 2023. Nienaber noted the French players' readiness from recent Top 14 club games, contrasting with the Boks' sharpness from a match against Japan last week. The teams are: France (Thomas Ramos, Damien Penaud et al.) and South Africa (Damian Willemse, Cheslin Kolbe, Siya Kolisi (c) et al.).