Rugby World Cup - Pool B South Africa Factfile

Johannesburg, Sept 2 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 2nd Sep, 2023 ) :SOUTH AFRICA Population: 60 million Capitals: Bloemfontein (judicial), Cape Town (legislative), Pretoria (administrative) Coach: Jacques Nienaber Number of registered players: 133,436 (World Rugby) World Rugby ranking: 2 (Aug 28, 2023) World Cup past record: 1987: Barred (apartheid) 1991: Barred (apartheid) 1995: Winners 1999: Third place 2003: Quarter-finals 2007: Winners 2011: Quarter-finals 2015: Third place 2019: Winners Pool matches (all times GMT) South Africa v Scotland, Sept 10 (1545), Marseille; South Africa v Romania, Sept 17 (1300), Bordeaux; South Africa v Ireland, Sept 23 (1900), Paris; South Africa v Tonga, Oct 1 (1900), Marseille Squad Backs: Jaden Hendrikse, Grant Williams (both Sharks), Faf de Klerk (Canon Eagles/JPN), Cobus Reinach (Montpellier/FRA), Manie Libbok (Stormers), Kurt-Lee Arendse (Bulls), Canan Moodie (Bulls), Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath/JPN), Makazole Mapimpi (Sharks), Damian de Allende (Saitama Wild Knights/JPN), Andre Esterhuizen (Harlequins/ENG), Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles/JPN), Willie le Roux (Bulls), Damian Willemse (Stormers) Forwards: Vincent Koch, Ox Nche (both Sharks), Steven Kitshoff (Ulster/IRL), Frans Malherbe (Stormers), Trevor Nyakane (Racing 92/FRA), Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears/JPN), Bongi Mbonambi (Sharks), Jean Kleyn (Munster/IRL), RG Snyman (Munster/IRL), Eben Etzebeth (Sharks), Marvin Orie (Perpignan/FRA), Siya Kolisi (Racing 92/FRA, capt), Kwagga Smith (Yamaha Jubilo/JPN), Marco van Staden (Bulls), Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz/JPN), Duane Vermeulen (unattached), Jasper Wiese (Leicester/ENG), Deon Fourie (Stormers), Franco Mostert (Honda Heat/JPN) Player to watch: Siya Kolisi.

The 2019 World Cup-winning captain and flanker will be hoping to lead the Springboks to glory again. Kolisi has recovered from a serious knee injury last April and is set to skipper the side in their crucial Pool B opener against Scotland.

Aim for the tournament: Head coach Jacques Nienaber has stopped short of saying South Africa will win back-to-back World Cup titles, but admits expectations are high among supporters. "The main difference between the 2019 World Cup and this one is that there is more expectation now," he says. The aim must be to retain the trophy, but the draw means the Springboks face a far tougher path to glory in France than in Japan four years ago.