South Africa are preparing to return to Test action, looking to defend the Rugby Championship title that they won in 2024.

Five wins in six matches culminated in the world champions securing 24 points, allowing them to build an eight-point winning margin over New Zealand as they secured the Rugby Championship last year.

This year, South Africa will begin their campaign with a double-header against Australia at home before flying out to take on New Zealand away.

They then end their tournament with a home game against Argentina, followed by a trip to face the same opponent on the final day.

Ahead of the tournament, the South African coaching team have a lot of decisions to make on which players they will trust to carry out their plans.

Below, Bets.co.za have brought together five players we believe could be ones to watch as South Africans bid to justify favouritism in the odds.

Handre Pollard

Handre Pollard may have knocked England out of the 2023 Rugby World Cup semi-finals, but he has been able to endear himself to those in Leicester by turning out for the Tigers.

His accurate kicking, supreme game management and ability to pick a pass have made him a mainstay in Leicester’s 10 shirt, and the Bulls can now look forward to all of these positives after he signed for them ahead of the 2025/26 season.

Pollard joins the Bulls in a blockbuster deal that will see the 31-year-old return to his former club. This will follow likely appearances in the Rugby Championship for the Springboks.

South Africa have been experimenting with different 10’s in recent matches, meaning he has not always started at fly-half.

While there are some that are flashier or more attack-minded players than Pollard, he remains the consistent option.

Able to slot penalties and conversions from almost anywhere, his ability to read and manage a game is a huge reason why the Springboks are double World Cup winners, and it is why he has two World Cup winners’ medals.

At 31, Pollard will likely still be at the peak of his powers when the next World Cup rolls around. The 2025 Rugby Championship is a chance for the current Leicester fly-half to prove that he is still the number one player in his position.

David Kriel

South Africa’s hugely physical and combative nature is a feature right across the team, but it is most obvious in the backs through the men that don the 12 and 13 jerseys.

Damian de Allende has been a superb servant in midfield for years, but the 33-year-old is edging towards the twilight of his career.

This makes the emergence of David Kriel even more important. Comfortable taking the 12 or 13 channel, Kriel is a player that has been knocking at the door for a little while now.

At 1.95 metres and just short 16 stone, Kriel can be the battering ram in midfield, while he also shows soft hands in the middle, meaning playing off him is also easy.

Throw in the ability to kick and the 26-year-old is proving that he could be one of the men to fill to Springboks’ midfield for years to come.

Cheslin Kolbe

Cheslin Kolbe’s involvement in the South African side for the 2025 Rugby Championship is an interesting one as he looks to prove he is still at the top of his game.

On his day, Kolbe is unstoppable on the wing. Despite being well below six feet tall and weighing short of 12 stone, Kolbe often proves too powerful to stop out wide.

However, his running straight at a defender may take the opposition player by surprise, as they are always waiting for his notorious stepping.

The phrase ‘he could step someone in a phone box’ seems like it was made for him, as he continually proves to be a menace out wide. 18 tries in 39 appearances is an impressive record, and he is among the best attackers in the world on his day.

However, his switch from French side Toulon to Tokyo Sungoliath raised eyebrows at the time. Switching in 2023, Kolbe has not been playing consistently against top-quality opposition.

This may yet prove a deciding factor in his own performance, especially against a world-class team like New Zealand.

Kolbe may yet be playing for his place in the side, which would make the 2025 Rugby Championship incredibly important for the winger.

Eben Etzebeth

Even at 33-years-old, Eben Etzebeth’s name is still one of the first to go on the team sheet whenever South Africa play.

The man mountain of a forward has appeared in 131 matches for South Africa, becoming a mainstay of a side that won bronze at the 2015 Rugby World Cup before securing back-to-back titles at the 2019 and 2023 World Cups.

At 2.04 metres, few need reminding of how dangerous Etzebeth can be on both his and the opposition’s lineouts, while nearly 19 stone of South African power has been deployed against the biggest and best players the world has to offer for years.

While Etzebeth’s days at the top of the game are nearing their end, the 33-year-old still has a lot to give.

This South African side is looking to create a legacy team that dominates for years to come.

His leadership on the field, whether with the ball in hand or when making big tackles, is vital to South Africa’s chance of winning the competition this year.

It will also prove crucial as the men in green begin to look at potential replacements for one of their greatest sons.

Juarno Augustus

Juarno Augustus is a name that many people inside and outside of South Africa have been mentioning in recent months.

The abrasive Northampton backrow is a player that has been able to light up the Premiership in England for years with his powerful ball carrying and explosive tackling.

His stint with the Saints has seen him make 61 appearances and score 75 points, and he will take his talents to Ireland next season after signing for Ulster.

Augustus’ only taste of international rugby came with South Africa Under-20s as he made five appearances.

In this time, he enjoyed a good return, notching 35 points. However, his outings in 2017 petered out, with the forward not pulling on a South African shirt since then.

South Africa’s scores of top-quality backrow players means that a man of Augustus’ skill has been overlooked, but he may be playing too well right now to be completely discount.

At just 27 years old, the 18-stone backrower is banging on the international door, and it may be time to let him in.

Emmanuel Egobiambu

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