PICTURE: Look at the Springboks’ crisp new white jersey

The Springboks will take on Ireland with their newly developed 7-1 bench split tactic as well as their newly unveiled all-white third-choice jersey in Paris on Saturday.

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Because World Rugby’s new regulations do not allow the Springboks to play in their traditional kit, the South Africans will don their alternate jersey at the Stade de France. 

In a statement released earlier in the week, an SA Rugby spokesperson said the Springboks will wear their ‘white’ Nike-designed jersey against the Irish and listed several reasons why. 

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“The Springboks are not permitted to wear the green and gold jersey in every Test match – as much as we would like to,” the spokesperson revealed. 

“The alternative jersey colour is white, but Nike proposed enhancing the plain look with a modern design drawing on various influences in a new combination to appeal to a new and wider audience. It was presented to senior Springboks, who gave it their seal of approval.”

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THE SPRINGBOKS IN THEIR WHITE STRIP

And here it is: As is customary the day before any Springbok Test, the selected match-day squad along with the head coach pose for a team photo in the kit they’ll don in the game the following day.

Below is the first picture of the all-white jersey, which has been well received by the public, who’ve had a much better reaction to this third-choice kit than it had to the second-choice ‘Checkers Sixty60’ jersey.

TEAMS

Springboks — Damian Willemse; Kurt-Lee Arendse, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Cheslin Kolbe; Manie Libbok, Faf de Klerk; Steven Kitshoff, Mbongeni Mbonambi, Frans Malherbe; Eben Etzebeth, Franco Mostert; Siya Kolisi (captain), Pieter-Steph Du Toit, Jasper Wiese.
Subs: Deon Fourie, Ox Nche, Trevor Nyakane, Jean Kleyn, RG Snyman, Marco van Staden, Kwagga Smith, Cobus Reinach.

Ireland — Hugo Keenan; Mack Hansen, Garry Ringrose, Bundee Aki, James Lowe; Johnny Sexton (captain), Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Ronan Kelleher, Tadhg Furlong; Tadhg Beirne, James Ryan; Peter O’Mahony, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris. 
Subs: Dan Sheehan, Dave Kilcoyne, Finlay Bealham, Iain Henderson, Ryan Baird, Conor Murray, Jack Crowley, Robbie Henshaw.

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