South Africa begin their five-match European rugby adventure on Saturday, with Eddie Jones’s Japan firmly in their sights.
It’s an intriguing opener at London’s Wembley Stadium, before they go on to a huge game against France in Paris next weekend in a repeat of their epic 2023 Rugby World Cup quarter-final clash.
Italy follow for coach Rassie Erasmus and his charges, before they head back north to tackle Ireland and Wales.
International Rugby: Japan vs South Africa – kick off 18.10 SAST
South Africa kick off their outbound international rugby tour with a Wembley Stadium contest against Japan on Saturday.
The pair meet at the home of English football in London to fire the gun on the two-year countdown to the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
And its a game that pits – in Rassie Erasmus and Eddie Jones – two of the sneakiest coaches on the international stage against each other.
Jones had a look at his options in Tokyo last weekend, as they pushed Australia all the way before going down to a 15-19 loss at a rain-soaked National Stadium.
London was also the venue for the Springboks’ last outing, as they polished off their successful Rugby Championship campaign with a 29-27 victory over Argentina at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium.
That made it back-to-back championships for Siya Kolisi’s side, to go with their successive Rugby World Cup triumphs and solidify their status as the World Rugby number one-ranked nation.
The Boks have gone strong for their opener here too, including the likes of Japan-based Jamian de Allende and Jesse Kriel in the starting line up.
There are 16 members of their Argentinian success in the squad overall, while there are also welcome returns for the likes of Kurt-Lee Arendse, Franco Mostert, and Lood de Jager.
And there’s also room for Zachary Porthen, who at 21 will become the youngest prop to start for the Boks in the professional era when he makes his debut under the Wembley arch.
Veteran Michael Leitch leads the back row for the Brave Blossoms, as Jones eyes a repeat of their stunning 2015 World Cup upset at Brighton.
There’s more South African interest among their ranks, too, including centre Dylan Riley and Tyler Paul, who takes a place among the replacements.
Japan Starting XV: 15 Yoshitaka Yazaki, 14 Kippei Ishida, 13 Dylan Riley, 12 Charlie Lawrence, 11 Tomoki Osada, 10 Lee Seung-sin, 9 Shinobu Fujiwara, 8 Michael Leitch, 7 Kanji Shimokawa, 6 Ben Gunter, 5 Warner Dearns, 4 Jack Cornelsen, 3 Shuhei Takeuchi, 2 Kenji Sato, 1 Kenta Kobayashi.
Replacements: 16 Shodai Hirao, 17 Ryosuke Iwaihara, 18 Keijiro Tamefusa, 19 Tyler Paul, 20 Faulua Makisi, 21 Kenta Fukuda, 22 Sam Greene, 23 Tiennan Costley.
South Africa Starting XV: 15 Cheslin Kolbe, 14 Ethan Hooker, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Franco Mostert, 6 Siya Kolisi, 5 Lood de Jager, 4 RG Snyman, 3 Zachary Porthen, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche
Replacements: 16 Johan Grobbelaar, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 Ruan Nortje, 20 Andre Esterhuizen, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Manie Libbok.
MEN’S INTERNATIONAL
SOUTH AFRICA (1) 92.20 v JAPAN (13) 73.25
Venue: Wembley Stadium, London
Date: 1 November 2025
WORLD RUGBY RANKINGS PROJECTIONS
| Match Result | South Africa Rating | Japan Rating | Ranking Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa win (≤15 points) | 92.20 | 73.25 | No change |
| South Africa win (>15 points) | 92.20 | 73.25 | No change |
| Draw | 91.20 | 74.25 | SA drops, Japan rises |
| Japan win (≤15 points) | 90.20 | 75.25 | SA loses #1 spot |
| Japan win (>15 points) | 89.20 | 76.25 | SA loses #1 spot |
MATCH PREDICTION
South Africa are expected to win comfortably, likely by more than 15 points. The Springboks’ dominant ranking and recent form—including a record win over New Zealand—suggest they will maintain their top spot. Japan would need a historic performance to force a draw or win, which would dramatically alter the rankings and elevate them into Band 2 for the Rugby World Cup 2027 draw.