| Home team | South Africa |
| Away team | Barbarians |
| Venue | Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium |
| Competition | Friendly |
| Kick off time | 2 pm (UK and Ireland) |
| Watch Live in the UK | Premier Sports |
South Africa vs Barbarians preview as the sides meet at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in the second of a double-header for the South African squad.
South Africa are working with an extended squad, while the Bulls players are unavailable due to the URC Grand Final in Dublin.
The Barbarians will continue their tour next week with a game against Wales.
Read more match previews for all your rugby action here
South Africa vs Barbarians confirmed lineups
| South Africa | Barbarians | ||||
| Forwards | |||||
| Nche | 1 | Vivas | |||
| Venter | 2 | Dee | |||
| Sadie | 3 | Rae | |||
| Norton | 4 | Molina | |||
| Mostert | 5 | Moon | |||
| Kolisi | 6 | Petti | |||
| Pieter-Steph du Toit | 7 | Boshier | |||
| Wiese | 8 | Faiilagi | |||
| Backs | |||||
| Williams | 9 | Perenara | |||
| Horn | 10 | Albornoz | |||
| E Van der Merwe | 11 | D Van der Merwe | |||
| Esterhuizen | 12 | Nankivell | |||
| Kriel | 13 | Vakatawa | |||
| Kolbe | 14 | Kellaway | |||
| Fassi | 15 | Gelant | |||
| Replacements | |||||
| Kotze | 16 | Oviedo | |||
| Mchunu | 17 | Kebble | |||
| Porthen | 18 | Delgado | |||
| Dixon | 19 | Rodda | |||
| De Villiers | 20 | McConnell | |||
| Roos | 21 | Arata | |||
| De Klerk | 22 | Plummer | |||
| Moyo | 23 | Samusamuvodre | |||
Recent Form:
South Africa (Home team):
| Result | Date | Competition | Opponent | Score |
| Won | 29th November 2025 | Autumn Internationals | Wales | 0-73 |
| Won | 22nd November 2025 | Autumn Internationals | Ireland | 13-24 |
| Won | 15th November 2025 | Autumn Internationals | Italy | 14-32 |
| Won | 8th November 2025 | Autumn Internationals | Frnace | 17-32 |
| Won | 1st November 2025 | Autumn Internationals | Japan | 61-7 |
South Africa are World Number Ones and will use this game as solid preparation for their Rugby Nations Championship campaign and looking ahead to try and retain the World Cup for the third time in a row. They were undefeated in November winning five in a row, including wins in France and Ireland. They finished that tour with a huge 73-0
Barbarians (Away team):
| Result | Date | Competition | Opponent | Score |
| Loss | 1st November 2025 | Friendly | All Blacks XV | 19-33 |
| Loss | 28th June 2025 | Friendly | South Africa | 54-7 |
| Won | 22nd June 2024 | Friendly | Fiji | 45-32 |
| Loss | 4th November 2023 | Friendly | Wales | 49-26 |
| Won | 13 November 2022 | Friendly | All Blacks XV | 35-31 |
The Barbarians are an invitational side that changes lineups and squads with every tour.
South Africa vs Barbarians head-to-head record (last five matches):
| Date | Competition | Winner | Score |
| 28th June 2025 | Friendly | South Africa | 54-7 |
| 5th November 2016 | Friendly | Draw | 31-31 |
