Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus named a new-look team for their one-off Test against Australia in Perth on Saturday at 11:45 SAST, which will mark significant occasions for No 8 Jasper Wiese as he earns his 50th Test cap off the replacements bench, while hybrid player Andre Esterhuizen will become the 68th player to captain South Africa.
Erasmus made 13 changes to his starting team, with only lock Eben Etzebeth and wing Ethan Hooker retaining their places in the run-on team from the side’s 43-28 victory against the All Blacks just over a week ago in Baltimore, which saw them clinch the inaugural Castle Double Malt Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry title.
The changes see the introduction of a new front row in props Jan-Hendrik Wessels and Zachary Porthen, and hooker Johan Grobbelaar, while Etzebeth will join forces with Franco Mostert in the engine room, and Paul de Villiers, Elrigh Louw (both flankers), and Marco van Staden (No 8) will complete the forward pack.
The Bok coach also opted for a new halfback pairing of Herschel Jantjies and Handre Pollard, who has recovered from the niggle which saw him sidelined during RGR, while Esterhuizen will partner up with Canan Moodie in the midfield, with Hooker, Edwill van der Merwe, and Aphelele Fassi forming the back three.
In total, nine of the players in Erasmus’ match-23 participated in the final Test against the All Blacks in the USA. The trio of Malcolm Marx (hooker), Ox Nche, and Wilco Louw (both props) will serve as the back-up front row, while Lood de Jager will again provide lock cover, and Wiese loose forward cover.
The three backs on the replacements bench are Morne van den Berg (scrumhalf), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, and Quan Horn (both utility backs).
Springbok team to face Australia in Perth:
15 Aphelele Fassi (Toshiba) – 18 caps, 35 pts (7t)
14 Edwill van der Merwe (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 7 caps, 30 pts (6t)
13 Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls) – 25 caps, 45 pts (9t)
12 Andre Esterhuizen (captain, Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 35 caps, 30 pts (6t)
11 Ethan Hooker (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 13 caps, 10 pts (2t)
10 Handre Pollard (Vodacom Bulls) – 87 caps, 832 pts (8t, 130 c, 175 p, 5dg)
9 Herschel Jantjies (Bayonne) – 25 caps, 30 pts (6t)
8 Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls) – 37 caps, 20 pts (4t)
7 Elrigh Louw (Vodacom Bulls) – 15 caps, 10 pts (2t)
6 Paul de Villiers (DHL Stormers) – 4 cap, 5 pts (1t)
5 Franco Mostert (Honda Heat) – 84 caps, 20 pts (4t)
4 Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 146 caps, 45 pts (9t)
3 Zachary Porthen (DHL Stormers) – 7 caps, 5 pts (1t)
2 Johan Grobbelaar (Vodacom Bulls) – 10 caps, 0 pts
1 Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Vodacom Bulls) – 14 caps, 10 pts (2t)
Replacements:
16 Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 93 caps, 145 pts (29t)
17 Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 52 caps, 0 pts
18 Wilco Louw (DHL Stormers) – 35 caps, 10 pts (2t)
19 Lood de Jager (Wild Knights) – 77 caps, 25 pts (5t)
20 Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks) – 49 caps, 20 pts (4t)
21 Morne van den Berg (10bet Lions) – 10 caps, 32 pts (6t, 1c)
22 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers) – 24 caps, 191 pts (9t, 48c, 15p)
23 Quan Horn (10Bet Lions) – 2 cap, 7 pts (1t, 1c)
