Springbok scrumhalf Cobus Reinach will earn his 50th Test cap when he takes the field against Wales at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday in a settled team named by national coach Rassie Erasmus.
The starting XV for the final match of the Castle Lager Outgoing Tour – which kicks off at 17h10 (SA time) and will be broadcast live on SuperSport – feature nine changes from the team that defeated Ireland 24-13 in Dublin last week.
Several players have returned to their clubs and provincial unions, as the match falls outside the international window, which required Erasmus to make eight personnel changes and one positional switch to his run-on team, while his bench has a new look to it, with three players who played last week being named among the replacements.
With World Rugby Men’s 15 Player of the Year Malcolm Marx, Thomas du Toit, Boan Venter, Lood de Jager, RG Snyman, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Grant Williams, Handre Pollard, Manie Libbok, Jesse Kriel, Cheslin Kolbe, and Edwill van der Merwe out of contention for selection, Erasmus drafted several key “Bomb Squad” members into the starting team, alongside seven players who started in Dublin.
The players who retained their places in the starting lineup are Ruan Nortje (lock), captain Siya Kolisi (flanker), Jasper Wiese (No 8), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (flyhalf), Canan Moodie (wing), Damian de Allende (centre), and Damian Willemse (fullback).
Erasmus named the strong front row combination of hooker Johan Grobbelaar and props Wilco Louw and Gerhard Steenekamp – who will start a Test for the first time – with Jean Kleyn and Nortje taking charge of the engine room, while the loose trio of Kolisi, Franco Mostert, and Wiese will complete a powerful forward pack.
In the backline, Morne van den Berg and Feinberg-Mngomezulu will dictate play with at halfback, while hybrid Andre Esterhuizen will man the midfield with De Allende, Moodie and Ethan Hooker will start on the wings, and Willemse retains the No 15 jersey.
Erasmus opted for a seven-one split in favour of the forwards on the bench, with the replacement front row of hooker Bongi Mbonambi and props Zachary Porthen and Asenathi Ntlabakanye, while Eben Etzebeth will provide lock cover, and utility forwards Marco van Staden, Ben-Jason Dixon, and Kwagga Smith covering loose forward and lock. Reinach is the only specialist backline player named on the bench.
Springbok team to face Wales in Cardiff:
15 Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers) – 48 caps, 71 pts (7t, 9c, 4p, 2dg)
14 Ethan Hooker (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 7 caps, 5 pts (1t)
13 Damian de Allende (Wild Knights) – 96 caps, 55 pts (11t)
12 Andre Esterhuizen (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 28 caps, 20 pts (4t)
11 Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls) – 21 caps, 40 pts (8t)
10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers) – 18 caps, 144 pts (7t, 35c, 13p)
9 Morne van den Berg (Lions) – 5 caps, 20 pts (4t)
8 Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks) – 42 caps, 10 pts (2t)
7 Franco Mostert (Honda Heat) – 83 caps, 20 pts (4t)
6 Siya Kolisi (captain, Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 102 caps, 70 pts (14t)
5 Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls) – 17 caps, 0 pts
4 Jean Kleyn (Munster) – 8 caps, 0 pts
3 Wilco Louw (Vodacom Bulls) – 28 caps, 5 pts (1t)
2 Johan Grobbelaar (Vodacom Bulls) – 7 caps, 0 pts
1 Gerhard Steenekamp (Vodacom Bulls) – 15 caps, 5 pts (1t)
Replacements:
16 Bongi Mbonambi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 81 caps, 70 pts (14t)
17 Zachary Porthen (DHL Stormers) – 2 caps, 0 pts
18 Asenathi Ntlabakanye (Lions) – 2 caps, 0 pts
19 Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 140 caps, 35 pts (7t)
20 Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls) – 32 caps, 20 pts (4t)
21 Ben-Jason Dixon (DHL Stormers) – 6 caps, 5 pts (1t)
22 Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs) – 62 caps, 55 pts (11t)
23 Cobus Reinach (DHL Stormers) – 49 caps, 95 pts (19t)