Papier, Snyman to start against Scotland
Embrose Papier will make his first Test start when the Springboks take on Scotland at Murrayfield this weekend after coach Rassie Erasmus awarded the youngster the No 9 jersey.
Faf de Klerk’s unavailability due to club commitments allows the 21-year-old Papier to win his sixth cap.
Lock RG Snyman is the only other change to the starting lineup from the side that beat France 29-26 in Paris last week.
Snyman replaces PieterSteph du Toit in the second row‚ with the latter moving to flank and Warren Whiteley falling out with a calf injury.
Lock Eben Etzebeth also has not overcome a foot injury and was not considered.
Duane Vermeulen returns to No 8 while Du Toit is back to a position where he shone this year‚ especially during the Rugby Championships.
Scrumhalf Ivan van Zyl and lock Lood de Jager return to the bench after both missing the France clash.
Meanwhile‚ flyhalf Handré Pollard will become the second most-capped Springbok No 10 when he makes his 38th Test appearance on Saturday‚ surpassing 2007 World Cup winner Butch James’s 37 caps in that position.
The most-capped Springbok flyhalf is Morné Steyn‚ with 64 Tests at pivot.
The fact that Erasmus only made two enforced changes is an indication of how highly rated the Scots are. They boast a formidable home record under coach Gregor Townsend‚ with nine wins in their last 10 internationals at Murrayfield.
Along the way they have beaten Ireland‚ Australia‚ England and France, among others.
“Scotland are a wellcoached side‚ they are difficult to break down and they will present us with a very tough challenge at Murrayfield.
“The matches in the northern hemisphere are all closely fought encounters‚ with the set-piece battle key‚ and it’s important to grab the big moments and finish your opportunities,” Erasmus said.
Papier has yet to convince at this level but with conditions expected to be dry in Edinburgh on Saturday‚ he will have a chance to show off his pace and natural attacking instincts if the coach lets him off the leash.
He has slowly developed his kicking game‚ but it is not the major strength of his game and it will be interesting to observe whether Erasmus allows the Bulls halfback some latitude.
Wedged between Vermeulen and Pollard‚ Papier is surrounded by quality and experienced players‚ which will certainly make his first start as comfortable as it can be in a hostile environment.
Springboks – 15 Willie le Roux‚ 14 S’bu Nkosi‚ 13 Jesse Kriel‚ 12 Damian de Allende‚ 11 Aphiwe Dyantyi‚ 10 Handré Pollard‚ 9 Embrose Papier‚ 8 Duane Vermeulen‚ 7 PieterSteph du Toit‚ 6 Siya Kolisi (c)‚ 5 Franco Mostert‚ 4 RG Snyman‚ 3 Frans Malherbe‚ 2 Malcolm Marx‚ 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Subs – 16 Bongi Mbonambi‚ 17 Thomas du Toit‚ 18 Vincent Koch‚ 19 Lood de Jager‚ 20 Francois Louw‚ 21 Ivan van Zyl‚ 22 Elton Jantjies‚ 23 Cheslin Kolbe