BOKS RING THE CHANGES
SOUTH Africa have changed almost their entire starting XV for the second Test against Wales in Bloemfontein this weekend.
Towering lock Eben Etzebeth is the only man to keep his place as head coach Jacques Nienaber makes 14 changes to the run-on side that scraped through in a dramatic 32-29 victory at Loftus Versfeld.
The entire backline has been ripped up with Kurt-Lee Arendse, one of two debutants starting the match, joins Warrick Gelant and Aphelele Fassi in the back three, while the experienced Jesse Kriel partners Harlequins’ Andre Esterhuizen in a newlook midfield.
Regular fly-half Handre Pollard captains the side alongside Jaden Hendrickse. Evan Roos, who scooped four awards at the end of the URC season including Players’ Player of the Season, is the other debutant at No.8 and the back-row is completed by former World Player of the Year Pieter-Steph du Toit and Marcell Coetzee. Marvin Orie joins Etzebeth at lock and an all-new front row of Trevor Nyakane, Joseph Dweba and Thomas du Toit start the match.
Looking ahead to the match,
Springbok boss Nienaber said: “Wales will certainly gain confidence from their performance last week, and I have no doubt they will feel aggrieved by the fact that they lost out so narrowly, so we know we have to produce a top-class performance to win this weekend.
“The set pieces are going to be a key area once again, and we have identified the areas that we need to improve on and have already started working on those facets of the game.
“They are a team that keeps going until the final whistle, so we expect them to push us to the limit, but we know what our standards are as a team, and every player knows what is expected of him.
“It is definitely going to take a full 80-minute effort to win the match, and if we do well, hopefully the result will take of itself.”
There are four uncapped players on the bench in the shape of Ntuthuko Mchunu, Ruan Nortje, Deon Fourie and Grant Williams. They’re joined by familiar faces Malcolm Marx, Vincent Koch, Rynhardt Elstadt and last week’s hero Damian Willemse.
In all, there are seven players in the matchday 23 that featured in the URC final for the Stormers and Bulls Roos, Orie, Fourie, Willemse, Arendse, Coetzee and Nortje.
There is no room in the side for regular
captain Siya Kolisi, who is rested along with several other front line players and Nienaber experiments with one eye on the upcoming Rugby Championship and the Rugby World Cup next year.
South Africa: Warrick Gelant; Kurt-Lee Arendse, Jesse Kriel, Andre Esterhuizen, Aphelele Fassi; Handre Pollard (C), Jaden Hendrickse; Thomas du Toit, Joseph Dweba, Trevor Nyakane; Eben Etzebeth, Marvin Orie; Marcel Coetzee, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Evan Roos. Reps: Malcolm Marx, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Vincent Koch, Ruan Nortje, Rynhardt Elstadt, Deon Fourie, Grant Williams, Damian Willemse.