With next year’s World Cup firmly in mind, South African coach Rassie Erasmus has drastically shuffled his resources for Saturday’s Rugby Championship clash with the Wallabies in Brisbane.
The newly-installed director of rugby has made six changes to the side that lost 32-19 to Argentina last month, but stressed many had been planned regardless of that setback.
The Springboks will field a new-look front row at Suncorp Stadium, with Bongi Mbonambi earning a start ahead of star hooker Malcolm Marx.
Erasmus has also reshuffled his loose trio and named experienced duo Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel in a new midfield combination.
Captain Siya Kolisi returns to the No.6 jersey after playing on the opposite side of the scrum against the Pumas in Durban and Mendoza.
Pieter-Steph du Toit will start in the No.7 jersey and Warren Whiteley completes the starting trio at No 8.
Elton Jantjies also swaps places with Handre Pollard to start at five-eighth while electric back Cheslin Kolbe is a chance of debuting off the bench after joining the squad from France.
“Even if we won that game (in Mendoza) we would’ve made a lot of changes,” Erasmus said on Thursday.
“There’s very few of these guys, including Malcolm, that got a surprise they weren’t in the team.”
SPRINGBOKS: Willie le Roux, Makazole Mapimpi, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Aphiwe Dyantyi, Elton Jantjies, Faf de Klerk, Warren Whiteley, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Siya Kolisi (capt), Franco Mostert, Eben Etzebeth, Frans Malherbe, Bongi Mbonambi, Steven Kitshoff. Res: Malcolm Marx, Tendai Mtawarira, Wilco Louw, RG Snyman, Francois Louw, Embrose Papier, Handre Pollard, Cheslin Kolbe.