South Africa team to face Australia: 10 changes made from Rugby Championship defeat

Injuries have forced the hand of the Boks, with Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Kurt-Lee Arendse, and Edwill van der Merwe all unavailable. Some selections, including Handre Pollard, were likely pre-planned, but Erasmus confirmed the changes were also a reaction to their loss.

“We lost four players to injury last weekend, which obviously had an impact on a few of our selections, but we also know where we went wrong against Australia last week, so we made a few changes that we believe will offer us what we need for this game,” he said.

“Damian and Cheslin have also recovered from their injuries, and with their experience and knowledge of the Wallabies, it was a logical choice to recall them.”

Damian de Allende and Cheslin Kolbe return to the XV, joining a backline that retains only Grant Williams and captain Jesse Kriel from last week. Pollard pairs with Williams at half-back, De Allende partners Kriel in midfield, and Kolbe completes a back three with Canan Moodie and Willie le Roux.

Up front, Ox Nche, Malcolm Marx, and Marco van Staden keep their places. Thomas du Toit starts in the front row, while RG Snyman and Ruan Nortje start at lock. Franco Mostert and Jean-Luc du Preez complete the loose trio.

“We are determined to get things right this week. Boan [Venter] got a taste of what it’s like to face Australia last week, and Ruan did well against them last year, while it will be good for a few other guys to experience playing against one the top teams in the world, especially as we continue to build our squad depth,” Erasmus said.

The Springboks revert to the 6-2 bench structure, with Marnus van der Merwe coming in as reserve hooker instead of Bongi Mbonambi. Boan Venter and Wilco Louw provide front-row cover, while Eben Etzebeth and Lood de Jager are among the replacements. Kwagga Smith, Cobus Reinach, and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu complete the squad.

“There’s no doubt they’ll take a lot of confidence from their victory last week, and especially since that marked their first victory at Ellis Park against us in the professional era,” Erasmus added.

“We are still hurting from that result, and the coaches and players are extremely disappointed with the way we played last week. We know we didn’t play according to our standards in the second half, and we must rectify that.

“We let ourselves and the country down, so we have all the motivation we need to make things right this week.”

16. Marnus van der Merwe 17. Boan Venter 18. Wilco Louw 19. Eben Etzebeth 20. Lood de Jager 21. Kwagga Smith 22. Cobus Reinach 23. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu

Starting XV: 15. Willie le Roux 14. Canan Moodie 13. Jesse Kriel (C) 12. Damian de Allende 11. Cheslin Kolbe 10. Handre Pollard 9. Grant Williams 8. Jean-Luc du Preez 7. Franco Mostert 6. Marco van Staden 5. Ruan Nortje 4. RG Snyman 3. Thomas du Toit 2. Malcolm Marx 1. Ox Nche