Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus has continued his squad rotation policy for the Nations Championship, making 10 changes to his starting XV for Saturday’s clash against Scotland in Pretoria.
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Erasmus remains committed to giving as many players as possible game time at Test level this season, while also managing workloads ahead of a packed international calendar that includes Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry later in the year.
Despite the overhaul, 10 players from the matchday 23 that beat England 45-21 last weekend have been retained in the squad, maintaining a thread of continuity for the visit of the Scots.
Among the players to keep their starting places are Jesse Kriel, Damian Willemse, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Paul de Villiers and Ruan Nortje. Willemse reached a personal milestone against England with his 50th Test cap, while De Villiers impressed on debut in the same match.
Du Toit continues as captain following Siya Kolisi’s late withdrawal, retaining leadership responsibilities for another week.
The backline has a reshaped look, with Aphelele Fassi, Edwill van der Merwe and Canan Moodie forming the back three, while Kriel partners Willemse in midfield. Handré Pollard and Embrose Papier will steer the team from half-back at Loftus Versfeld.
Up front, Boan Venter, Johan Grobbelaar and Wilco Louw form the front row, with Cobus Wiese alongside Nortje in the second row. De Villiers again features in the loose trio with Du Toit and Evan Roos.
The bench is split six forwards and two backs, including Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Zach Porthen, Vincent Tshituka, Elrigh Louw, Grant Williams and Quan Horn.
Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth, Lood de Jager, Franco Mostert, Ox Nche, Andre Esterhuizen and Ethan Hooker all remain unavailable due to injury.
“We have good depth in our squad, and this will be a great test for the team,” said Erasmus.
“We told the players from the outset that we would give as many of them a chance as possible to play this season, while we are also trying to manage some players, while others are not available for selection this week, so it was important to select a team with some continuity from last week, while bringing in players we believe will be the right fit for what we are expecting from Scotland.
“They had a good Six Nations campaign, and they come off a victory against Argentina away, so they will be psyched up going into this match.”
Erasmus added: “All of the players have been working extremely hard at training, and they are fully aware of the threat Scotland poses. Many of these combinations have played together for the Springboks and for their provincial teams this season.
“Many of the players will also be playing at their home ground at Loftus Versfeld, so they know the field and conditions well.”
Commenting on Scotland, Erasmus said: “They are a quality team, who will test us in all areas of the game, and they are well coached, so they will throw everything they have at us.
“Matches against them are always tough, and looking back, there have been some very close encounters between the sides in the past, so we need to be switched on from the first whistle, be accurate in all departments of the game, and use our opportunities if we want to get the desired result.”
The match kicks off at 17h40 and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.
Springbok team to face Scotland in Pretoria:
15 Aphelele Fassi (Toshiba)
14 Edwill van der Merwe (Hollywoodbets Sharks)
13 Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles)
12 Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers)
11 Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls)
10 Handre Pollard (Vodacom Bulls)
9 Embrose Papier (Vodacom Bulls)
8 Evan Roos (DHL Stormers)
7 Pieter-Steph du Toit (captain, Toyota Verblitz)
6 Paul de Villiers (DHL Stormers)
5 Ruan Nortje (Kubota Spears)
4 Cobus Wiese (Vodacom Bulls)
3 Wilco Louw (DHL Stormers)
2 Johan Grobbelaar (Vodacom Bulls)
1 Boan Venter (Fidelity Securedrive Lions)
Replacements:
16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Vodacom Bulls)
17 Ntuthuko Mchunu (DHL Stormers)
18 Zach Porthen (DHL Stormers)
19 Ben-Jason Dixon (DHL Stormers)
20 Vincent Tshituka (Hollywoodbets Sharks)
21 Elrigh Louw (Vodacom Bulls)
22 Grant Williams (Kobe Steelers)
23 Quan Horn (Fidelity Securedrive Lions)
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