Springboks Shuffled The Pack vs Scotland

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has stayed true to his objective of giving as many players in his squad as possible an opportunity to stake their claim at the highest level this season, making 10 changes to his starting XV for Saturday’s Nations Championship Test against Scotland in Pretoria.

In total, 10 players from the match-23 that defeated England have been retained as Erasmus looks to strike a balance between continuity and managing his squad’s workload ahead of a demanding season, which also includes Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry in August and September.

The five players retained in the starting XV that beat England 45-21 last weekend are Jesse Kriel, Damian Willemse, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Paul de Villiers and Ruan Nortje.

Willemse celebrated his 50th Test cap against England, while De Villiers made his Test debut. Du Toit, meanwhile, will continue as captain after taking over following Siya Kolisi’s late withdrawal last week.

The other players retained from the England match are Canan Moodie, who moves from the bench into the starting line-up, along with Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Zach Porthen, Ben-Jason Dixon and Grant Williams, who have all been named among the replacements.

Erasmus has given his backline a fresh look, with Aphelele Fassi forming the back three alongside Edwill van der Merwe and Moodie. Kriel will partner Willemse in midfield, while the halfback pairing of Handre Pollard and Embrose Papier will direct proceedings on their home ground at Loftus Versfeld.

The changes to the forward pack see Boan Venter, Johan Grobbelaar and Wilco Louw form the front row, while Cobus Wiese partners Nortje in the second row.

De Villiers, who came off the bench for the injured Kolisi to make his Test debut against England, earns his first Test start in a loose trio alongside Du Toit and Evan Roos.

The replacements bench features a six-two split, with Wessels joining Ntuthuko Mchunu and Porthen as the front-row cover, while Dixon, Vincent Tshituka and Elrigh Louw provide additional options among the forwards. Williams and Quan Horn will cover the backline.

Kolisi (flanker), Eben Etzebeth and Lood de Jager (both locks), Franco Mostert (utility forward), Ox Nche (prop), Andre Esterhuizen (centre/flanker) and Ethan Hooker (wing) remain unavailable for selection due to their respective niggles.

“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 this season. At the same time, we are trying to manage the workload of certain players, while others are unavailable for selection this week.

“It was important to select a team with some continuity from last week while also bringing in players we believe are the right fit for what we expect from Scotland.

“They had a good Six Nations campaign, and they are coming off an away victory against Argentina, so they will be highly motivated 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 pose. Many of these combinations have played together for the Springboks and their provincial teams this season.

“Several of the players will also be playing at their home ground, Loftus Versfeld, so they know the field and conditions well.”

Commenting on what he expects from Scotland, Erasmus said: “They are a quality team that 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. Looking back, there have been some very close encounters between the sides, so we need to be switched on from the first whistle, be accurate in every department of the game, and make the most of our opportunities if we want to achieve the desired result.”

The match kicks off at 17:40 and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.

Springbok team to face Scotland in Pretoria

Starting XV

15 Aphelele Fassi (Toshiba) – 15 caps, 35 points (7 tries)
14 Edwill van der Merwe (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 5 caps, 25 points (5 tries)
13 Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles) – 88 caps, 105 points (21 tries)
12 Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers) – 50 caps, 71 points (7 tries, 9 conversions, 4 penalties, 2 drop goals)
11 Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls) – 24 caps, 45 points (9 tries)
10 Handre Pollard (Vodacom Bulls) – 85 caps, 825 points (8 tries, 124 conversions, 174 penalties, 5 drop goals)
9 Embrose Papier (Vodacom Bulls) – 7 caps

8 Evan Roos (DHL Stormers) – 8 caps
7 Pieter-Steph du Toit (captain, Toyota Verblitz) – 96 caps, 70 points (14 tries)
6 Paul de Villiers (DHL Stormers) – 1 cap
5 Ruan Nortje (Kubota Spears) – 19 caps, 5 points (1 try)
4 Cobus Wiese (Vodacom Bulls) – 2 caps
3 Wilco Louw (DHL Stormers) – 29 caps, 10 points (2 tries)
2 Johan Grobbelaar (Vodacom Bulls) – 8 caps
1 Boan Venter (Fidelity Securedrive Lions) – 8 caps, 5 points (1 try)

Replacements

16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Vodacom Bulls) – 10 caps, 10 points (2 tries)
17 Ntuthuko Mchunu (DHL Stormers) – 3 caps
18 Zach Porthen (DHL Stormers) – 4 caps
19 Ben-Jason Dixon (DHL Stormers) – 8 caps, 10 points (2 tries)
20 Vincent Tshituka (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 1 cap
21 Elrigh Louw (Vodacom Bulls) – 13 caps, 5 points (1 try)
22 Grant Williams (Kobe Steelers) – 29 caps, 40 points (8 tries)
23 Quan Horn (Fidelity Securedrive Lions) – 1 cap, 5 points (1 try)