Exciting young wing Sbu Nkosi has been drafted into the Springbok starting line-up for Sunday’s gripping Rugby World Cup semi-final against Wales at the Yokohama International Stadium.

Nkosi replaces the hot-stepping Cheslin Kolbe who has not recovered sufficiently from the ankle injury he suffered against Canada and aggravated in the quarter-final victory over Japan (26-3) in Tokyo on Sunday.

The 23-year-old Nkosi – who has scored eight tries in his 10 Test appearances – slots into the right wing position as a direct replacement for Kolbe.

“It’s disappointing not to have Cheslin available as he has been brilliant for us since we first called him up last year. But we really rate Sbu and he will slot straight in. I am as excited to see what he can do as I would be if ‘Chessie’ were playing. Sbu has been very close to selection as it is,” said Rassie Erasmus, South Africa’s director of rugby.

Erasmus said they’ve been fortunate to have been able to be pretty consistent in selection and his team has built some nice momentum.

“But the challenge just got a lot tougher on Sunday. Wales are the reigning Six Nations champions – as well as Grand Slam winners – and apart from three defeats in their Rugby World Cup warm-ups, they’ve put together a really good sequence of results,”said Erasmus.

The Springbok 23 includes 10 players who appeared in the Rugby World Cup quarter-final victory over Wales four years ago in England (23-19), and nine who are making a second semi-final appearance after losing to eventual champions, New Zealand, four years ago.

The nine are Tendai Mtawarira, Frans Malherbe, Eben Etzebeth, Lood de Jager, Francois Louw, Duane Vermeulen, Handré Pollard, Damian de Allende and Willie le Roux. Pieter-Steph du Toit was on the bench in the quarter-final at Twickenham in 2015.

“We have been working hard for 18 months to put ourselves in a position to win the Rugby World Cup and that opportunity is now just 80 minutes away. These players have worked with unbelievable energy to get Springbok rugby back into this position and I know they will leave nothing out on the field on Sunday,” Erasmus concluded.

South Africa’s semi-final with Wales kicks off at 11:00 (SA time).

The Springbok team to play Wales in Yokohama on Sunday is: 15. Willie le Roux, 14. Sbu Nkosi, 13. Lukhanyo Am, 12. Damian de Allende, 11. Makazole Mapimpi, 10. Handré Pollard, 9. Faf de Klerk, 8. Duane Vermeulen, 7. Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6. Siya Kolisi (captain), 5. Lood de Jager, 4. Eben Etzebeth, 3. Frans Malherbe, 2. Bongi Mbonambi and 1. Tendai Mtawarira. Replacements: 16. Malcolm Marx, 17. Steven Kitshoff, 18. Vincent Koch, 19. RG Snyman, 20. Franco Mostert, 21. Francois Louw, 22. Herschel Jantjies and 23. Frans Steyn.

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