Bok boss Rassie Erasmus has opted to include Edwill van der Merwe and Andre Esterhuizen in the backline.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has named his team to tackle Australia in the first Rugby Championship Test of the season at Ellis Park on Saturday (5.10pm).
The teams will meet again the following Saturday in Cape Town before the Boks face the All Blacks in back-to-back Tests in New Zealand and then Argentina in home and away Tests.
Erasmus has named Siya Kolisi to lead the team from eighthman for the first time at Test level, while Aphelele Fassi has beaten out the challenge of Damian Willemse to start at fullback.
Also, Andre Esterhuizen will feature at inside centre because Damian de Allende has a back niggle, with Manie Libbok at flyhalf. Edwill van der Merwe has also been picked ahead of Cheslin Kolbe at wing because the latter has been nursing a minor injury.
‘Experimenting with combinations’
The Springboks will be hunting their fifth successive victory against the Wallabies in the match on Saturday after defeating them in both Rugby Championship games in Australia last season and once each in 2023 and 2022.
“We’ve been experimenting with player combinations during the Incoming Series and at our conditioning camp in the last two weeks, and we believe this team will allow us to play the type of rugby we want to play against Australia,” said Erasmus.
“The Wallabies will be determined to change their win record against us in the last three seasons, so they’ll come out guns blazing, and we are confident that the players we selected will be up for the challenge.”
Springbok team to face Australia: Aphelele Fassi, Edwill van der Merwe, Jesse Kriel, Andre Esterhuizen, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Manie Libbok, Grant Williams, Siya Kolisi (capt), Pieter-Steph du Toit, Marco van Staden, Lood de Jager, Eben Etzebeth, Wilco Louw, Malcolm Marx, Ox Nche. Bench: Bongi Mbonambi, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Franco Mostert, Kwagga Smith, Cobus Reinach, Canan Moodie, Damian Willemse
