The two youngest Springboks in the squad will pair in the midfield against two tough Italian opponents.
Springbok captain Siya Kolisi backed the young centre pairing of Canan Moodie and Ethan Hooker to be more than a match for Italy’s come their Test match in Turin on Saturday.
Moodie, 23, and Hooker, 22, are the youngest players in the squad, with Hooker making his debut this season.
Hooker has primarily featured at wing, where he has increasingly played for the Sharks, but reverts to inside centre for his seventh Test (kick-off 2.40pm), with André Esterhuizen covering on the bench for both players.
They play opposite Tommaso Menoncello and Juan Ignacio Brex – two excellent centres, with Brex captaining Italy with a long, illustrious career to his name.
Selection for Ireland is the prize
Hooker incidentally made his Springbok debut during the 45-0 win over the Azzurri in Gqeberha.
“I back Ethan everywhere,” said Kolisi, who is also Hooker’s captain at the Sharks. “He loves rugby, and he’s a big man. He’s taller than me, maybe the same weight as me. And he’s not scared of the physical side of things.
“I am really excited to see what he and Canan will do. They play against two tough centres but I back them all day long.”
The Springbok captain said it was not only those two – several of the 11 new faces in the starting XV were playing their first match of the end-of-year tour and were eager to impress to earn selection for the next Test against Ireland in Dublin.
“We all want to play against Ireland and this is an opportunity for us to show what we are capable of doing as a team. So everybody wants to put their hand up. We know how hard this game is going to be. The boys are keen.”
Assistant coach Mzwandile Stick added that players such as Moodie and flyhalf Handré Pollard had worked hard in training, and were hungry for this opportunity.
“Like we always say, whoever gets a chance to represent the country, they are not only playing for themselves. They are playing for about 60 million South Africans back at home. This Test match is a big one for us. The guys are motivated.”
