The Springboks will field a new-look matchday 23 for their upcoming match against the Wallabies after coach Rassie Erasmus made wholesale changes on Tuesday to the team that recently secured the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry title.
The Bok mentor made 13 changes to the starting XV, with only lock Eben Etzebeth and wing Ethan Hooker retaining their positions from their last Test — against the All Blacks in Baltimore. André Esterhuizen will captain the side against Australia in Perth on Sunday, becoming the 68th Test skipper for the nation.
"He captained the Sharks, and he has brought so much to our squad off and on the field, both at centre and in the loose trio, and he thoroughly deserves this opportunity," Erasmus said on Tuesday via an SA Rugby statement.
"It will also help build our leadership core even more within the team with several players having captained the side over the last few seasons, and we trust that he is the right man to take over the captaincy in this match."
Esterhuizen will partner in the midfield with the returning Canan Moodie, while flyhalf Handré Pollard will make his return from injury on the burly 32-year-old’s inside. Along with Aphelele Fassi, Edwill van der Merwe, Hooker and Herschel Jantjies, they will complete a revamped backline.
There were further changes among the forwards, too. The long-awaited return of Franco Mostert has been confirmed. "Sous" and Etzebeth will pack down behind a front row comprising Zachary Porthen, Johan Grobbelaar and Jan-Hendrik Wessels, while the loose trio will be made up of Paul de Villiers, Elrigh Louw and Marco van Staden.
Said Erasmus of his selections: "Each player in this squad has been working hard at training over the last few months and have had a chance to play in either the first leg of the Nations Championship or RGR, or both.
"Guys like Handré and Canan have recovered from injury, and they are all quality players, so we are pleased to give them a run and we are excited to see this team in action.
"Australia poses a completely different threat to New Zealand in the way they play, so we believe these combinations would be best suited for the challenge that we will face against them."
Pieter-Steph du Toit and Damian de Allende, meanwhile, have been released from the squad to get some much-needed rest and recuperation after a heavy workload these past few months.
South Africa matchday 23 v Australia
Springboks starting XV: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Edwill van der Merwe, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 André Esterhuizen (c), 11 Ethan Hooker, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Herschel Jantjies, 8 Marco van Staden, 7 Elrigh Louw, 6 Paul de Villiers, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Zachary Porthen, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Jan-Hendrik Wessels; Replacements: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Ox Nché, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 Lood de Jager, 20 Jasper Wiese, 21 Morné van den Berg, 22 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 23 Quan Horn.