The side that will run out in London in the final match of this year’s Rugby Championship also includes three new faces on the bench this week.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has made just one change to his starting team for this Saturday’s final Rugby Championship Test of the season against Argentina, at Twickenham in London, from the side that beat the same opponents in Durban last Saturday.
Ox Nche is back following an injury niggle and he’ll start at loosehead prop in place of Boan Venter.
The rest of the side is unchanged. There are, however, two changes on the bench, where Bongi Mbonambi returns while Grant Williams and Jesse Kriel are also drafted onto the bench.
The players to miss out, who all featured last weekend, are Venter, Marco van Staden, André Esterhuizen and Morné van den Berg.
A win for the Boks will secure them the title after also winning it last year.
“This match is a final for us, and we know how dangerous Argentina can be, so we selected combinations we feel will be best suited for this game,” said Erasmus.
“There are minimal personnel changes, with the bulk of the team having done the job for us last week against the Pumas in Durban and our other Rugby Championship matches.
“Ox and Grant could have played last week if we really needed them, but Boan (Venter) and Morné (van den Berg) did really well, while Jesse was rotated in the last two matches and is raring to go. The same applies to Bongi, who last played against Australia, and who is excited for this opportunity.
“Their experience, combined with the younger players in the team, makes this an exciting squad, which is exactly what we need in a match that will essentially be the Rugby Championship decider.”
Boks team:
15 Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers) – 44 caps, 66 points (6t, 9c, 4p, 2 dg)
14 Cheslin Kolbe (Tokyo Sungoliath) – 45 caps, 126 points (21t, 3c, 5p)
13 Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls) – 19 caps, 40 pts (8t)
12 Damian de Allende (Wild Knights) – 92 caps, 55 points (11t)
11 Ethan Hooker (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 4 caps, 0 points
10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers) – 14 caps, 95 points (3t, 25c, 10p)
9 Cobus Reinach (DHL Stormers) – 45 caps, 75 pts (15t)
8 Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks) – 38 caps, 10 points (2t)
7 Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz) – 92 caps, 70 pts (14t)
6 Siya Kolisi (captain, Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 97 caps, 65 points (13t)
5 Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls) – 12 caps, 0 pts
4 Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 137 caps, 35 points (7t)
3 Thomas du Toit (Bath) – 29 caps, 5 pts (1t)
2 Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 83 caps, 125 pts (25t)
1 Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 45 caps, 0 pts
Bench:
16 Bongi Mbonambi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 80 caps, 70 points (14t)
17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Vodacom Bulls) – 8 caps, 10 pts (2t)
18 Wilco Louw (Vodacom Bulls) – 23 caps, 0 pts
19 RG Snyman (Leinster) – 45 caps, 15 points (3t)
20 Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs) – 58 caps, 55 points (11t)
21 Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 23 caps, 25 pts (5t)
22 Manie Libbok (Kintetsu Liners) – 23 caps, 133 pts (2t, 42c, 13p)
23 Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles) – 83 caps, 95 points (19t)
