Springbok coach, Rassie Erasmus, has selected Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Elrigh Louw in the starting line-up for the test against Australia on Saturday.
Erasmus largely reverted to the squad that shared a two-test series with Ireland last month for the kick-off of the Castle Lager Rugby Championship at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.
The match-23 features three changes, with the only new players being Louw (No 8), two-time Rugby World Cup-winning scrumhalf Cobus Reinach, and replacement utility forward Ben-Jason Dixon.
Twenty-two-year-old Feinberg-Mngomezulu was elevated to start at flyhalf after four appearances off the bench this season, while Louw starts at No 8 after four replacement appearances since his debut at the start of the 2022 season.
The new halfback combination sees Reinach continue in the No 9 jumper in place of the Faf de Klerk, who is nursing a niggle, while experienced flyhalf Handre Pollard provides cover off the replacements’ bench, along with Grant Williams, who serves as back-up at scrumhalf and wing.
Erasmus also named a “powerful bomb squad” that includes Malcolm Marx, Gerhard Steenekamp, Vincent Koch, alongside Dixon, Marco van Staden and Kwagga Smith.
Erasmus was delighted to hand first starts to Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Louw and said: “Sacha has made a notable impact off the bench in all four Tests he has played so far, and he’s slotted into the system with ease, so we are excited to see what dynamic he adds to the team as a starter.
“His goal-kicking has also been impressive, and we know that against teams like Australia, New Zealand, and Argentina the margins are very small, so every point will count.
Springbok team to face Australia in Brisbane:
15 – Willie le Roux (Vodacom Bulls) – 95 caps, 75 pts (15t)
14 – Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath) – 33 caps, 96 points (15t, 3c, 5p)
13 – Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles) – 71 caps, 80 points (16t)
12 – Damian de Allende (Wild Knights) – 81 caps, 55 points (11t)
11 – Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls) - 18 caps, 75 points (15t)
10 – Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers) - 4 caps, 17 points (7c, 1p)
9 – Cobus Reinach (Montpellier) – 33 caps, 65 pts (13t)
8 – Elrigh Louw (Vodacom Bulls) – 4 caps, 0 points
7 – Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz) – 79 caps, 40 points (8t)
6 – Siya Kolisi (captain, Racing 92) – 85 caps, 50 points (10t)
5 – RG Snyman (Leinster) – 37 caps, 10 points (2t)
4 – Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 122 caps, 30 points (6t)
3 – Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers) – 72 caps, 5 points (1t)
2 – Bongi Mbonambi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 71 caps, 70 points (14t)
1 – Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 31 caps, 0 pts
Replacements:
16 – Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 67 caps, 85 points (17t)
17 – Gerhard Steenekamp (Vodacom Bulls) – 3 caps, 0 points
18 – Vincent Koch (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 52 caps, 0 points
19 – Ben-Jason Dixon (DHL Stormers) – 2 caps, 5 points (1t)
20 – Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls) – 20 caps, 0 pts
21 – Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs) – 43 caps, 35 pts (7t)
22 – Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 11 caps, 10 points (2t)
23 – Handré Pollard (Leicester Tigers) – 71 caps, 732 points (7t, 98c, 162p, 5dg)
