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Manie Libbok is back in the green and gold, Salmaan Moerat takes over the reins as captain from Siya Kolisi, and a woman will officiate the debut Springbok test against Portugal.
That is all needed to convince rugby enthusiasts of the calibre of rugby that will be showcased in Bloemfontein at the weekend.
Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus has included all seven uncapped players in the final game of the Castle Lager Incoming Series which will be in the hands of Hollie Davidson.
Erasmus said he was pleased to be able to hand the captaincy to Moerat, whose track record as a captain was a testament of his abilities as a fine leader.
"Salmaan commands respect from his teammates, so we'd like to congratulate him on this achievement, and we have no doubt that he'll take on this responsibility as well as he has for the other teams he has led," said Erasmus.
Portugal has been on a steady incline on the world rankings, rising from 27th at the start of 2019 to their present ranking of 15th, and made a notable impression at the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.
"They (Portugal) proved they could compete successfully against some of the top teams in the world and we believe they will lift their game even more this weekend given the magnitude of facing the Springboks."
The match-day squad also features experienced World Cup winners and experienced players, including the likes of Kurt-Lee Arendse, Lukhanyo Am, and Makazole Mapimpi.
"This match is also an opportunity for us to work on what went wrong last week and finish the Castle Lager Incoming Series on a high note, so we will treat them and the occasion with the respect it deserves."
Springbok team to face Portugal in Bloemfontein:
15 – Aphelele Fassi
14 – Kurt-Lee Arendse
13 – Lukhanyo Am
12 – Andre Esterhuizen
11 – Makazole Mapimpi
10 – Manie Libbok
9 – Cobus Reinach
8 – Evan Roos
7 – Ben-Jason Dixon
6 – Phepsi Buthelezi
5 – RG Snyman
4 – Salmaan Moerat
3 – Thomas du Toit
2 – Johan Grobbelaar
1 – Jan-Hendrik Wessels
Replacements:
16 – Andre-Hugo Venter
17 – Ntuthuko Mchunu
18 – Trevor Nyakane
19 – Ruan Venter
20 – Elrigh Louw
21 – Morne van den Berg
22 – Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu
23 – Quan Horn
