True to form, Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has raised eyebrows with the match 23 he picked to play Scotland in Edinburgh tomorrow. This includes a return to the 7-1 bench split that he last used in the 2023 World Cup final against the All Blacks.
The match kicks off at 6.10 pm and it will be Eben Etzebeth captaining the side while Handré Pollard has been restored at flyhalf ahead of Manie Libbok.
Regular captain Siya Kolisi will play off the bench while the electric Grant Williams is the sole backline replacement.
Clearly, Erasmus wants to bully the Scots up front and shut out the threat of the dangerous Scottish backline by starving them at source.
Erasmus has said that the Scotland backline, marshalled by the dynamic Finn Russell, gave his team the biggest headaches on defence in France last year.
Locks Franco Mostert and RG Snyman return to the green and gold after long spells on the sidelines due to injury in a team that looks powerful despite many changes from the combination that beat Argentina in Mbombela in the Boks’ last outing, the emphatic Rugby Championship clincher.
Erasmus has given warrior Kwagga Smith a starting berth at No 8 to mark his 50th cap for South Africa, leaving Jasper Wiese in the Bomb Squad.
Mostert returns to the team for the first time since recovering from the broken leg he suffered against Ireland in June and Snyman is fully fit after a foot injury sustained in Australia in the build-up to the first Test against the Wallabies, which ruled him out of the team’s triumphant campaign.
Erasmus has made 11 changes to the starting team that defeated Argentina in September. 14 players in the match-day squad featured in the match against the Pumas while there are 12 survivors in the 23 from the squad that last faced Scotland in Marseilles.
Smith starts in a loose trio with Elrigh Louw and Marco Van Staden, while Mostert joins forces with Etzebeth, SA’s most-capped player who will extend his record to 129 Test matches.
The team features a completely new backline, with scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse the only back to retain his place.
Veteran fullback Willie le Roux will take one more step toward reaching the exclusive group of Springbok centurions when he runs on at fullback in what will be his 98th Test match, while Makazole Mapimpi and Canan Moodie have been named as the wings, outside the Sharks duo of Andre Esterhuizen and Lukhanyo Am.
“This is a seasoned and quality team and adding to that, 21 of the 23 players have won a World Cup title, with some having won two, so they know what it takes to perform at this level,” said Erasmus.
“Many of these combinations have played together this season either during the Ireland series and the Rugby Championship, or both, which will be valuable.
“We are expecting an extremely physical match, so we opted for a seven-one split and this was aided by the fact that we have versatile players in the backline, who can cover different positions.”
Commenting on Smith playing his 50th Test Erasmus said: “Kwagga is a vastly talented player and a fantastic team member, and I’m delighted to see him reach this big career milestone. It takes a special player to perform consistently well to reach this achievement. Kwagga has done this while maintaining high standards. We are very proud of him.”
Erasmus forecast another fierce battle with the Scots: “They are ranked seventh in the world and they’re a team that never stops fighting. They have top-quality players and it will be an epic battle.
“In the World Cup last year, we were only three points up against them at halftime, and with the new dynamic they have brought to their game, we know it’s going to be an 80-minute battle.
“They’ll also have a passionate home crowd behind them. We know the energy that brings to our team when we play at home, so that will boost them.”
Springboks: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Canan Moodie, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 André Esterhuizen, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 8 Kwagga Smith, 7 Elrigh Louw, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Eben Etzebeth (captain), 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche.
Bench: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Siya Kolisi, 21 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 22 Jasper Wiese, 23 Grant Williams.