Kwagga starts against All Blacks

Kwagga Smith has been named to start at openside flank when the Springboks take on the All Blacks in Wellington this Saturday.

Rassie Erasmus has selected a much-changed side from the one that defeated the Wallabies 35-17 in Johannesburg last weekend, with Duane Vermeulen named as skipper.

Eben Etzebeth, last weekend’s Bok captain, and Pieter-Steph du Toit are the only two forwards who were retained from the win over the Wallabies, with Makazole Mapimpi the only backline player in the starting lineup who also started last weekend.

The rest of the Springbok starting lineup consists mainly of the group of players who travelled to New Zealand last Thursday, a few days before the rest of the South African tour party.

Willie le Roux returns at fullback while Cheslin Kolbe is drafted in on the right wing. Damian de Allende and Lukhanyo Am form a familiar-looking midfield pairing and they will play next to Handré Pollard and Faf de Klerk.

Vermeulen, Du Toit and Smith form the loose trio, with the former Blitzbok speedster set to earn his second start in the green and gold following his international debut last year against Wales in Washington.

Franco Mostert partners Etzebeth in the second row and Malcolm Marx is joined in the front row by Steven Kitshoff and Frans Malherbe.

The forwards bench consists of Bongi Mbonambi, Tendai Mtawarira, Trevor Nyakane, RG Snyman and Francois Louw, while Herschel Jantjies, Frans Steyn and Jesse Kriel are the replacement backs.

Springboks – 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Duane Vermeulen (c), 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Kwagga Smith, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Subs: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Tendai Mtawarira, 18 Trevor Nyakane, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Francois Louw, 21 Herschel Jantjies, 22 Frans Steyn, 23 Jesse Kriel.