Wilco Louw will play his first Test match since 2021 against England in London on Saturday in a Springbok starting XV which shows 12 changes to the team which defeated Scotland 32-15 last weekend.
Only Eben Etzebeth (lock), Ox Nche (prop) and Bongi Mbonambi (hooker) retain their starting jerseys from Sunday’s Test in a 23 which includes a whole new backline and eight personnel changes in total as Bok coach Rassie Erasmus took steps to negotiate a six-day preparation week.
“The turnaround between the Scotland and England Tests is short, so we had to be smart in our selection to enable us to field a fresh squad with only six days between two tough Test matches,” said Erasmus.
“It obviously has a knock-on in effect in the sense that we’ve made 12 changes to the starting lineup, but we have been rotating our squad all season.
“Over and above that most of these players know each other really well having played together for the last few seasons, as well as in the Rugby World Cup, the Castle Lager Incoming Series, and the Rugby Championship, so we are pleased with the quality of the team we’ve been able to name.”
The selection continues the form of the season with Erasmus averaging 8,5 personnel changes per Test in the 11 selections he has made since the opening match against Wales at the same venue in June.
Meanwhile, Louw returned to the Springbok set-up as a late injury call-up for the tour, after playing the last of his 14 Tests behind closed doors against Argentina in Port Elizabeth three years ago.
The inclusion of the Vodacom Bulls prop is one of five changes in the pack with RG Snyman (lock) and loose forwards Siyan Kolisi (captain), Pieter-Steph du Toit and Jasper Wiese brought into the starting line-up.
Behind them is a whole new backline with six players recalled (after sitting out last week), and scrumhalf Grant Williams promoted from the bench.
Returning to the backline are Cheslin Kolbe, Kurt-Lee Arendse (both wings), Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel (both centres), Aphelele Fassi (fullback) and Manie Libbok (flyhalf), who were rested as part of his rotation system last week.
However, the squad includes 15 players who battled it out against the hosts in the Rugby World Cup semi-final in France last year.
In the five-three split in favour of the forwards on the bench, Cobus Reinach (scrumhalf) is also recalled in partnership with Handre Pollard and Lukhanyo Am as backline cover, along with forward regulars Malcolm Marx (hooker), props Gerhard Steenekamp and Vincent Koch, while Elrigh Louw and Kwagga Smith (who earned his 50th Test cap last week), will provide an impact as the replacement loose forwards.
Erasmus said the reversion to traditional five-three split was a response to the challenge he expected England to pose.
“England poses a completely different challenge to Scotland, and we selected our squad based on what we would like to do in the match and also what we think will be best to counter the challenge England poses,” said the Bok coach.
“Fortunately, we have quite a few players who can switch positions if necessary, so we feel we have adequate depth throughout the team, which allowed us to select this group of replacements.
“England come off two narrow defeats, but the quality of their performances was good in both matches, so we size of the challenge.
“We lost narrowly to Ireland and France in back-to-back matches in 2022 and a year later were world champions so we know we shouldn’t read anything into the last two results.”
In the last six meetings between the teams, each has recorded three wins, so Erasmus said he anticipated another arm wrestle: “England beat us three times out of four recently and we’ve only won three of the last six matches against them, so we have great respect for them, and we’ll certainly not underestimate them.
“As I said on Sunday, we will be facing a desperate England team that will give everything on Saturday, so the consistency in our player combinations will be vital for us to deliver the quality of the performance we would like to.
“It’s going to be vital for the players to gel quickly so hopefully we can start off strongly because we are expecting a full-out 80-minute battle.
“They are playing at home in front of a passionate home crowd, and we know they will give everything to turn their Series around, so we believe it’s going to be a hard match until the final whistle,” he added.
Springbok team to face England in London:
15 – Aphelele Fassi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 9 caps, 30 points (6t)
14 – Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath) – 38 caps, 101 points (16t, 3c, 5p)
13 – Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles) – 77 caps, 90 points (18t)
12 – Damian de Allende (Wild Knights) – 85 caps, 55 points (11t)
11 – Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls) – 22 caps, 85 points (17t)
10 – Manie Libbok (DHL Stormers) – 18 caps, 94 pts (1t, 28c, 11p)
9 – Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 16 caps, 15 points (3t)
8 – Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks) – 32 caps, 10 points (2t)
7 – Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz) – 85 caps, 55 points (11t)
6 – Siya Kolisi (captain, Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 90 caps, 60 points (12t)
5 – RG Snyman (Leinster) – 38 caps, 10 points (2t)
4 – Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 129 caps, 30 points (6t)
3 – Wilco Louw (Vodacom Bulls) – 14 caps, 0 points
2 – Bongi Mbonambi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 76 caps, 75 points (15t)
1 – Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 38 caps, 0 points
Replacements:
16 – Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 74 caps, 105 points (21t)
17 – Gerhard Steenekamp (Vodacom Bulls) – 9 caps, 0 points
18 – Vincent Koch (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 59 caps, 0 points
19 – Elrigh Louw (Vodacom Bulls) – 11 caps, 0 points
20 – Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs) – 50 caps, 45 points (9t)
21 – Cobus Reinach (Montpellier) – 37 caps, 70 pts (14t)
22 – Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers) – 78 caps, 767 points (7t, 108c, 167p, 5dg)
23 – Lukhanyo Am (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 41 caps, 35 pts (7t)
Issued by SA Rugby Communications
