Boks make 11 changes as they back youngsters in Perth

In a move that will showcase the incredible depth at the disposal of Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus at the moment, the Boks named a strong side containing no less than 11 changes (one positional) to the team that beat Australia in Brisbane last week for the return match in Perth on Saturday.

The bold selection, which will be a major talking point, sees the Boks confirm their commitment to the future in trying to broaden the depth of the squad as much as possible. Erasmus has always maintained that if the plan goes well, they will have more leeway to make more changes, and after the 33-7 win in Brisbane, the team have been given that confidence to continue blooding youth, while keeping a strong bench as back-up.

The DHL Stormers captain Salmaan Moerat, who led the side in Bloemfontein against Portugal, will lead out the side with only two surviving members of the starting pack last weekend. No 8 Elrigh Louw retains his place for his sixth cap while Pieter-Steph du Toit is the positional switch, moving back to his preferred seven jersey after stepping in at five last weekend when RG Snyman and Ruan Nortje picked up injuries.

Nortje will get his start at lock this week for only his second test match after debuting against Wales in Bloemfontein in 2022. The Vodacom Bulls captain has a high work-rate and will get a great chance to prove his worth with a number of injuries in the second row at the moment.

The most significant change comes in the front row where rookies Jan-Hendrik Wessels and Johan Grobbelaar - both Bulls players who debuted in Bloemfontein will form two thirds of the front row with Bath veteran Thomas du Toit.

All three played in Bloemfontein against Portugal, but the front row will face a sterner test with the Wallabies looking to beef up their front row for the clash.

Marco van Staden, whose cameo was short-lived off the bench in Brisbane when he was yellow carded for repeated team offences, gets a start to round out the loose trio and is the fifth Bulls player in the pack.

Interestingly the Boks have gone with a young halfback pairing as Morne van den Berg gets a start at nine, with Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu keeping his spot at 10 to gain his sixth cap.

The backline has a lot more experience, with Lukhanyo Am coming back at 12 to replace Damian de Allende and partner Jesse Kriel in the midfield, while Cheslin Kolbe is joined by veteran Makazole Mapimpi for a wing partnership that echoes 2019’s World Cup final.

Mapimpi is expected to resume his duel with Wallaby winger Marike Koroibete, who is expected to return to the side this weekend.

Aphelele Fassi is given another start at fullback after impressing this season, replacing Willie le Roux as the Boks look to continue his development as a top test fullback.

POWER BENCH

The Boks have given themselves a lot of insurance on the bench if some of the newbies have a few flutters out there, with an exceptional amount of experience in the bomb squad.

The reserve front row of Ox Nche, Malcolm Marx and Vincent Koch are world class and have shown in the past how they can turn games with their appearance on the field, while Eben Etzebeth is in the unfamiliar position off the bench alongside Kwagga Smith.

Another unfamiliar aspect is the fact the Boks have reverted to a traditional five-three bench and not their regular six-two bomb squad with two flyhalves in Manie Libbok and Handre Pollard alongside Grant Williams.

While it won’t all be familiar territory, Pollard can cover 10 and 12, while Libbok can cover 10 and 15. Williams has covered wing for the Boks as well as his specialist role at 9 in the past.

Springbok team to face Australia in Perth

15 – Aphelele Fassi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) - 5 caps, 10 points (2t)
14 – Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath) – 34 caps, 101 points (16t, 3c, 5p)
13 – Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles) – 72 caps, 80 points (16t)
12 – Lukhanyo Am (Hollywoodbets Sharks) - 36 caps, 35 pts (7t)
11 – Makazole Mapimpi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) - 43 caps, 150 points (30t)
10 – Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers) - 5 caps, 25 points (11c, 1p)
9 – Morne van den Berg (Emirates Lions) – 1 cap, O points
8 – Elrigh Louw (Vodacom Bulls) – 5 caps, 0 points
7 – Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz) – 80 caps, 45 points (9t)
6 – Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls) – 21 caps, 0 pts
5 – Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls) – 1 cap, O points
4 – Salmaan Moerat (captain, DHL Stormers) - 8 caps, 0 points
3 – Thomas du Toit (Bath) - 19 caps, 0 pts
2 – Johan Grobbelaar (Vodacom Bulls) – 1 cap, 0 points
1 – Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Vodacom Bulls) – 1 cap, 5 points (1t)

Replacements:

16 – Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 68 caps, 85 points (17t)
17 – Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 32 caps, 0 pts
18 – Vincent Koch (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 53 caps, 0 points
19 – Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 123 caps, 30 points (6t)
20 – Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs) – 44 caps, 40 pts (8t)
21 – Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 12 caps, 10 points (2t)
22 – Manie Libbok (DHL Stormers) - 15 caps, 91 pts (1t, 28c, 10p)
23 – Handré Pollard (Leicester Tigers) – 72 caps, 732 points (7t, 98c, 162p, 5dg)