Jacques Nienaber has named two debutants in an entirely overhauled Springbok starting lineup to be led for the first time by Handre Pollard against Wales in Bloemfontein on Saturday.
Kurt-Lee Arendse and Evan Roos are set to earn their first international caps when they run out at Free State Stadium as the Boks look to clinch the three-Test series against Wales.
Only four players remain from the Bok match-day 23 that featured in the 32-29 victory in Pretoria last Saturday, while uncapped quartet Ntuthuko Mchunu, Deon Fourie, Ruan Nortje and Grant Williams have been named on the bench this week.
Pollard, named World Junior Player of the Year after leading the SA U20s to a losing final in 2014, will partner scrumhalf Jaden Hendrikse in an untested halfback combination.
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The 35-year-old Fourie who will become the oldest player to make his Bok debut if he takes the field.
Pieter-Steph du Toit returns from injury to take his place in a back row alongside Vodacom United Rugby Championship Player of the Season Roos and veteran openside flank Marcell Coetzee, who will make his first appearance for the Boks since 2019.
Having starred for the Vodacom Bulls this season at fullback, Arendse will don the green-and-gold No 14 jersey as part of a back three with left wing Aphelele Fassi and fullback Warrick Gelant – his first Test match since the lifting the Webb Ellis Cup three years ago.
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Trevor Nyakane and Thomas du Toit will pack down either side of hooker Joseph Dweba in a powerful but new-look front row, backed up by the lock pairing of the soon to be 99-Test-capped Eben Etzebeth and Marvin Orie.
The only familiar combination will be in midfield, where recalled Andre Esterhuizen and Jesse Kriel start together in the Test arena for the sixth time since 2019.
“We said from the outset that we needed to strike a balance between giving our talented young players an opportunity to show what they can do at international level, and winning,” said Nienaber.
“If one looks at the balance between players who have played at this level and those who have performed consistently well for their franchises and clubs, I think we have a nice balance in this squad.”
Springboks – 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Aphelele Fassi, 10 Handre Pollard (c), 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Trevor Nyakane, 2 Joseph Dweba, 1 Thomas du Toit.
Subs: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Ntuthuko Mchunu, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Ruan Nortje, 20 Rynhardt Elstadt, 21 Deon Fourie, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Damian Willemse.
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