Cobus Reinach will replace the injured Faf de Klerk in the Springboks’ starting lineup for this Saturday’s third Test against the British & Irish Lions.
On Tuesday, Bok cach Jacques Nienaber made three changes to his starting team for the clash, two of which were personnel changes and one positional switch, mainly due to injuries to the influential Pieter-Steph du Toit (flank) and De Klerk (scrumhalf).
With Du Toit, the 2019 World Rugby Player of the Year, having taken a knock to the shoulder in the second Test this past weekend, Franco Mostert moves from lock to the side of the scrum, while Lood de Jager is promoted from the bench to the starting team and will start alongside Eben Etzebeth in the second row.
The other change is at scrumhalf, where Reinach replaces De Klerk, who has been ruled out due to a leg muscle strain.
Nienaber opted to name three backs on the bench, with Morne Steyn (flyhalf) joining Herschel Jantjies (scrumhalf) and Damian Willemse (utility back).
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Should Steyn take the field, it would mark a significant occasion for the player, officially participating in back-to-back Lions series tournaments. He kicked the penalty goal that sealed the series victory in 2009, while Steyn would also return to Test rugby for the first time in five years, after last playing against New Zealand in 2016.
Meanwhile, Damian de Allende will become the third Springbok in the Lions series to reach the career milestone of 50 Test caps in Saturday’s decider in Cape Town.
?? BREAKING: The Springbok team for the #CastleLionsSeries decider
? 50 up for De Allende as Reinach and Steyn are called up
?️ “It was important to maintain consistency in selection”
? Team announcement: https://t.co/gD3tFd82dZ#StrongerTogether #StrongerForever pic.twitter.com/WO8J8Me8jw— Springboks (@Springboks) August 3, 2021
Springbok team to face the British & Irish Lions:
15 – Willie le Roux (Toyota Verblitz) – 64 caps, 60 pts (12t)
14 – Cheslin Kolbe (Toulouse) – 16 caps, 40 pts (8t)
13 – Lukhanyo Am (Cell C Sharks) – 17 caps, 20 pts (4t)
12 – Damian de Allende (Munster) – 49 caps, 30 pts (6t)
11 – Makazole Mapimpi (Cell C Sharks) – 16 caps, 75 pts (15t)
10 – Handre Pollard (vice-captain, Montpellier) – 51 caps, 494 pts (6t, 79c, 98p, 4d)
9 – Cobus Reinach (Montpellier) – 15 caps, 35pts (7t)
8 – Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers) – 2 caps, 0 pts
7 – Franco Mostert (Honda Heat) – 42 caps, 5pts (1t)
6 – Siya Kolisi (captain, Cell C Sharks) – 53 caps, 30 pts (6t)
5 – Lood de Jager (Sale Sharks) – 47 caps, 25 pts (5t)
4 – Eben Etzebeth (Toulon) – 88 caps, 15 pts (3t)
3 – Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers) – 41 caps, 5pts (1t)
2 – Bongi Mbonambi (DHL Stormers) – 39 caps, 40 pts (8t)
1 – Steven Kitshoff (DHL Stormers) – 50 caps, 5pts (1t)
Replacements:
16 – Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 36 caps, 30 pts (6t)
17 – Trevor Nyakane (Vodacom Bulls) – 45 caps, 5 pts (1t)
18 – Vincent Koch (Saracens) – 22 caps, 0 pts
19 – Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls) – 4 caps, 0 pts
20 – Kwagga Smith (Yamaha Júbilo) – 9 caps, 5 pts (1t)
21 – Herschel Jantjies (DHL Stormers) – 13 caps, 25 pts (5t)
22 – Morne Steyn (Vodacom Bulls) – 66 caps, 736 points (8t, 102c, 154p, 10d)
23 – Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers) – 9 caps, 5pts (1t)
