Fly-half Vusi Moyo is to make his Test debut for Rugby World Cup title-holders South Africa against Wales today in the Nations Championship, just two months after playing his first senior club match.
The 20-year-old is to be the focus of attention at his home ground in Durban, where he made his first appearance for the Sharks in the United Rugby Championship.
As South Africa chase a third straight victory in the new competition, Moyo said that his selection by coach Rassie Erasmus took him “completely by surprise.”
Photo: EPA
“Every South African rugby player dreams of playing for the Springboks, but I was stunned after discovering I would start,” said Moyo, who is to partner veteran scrum-half Cobus Reinach. “It is very special to be around Cobus Reinach and the other Springboks. I want to make my family and those who helped me develop proud.”
“Being included in the squad allows me to work with players I admire,” he said. “I am now on the training ground with them. That is special.”
Erasmus has said he plans to have five or six players vying for each position when he chooses his squad for next year’s Rugby World Cup in Australia.
The head coach took just one fly-half, Manie Libbok, to the 2023 World Cup in France, which South Africa won to retain a trophy they lifted in Japan four years earlier.
During the tournament he added a second playmaker, Handre Pollard, as a replacement for injured hooker Malcolm Marx.
It proved a masterstroke as Pollard slotted the four penalties that beat New Zealand in the final.
After a stellar season last year, including a Springbok record 37 points against Argentina, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu is the first choice fly-half, but he is injured.
Creative Libbok and ace goal-kicker Pollard started in the previous two Nations Championship Tests. Now Moyo gets his chance.
“For his age, Vusi is a big boy. He certainly does not stand back from the physical side of the game,” Erasmus said. “He kicks brilliantly off the tee, his restarts are excellent, he kicks well to touch, and at goal. We want to see him in a Test after impressing in training and also against the Barbarians off the bench. For a big guy, he has got really soft hands.”
Moyo slotted a conversion last month in the season-opening victory against the Barbarians, but it was an exhibition match with no caps awarded.
Erasmus has selected three other new caps — Sharks winger Jaco Williams, Bordeaux-Begles tighthead prop Carlu Sadie and Montpellier lock Ruben van Heerden.
Wales, winners against Fiji and losers to Argentina in previous rounds, have changed six of the team who started in Cordoba.
Head coach Steve Tandy said that a “desire for freshness” was behind his decisions, which include a new center partnership of Max Llewellyn and Ben Thomas.
Wing Louis Rees-Zammit and fly-half Dan Edwards return as starters after playing against Fiji.
Lock Teddy Williams is to make his first Test start in a year after injury and flanker Alex Mann is recalled after facing Fiji.
Winger Josh Adams, set for a third Test in as many weeks, stressed the need to “front up physically and stay in the fight” against the Springboks.
Playing the world champions in South Africa is the “hardest test for any team,” Adams said.