Following the conclusion of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series, the Springboks’ focus shifts to Australia with a meeting against the Wallabies in Perth.
Head coach Rassie Erasmus has already stated that the team to face Les Kiss’ charges will look vastly different to the one that tackled the All Blacks in Baltimore, with Handre Pollard primed to make his return from injury after missing all four RGR Tests.
“Handre is almost ready. We could have selected Handre as well, and he’ll probably play against Australia. It’s about consistency,” the Boks boss said after naming his team for the last match this year against the All Blacks.
Following four gruelling Tests against New Zealand, Erasmus is primed to make a plethora of changes to face the Wallabies; we take a look at who he might select.
Wholesale backline changes
There has not been much change to the Springboks‘ backline at all over the past month, with Erasmus backing cohesion, with most of the changes being injury-enforced. However, that is bound to change for the sole meeting with the Wallabies this year.
While Damian Willemse has been brilliant at full-back for the Boks, perhaps this will be the match that he is trialled in the centres again. The 28-year-old double World Cup winner started in the number 12 jersey against New Zealand in Wellington last year but shifted to full-back early in the game after Aphelele Fassi’s injury. Willemse often plays in the midfield for the Stormers but has only been deployed at inside centre once for the Boks, and Erasmus is surely eager to give the experiment another shot.
That selection would open the door for Fassi to start in the number 15 jumper, having last played in Green and Gold against Argentina. It could mean that a similar backline to the one that faced New Zealand in Wellington features again, with Ethan Hooker retaining a starting wing role alongside Edwill van der Merwe or Kurt-Lee Arendse.
Willemse could then combine with Canan Moodie in the midfield, the latter also missing the RGR series through a troublesome niggle but has travelled with the team to the USA.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu started all four games against New Zealand and could well be rested against Australia, particularly after going off against the All Blacks with a niggle, with one of Manie Libbok or Handre Pollard getting the nod in the number 10 jersey. Whoever the starting fly-half is likely to be partnered with the fit-again Grant Williams, who sustained an injury in the defeat at Ellis Park in Test I. Morne van den Berg or Herschel Jantjies may well be the replacement scrum-half.
New-look forward pack
Into the pack, Jasper Wiese is due a rest after playing all four of the RGR Tests. That may result in the same back-row trio that faced Argentina, with Cameron Hanekom getting a second Test start in the number eight jersey, partnering Elrigh Louw and captain Siya Kolisi. Pieter-Steph du Toit is also due a week off after playing four 80-minute games.
Franco Mostert is also back in contention for selection, having recovered from an injury that denied him the opportunity to feature in the RGR series. Considering that Eben Etzebeth hasn’t played much rugby this year, he may well be retained in the second row and partner Mostert.
Props Carlu Sadie, Boan Venter, and Ntuthuko Mchunu didn’t travel to Baltimore and were released to their respective URC clubs, which means that the front row stocks are thinner for the trip to Australia. Ox Nche and Wilco Louw are likely to be in the mix once again, but the question will be whether they start or come off the bench. They will surely have a new hooker in between them, with Malcolm Marx being replaced by Johan Grobbelaar.
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Bomb Squad selections
Erasmus has favoured the 6-2 hybrid split with Andre Esterhuizen, and that is likely to continue, but with a handful of changes from the one that faced the All Blacks.
Jan-Hendrik Wessels will surely return against the Wallabies, but will Zachary Porthen too? Gerhard Steenekamp may well continue in the number 17 jersey as well, but Thomas du Toit could also be asked to play on the loosehead side of the scrum.
We predict that Lood de Jager will be retained on the bench with Marco van Staden returning as the sixth forward option. Van den Berg and Pollard round out who we think will make the cut.
Predicted Springboks team versus Australia
South Africa: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Edwill van der Merwe, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 Damian Willemse, 11 Ethan Hooker, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Grant Williams, 8 Cameron Hanekom, 7 Elrigh Louw, 6 Siya Kolisi, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche
Replacements: 16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 Lood de Jager, 20 Marco van Staden, 21 Andre Esterhuizen, 22 Morne van den Berg, 23 Manie Libbok