POLLY’S BACK

FLYHALF Handre Pollard will make his return to the Springbok starting XV when they face Italy at Juventus Stadium in Turn at 2.40pm on Saturday.

Pollard, who missed the last five Bok games, last played a Test for South Africa in the 24-17 Rugby Championship defeat to the All Blacks in Auckland.

The back-to-back World Cup winner had a shocker at Eden Park and was deservedly dropped as rookie Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu picked up the mantle – announcing himself as the future at No.10 for the Boks.

However, Pollard has a great kans to respond with the keys to the Bok car back in his hands after Bokke coach Rassie Erasmus decided to rest Feinberg-Mngomezulu.

Erasmus said of picking Pollard and a vrag manne who have not played in a while: “We said from the outset of the tour that we want to give as many players as possible a chance to play, and we believe this team is best suited to the threats Italy will pose.

“Handre and Jean [Kleyn] have played in Rugby World Cups, while Ben-Jason [Dixon] and Edwill [van der Merwe] have both performed for us at the highest level, and we are excited to see what they’ll bring this weekend.”

Erasmus made 11 changes to his starting team that klapped France 32-17 in Paris last weekend.

Captain Siya Kolisi will lead the team as Pollard, Van der Merwe (wing), Canan Moodie and Ethan Hooker (centres), and Morne van den Berg (scrumhalf) replace Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Cheslin Kolbe, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende and Cobus Reinach in the backline respectively.

Up front, Dixon (blindside flank), Marco van Staden (No.8),  Franco Mostert, Kleyn (locks), Zach Porthen (tighthead), Johan Grobbelaar (hooker) and Boan Venter (looshead) will form a new agttal alongside Kolisi.

However, it won’t be an Erasmus-selected team without a bit of a surprise, as the Bok baas did not select a hooker on the bench.

Van Staden will be asked to fill in later in the game as the Boks will deploy another six/two bench split to provide impact. 

Boks v Italy: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Edwill van der Merwe, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 Ethan Hooker, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Morne van den Berg, 8 Marco van Staden, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Siya Kolisi (capt), 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Zach Porthen, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Boan Venter Replacements: 16 Gerhard Steenekamp, 17 Wilco Louw, 18 RG Snyman, 19 Ruan Nortje, 20 Andre Esterhuizen, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Manie Libbok