SO CHANGE HULLE: Boks mix and match for All Blacks
|Published
The Springbok rugby team during a practice session at DHL Stadium in Cape Town. Picture: Henk Kruger / Independent Newspapers
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus made seven changes to his matchday squad for tomorrow’s Rugby Championship clash against the All Blacks at Cape Town Stadium at 5pm.
Among the five changes to the starting XV that beat New Zealand 31-27 at Ellis Park last weekend, Handre Pollard comes in at flyhalf for his first start since the two-Test series against Ireland in July.
Pollard replaces Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who will play off the bench.
Canan Moodie also returns to play in his first Test of the year on the right wing in a swap with Cheslin Kolbe, who moves to the left in place of the injured Kurt-Lee Arendse (concussion).
Staying in the back three, veteran Willie le Roux returns at fullback to replace Aphelele Fassi, while scrumhalf Grant Williams cracks the nod ahead of Cobus Reinach.
Up front, lock Eben Etzebeth returns to the starting line-up, with Pieter-Steph du Toit moving to his preferred position of openside flank after Erasmus released Ben-Jason Dixon for Currie Cup duty with Western Province.
Captain Siya Kolisi, meanwhile, will play despite a fractured cheekbone, with Erasmus saying: “Siya is a world-class player and captain, and he adds immense value to the team with the way he leads by example and galvanises the team when the pressure is on.”
🗣️ "Very special to play the All Blacks in Cape Town, it's going to be a spectacle to watch."
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) September 5, 2024
Canan Moodie on being back in the Springbok team this weekend 🔋 pic.twitter.com/a0cbFYHcj9
All Blacks coach Scott Robertson, meanwhile, made two big calls by dropping fullback Beauden Barrett and scrumhalf TJ Perenara to the bench with Will Jordan and Cortez Ratima starting at No.15 and nine respectively.
Sevu Reece and Mark Telea will start on the wings, after Caleb Clarke injured his back in training.
Rookie openside flanker Wallace Sititi also replaces the injured Ethan Blackadder (hamstring) as the All Blacks made four changes to their starting XV.
SPRINGBOKS
Rassie Erasmus has made a couple of changes to the #Springboks team to face New Zealand in Cape Town on Saturday - more here: https://t.co/yz0I3pAykg 🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦#ForeverGreenForeverGold pic.twitter.com/V7ZPNXJHwA
— Springboks (@Springboks) September 5, 2024
15 Willie le Roux, 14 Canan Moodie, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Cheslin Kolbe, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Grant Williams, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (capt), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nché.
Replacements: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Kwagga Smith, 20 Elrigh Louw, 21 Jaden Hendrikse, 22 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 23 Lukhanyo Am
ALL BLACKS
Team for game two 🫡
— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) September 5, 2024
Saturday 5pm SAST
Sunday 3am NZT
*Ethan Blackadder & Caleb Clarke are unavailable due to injury.#AllBlacks pic.twitter.com/2vlyF7MMgC
15 Will Jordan, 14 Sevu Reece, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Mark Tele’a, 10 Damian McKenzie, 9 Cortez Ratima, 8 Ardie Savea, 7 Sam Cane, 6 Wallace Sititi, 5 Tupo Vaa’i, 4 Scott Barrett (capt), 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Tamaiti Williams.
Replacements: 16 Asafo Aumua, 17 Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Sam Darry, 20 Luke Jacobson, 21 TJ Perenara, 22 Beauden Barrett, 23 Anton Leinert-Brown.