The Boks have made three changes to the starting team that ran out for their final Test against Wales as they unveiled the matchday 23 for the Rugby Championship fixture against New Zealand in Nelspruit on Saturday, where Malcolm Marx will earn his 50th Test cap.
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Marx will run out at hooker in place of Bongi Mbonambi, while Faf de Klerk comes in at scrumhalf in a rotational switch with Jaden Hendrikse. The only injury-enforced change is on the right wing, where Kurt-Lee Arendse will earn his second Test cap in place of Cheslin Kolbe, who is recovering from a broken jaw.
Below, we pick three players who could have a game-changing impact:
Damian Willemse: It would be tempting to suggest Kurt-Lee Arendse is the game-breaker the All Blacks should be wary of, but in what is expected to be a tense battle, it’s unlikely he will receive all that much time and space on the ball.
Instead, when looking at the back three, it’s Willemse who should be seen as the real danger man considering he is in the form of his life.
Willemse was the standout performer throughout the July series against Wales, and he has the ability to bring real impact and X factor to Saturday’s battle.
Faf de Klerk: De Klerk returns to the starting lineup in his hometown of Mbombela, and after losing his No 9 jersey to Jaden Hendrikse for the final Test against Wales, there is every chance he will return with a vengeance.
The Boks are never going to stray too far from their box-kicking strategies, but there is a hope that De Klerk can seize the opportunity to play with some speed and freedom.
If the Springboks are to find the perfect balance between their kicking game-plan and keeping ball-in-hand, De Klerk undoubtedly holds the key.
Malcolm Marx: This may seem like a sentimental choice considering Marx will be playing a milestone match, but similarly to De Klerk, he should relish the opportunity to be back in the starting lineup.
Marx produced a stunning cameo off the bench against Wales, and will also play a crucial role when it comes to providing the Boks with a much-needed poaching threat at the breakdown.
This is the sort of game where Marx will be primed and ready to make a massive impact. The All Blacks best beware.
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The Boks’ team to face New Zealand in Nelspruit:
15 – Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers) – 18 caps, 12 pts (1t, 2c, 1p)
14 – Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls) – 1 cap, 0 pts
13 – Lukhanyo Am (Cell C Sharks) – 28 caps, 25 pts (5t)
12 – Damian de Allende (Wild Knights) – 60 caps, 35 pts (7t)
11 – Makazole Mapimpi (Cell C Sharks) – 27 caps, 100 pts (20t)
10 – Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers) – 62 caps, 633 pts (7t, 86c, 138p, 4d)
9 – Faf de Klerk (Canon Eagles) – 38 caps, 25pts (5t)
8 – Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers) – 13 caps, 0 pts
7 – Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz) – 60 caps, 25 pts (5t)
6 – Siya Kolisi (captain, Cell C Sharks) – 65 caps, 35 pts (7t)
5 – Lood de Jager (Wild Knights) – 58 caps, 25 pts (5t)
4 – Eben Etzebeth (Cell C Sharks) – 100 caps, 15 pts (3t)
3 – Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers) – 48 caps, 5pts (1t)
2 – Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 49 caps, 55 pts (11t)
1 – Trevor Nyakane (Racing 92) – 56 caps, 5pts (1t)
Replacements:
16 – Bongi Mbonambi (Cell C Sharks) – 50 caps, 55 pts (11t)
17 – Steven Kitshoff (DHL Stormers) – 61 caps, 5pts (1t)
18 – Vincent Koch (Wasps) – 34 caps, 0 pts
19 – Salmaan Moerat (DHL Stormers) – 1 cap, 0 pts
20 – Franco Mostert (Honda Heat) – 53 caps, 5pts (1t)
21 – Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs) – 21 caps, 5 pts (1t)
22 – Jaden Hendrikse (Cell C Sharks) – 4 caps, 5 pts (1t)
23 – Willie le Roux (Toyota Verblitz) – 74 caps, 60 pts (12t)
Boks’ record against New Zealand:
Played 101; Won 37; Lost 60; Drawn 4; Points for: 1625; Points against: 2098, Tries scored 156; Tries conceded 229; Highest score 46-40 in Johannesburg (2000); Biggest win 17-0 in Durban, 1928. Win % 36%.
Milestones:
- Only three Tests have previously been played at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit – 2013 against Scotland, 2014 against Wales and 2016 against Argentina.
- To date, the All Blacks have played in 50 Test matches on South African soil.
- Handre Pollard is the second highest point scorer against New Zealand with 120 points in 12 Test matches – only 19 points fewer than Morné Steyn, with 139 points in 13 Test matches.
- Beauden Barrett is third on the All Blacks vs South Africa points-scoring list with 102 points in 15 Test matches.
- The following could be a unique record if achieved: the three Barrett brothers need to score 38 points to reach a 1000 points in Test matches. Their contributions are currently: Beauden Barrett (708 points), Jordie Barrett (229 points) and Scott Barrett (25 points).
Miscellaneous:
- The total Test caps for the Springbok starting line-up is
- There are 234 caps in the backline with 449 caps amongst the forwards. On the bench there are a further 298
- The average caps per player in the backline are 33, the forwards 55, while the players on the bench average 37.
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