Test debutant: Duane Vermeulen
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Number eight Duane Vermeulen will make his Springbok debut when the South Africans tackle Australia in Perth on Saturday.
Cheetahs fly-half Johan Goosen has been selected on the bench and will also earn his first Springbok cap if he gets game time at Paterson's Stadium.
Adriaan Strauss has been included at hooker after coming through a first set of fitness tests, but he will be given until Friday to fully shake his knee injury.
Vermeulen's inclusion at the back of the scrum is one of five changes from the starting team that played Argentina in Mendoza. Two of these changes are positional, with Francois Hougaard moving from scrum-half to left wing and Willem Alberts shifting from number eight to flank.
Other changes in the pack sees Juandré Kruger return as the starting lock, while Andries Bekker - who played his worst game for the Boks last week - drops out completely along with Jacques Potgieter.
In-form scrum-half Ruan Pienaar is favoured at number nine will start his first Test of 2012. This has resulted in two further changes to the bench - Bath flank Francois Louw has been included in the match 22 for the first time this season, while speedster Lwazi Mvovo is also amongst the replacements after making way for Hougaard.
"We've decided to put Duane straight into the starting team because he is a classic number eight, a position we've lacked in since Pierre Spies got injured and Ryan Kankowski moved to Japan," said Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer.
"I've always admired the way Duane plays rugby and he's fitted in very well the past week. He would've been a Springbok years ago if it had not been for injuries and it's great to finally see him selected.
"The same goes for Johan, who in my mind can become one of the great fly-halves in world rugby. I've been very impressed with his work ethic and attitude since he joined the squad on Thursday in Johannesburg and we will keep on managing him carefully over the next few weeks."
The Springbok team boast a total of 451 Test caps: 339 of those are in the back-line, while the forwards have 112 caps - one more than the total of Springbok caps accumulated by former captain John Smit in his career.
South Africa: 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Bryan Habana, 13 Jean de Villiers (c), 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Francois Hougaard 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Juandre Kruger, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Beast Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Tiaan Liebenberg, 17 Pat Cilliers, 18 Flip van der Merwe, 19 Francois Louw, 20 Johan Goosen, 21 Pat Lambie, 22 Lwazi Mvovo.
Date: Saturday, September 8
Venue: Paterson's Stadium, Perth
Kick-off: 18:00 (12:00 SA time; 10:00 GMT)
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant referees: Wayne Barnes (England), Glen Jackson (New Zealand)
TMO: Matt Goddard (Australia)
Comments
UBA05 says...
I know Ramage already noted this but, jeeez georgeimpostorsmith you flaming idiot would you give it a rest already with the sharpe thing. Very pre-pubescent. Your concerns over sharpe's selection shows me you have no rugby brain at all (as if i didnt already know) with dave dennis in the team. What has dennis done in an odd 160 mins of rugby???
I apologize to all saffas having to read this when they wanted to read about the bok selection.
What do they say about not feeding the troll???
Posted 10:11 05th September 2012
bloemboy says...
Sigh....
Imaging if we could have put this side out there on Saturday:
Lambie, JP, JdV, F Steyn, Habana, Goosen, Pretorius, Vermeulen, J Smith, Brussouw, Alberts, Etzbeth, Oosthuizen, Biz, Beast
Aplon, JdJ, Pienaar, Burger, Kruger, Burden, Cilliers
Now that would be a team with proper scavengers, ball carriers, and scary as hell to any team on the planet. But alas, many are not there for many reasons.
Based on the squad that they have, Kirchner and Steyn must have some interesting pics of someone in a compromising situation. The entire planet aside from HM knows they are not up to par. I would have had Burden on the bench instead of Liebenberg with Lambie starting at 15 and Goosen at 10
Posted 10:10 05th September 2012
Rude_Dawg says...
Loosies looking hellva more balanced now. Will be nice to see Louw rotate in, bringing in that something different.
Lambie and goosen playing might be nice to see too, Mr Meyer
Like that Nigel Ownes is reffing too
Posted 08:56 05th September 2012
Dingbat32 says...
If Oz attack Kirchner then we are screwed! Remains to be seen whether this pack is good enough to bully Oz like an SA pack should.
Posted 08:52 05th September 2012
Ramage says...
OMG georgesmith has even woven his sad diatribe against Nathan Sharpe onto an article about the Springbok team. Give it a rest Sharpe is a quality player.
Some interesting moves here by Meyer but the question remains whether Morne Steyn can ignite the backline and what plan the conservative Meyer brings to this game.
Posted 08:48 05th September 2012
Ferdie says...
reading an oz rugby forum people there demanding wallabies never play in perth because too much south african support there and that it is not really a 'home game' at all. sounds a bit desperate to me. so much pressure on the oz team and deans for a win,this weekend, the excuse book has been over-used and still four matches to go in the tournament, i wouldn't be surprised if abs lose one or more, not as invincible as the oz media painted them last week, and sa still in with a chance. good rugby!
Posted 07:58 05th September 2012
Carpelone says...
Finally, some sensible words from the Boks management, which hint that M. Steyn days in green and gold are expiring. Goosen needs to be carefully managed, especially when you play in Oz and NZ.
Good to see Hougaard on the wing, he has not lifted his game at scrumhalf since the world cup.
Kirchner at fullback gives me a headache.
Posted 07:53 05th September 2012
nefari says...
What a team!
Posted 07:53 05th September 2012
KingShark says...
I wonder how long we are going to persist with Morne. I do not believe in letting a player regain his form in the green and gold. Let him play Currie Cup until he is ready to steer this ship again. SA's two best flyhalves at the moment are riding the bench.
Posted 07:23 05th September 2012
ABlack says...
I like the looks of the Boks now that Pienaar is at halfback. Aussie may struggle if they cant put their best team out there.
Posted 07:22 05th September 2012
georgesmith says...
Unless M.Steyn lifts his game, these changes won't really click nicely. F. Houggard shouldn't be moved out of position because he is the best Boks halfback. I hope A.Strauss recovers properly and has a great game. He is top quality.
Posted 07:20 05th September 2012
Martinmarais78 says...
Finally no more skinny Kieeegan...
Posted 07:19 05th September 2012
Bones7 says...
Well, it's better. I don't know what Lambie has said to Meyer but they clearly don't get on as he is undoubtedly better than Kirchner, although in all fairness Kirchner hasn't been the worst Bok on display in the previous rounds. The back row looks good, big fan of Vermuelen, can't believe it's taken this long to get him in a Springbok Jersey.
Posted 07:18 05th September 2012
georgesmith says...
This is great stuff. A.Bekker is a top quality llock but since he did not deliver in the last game, he had to pay a price. At this level, there are rarely second chances. Most importantly, the move is to help A. Bekker improve and also to give younger players a chance to show themselves. But this is not the case with the Wallabies. No matter, how worse or horribly N.Sharpe plays, it's like rain or shine its always him in the team. The guy clearly doesn't have fitness for 80min rugby, leave aside Test rugby and yet, he gets to play the ABs, Springboks, maybe Pumas too while the team, players, fans and the brand suffer embarrassment. It surely has to be favouritism at the highest level by no-good coach R. Deans.
Posted 07:16 05th September 2012
saffastormer says...
At LOOOOOONG last !! He plays to the ball as well which is much needed
Posted 06:56 05th September 2012
new_j4a says...
Its going to be a close game. Hope the Boks can pull off a win. Good luck both teams....this has the potential to be a classic.
Posted 06:48 05th September 2012