Springboks: Cheslin Kolbe returns at full-back and Damian Willemse at 10 for Ireland showdown
South Africa have named Cheslin Kolbe at full-back for their opening Autumn Nations Series fixture, against Ireland in Dublin on Saturday.
Kolbe hasn’t played international rugby since July and starts in an impressive team, with this his first appearance for the Springboks in the number 15 jersey.
The Toulon dynamo joins Kurt-Lee Arendse and Makazole Mapimpi in an exciting back three while Jesse Kriel will pair up with Damian de Allende in midfield.
Damian Willemse gets the nod at fly-half alongside Jaden Hendrikse, with the experienced Handre Pollard and Frans Steyn absent for South Africa due to injury.
Jasper Wiese is at number eight
Bok head coach Jacques Nienaber has gone with Jasper Wiese at number eight in a loose trio alongside Pieter Steph-du Toit and Siya Kolisi, who is the skipper.
The front-row features props Steven Kitshoff and Frans Malherbe and hooker Malcolm Marx, with Eben Etzebeth and Lood de Jager named in the second-row.
Bongi Mbonambi (hooker), Ox Nche and Vincent Koch (both props) will be joined by utility forwards Franco Mostert, Kwagga Smith and Deon Fourie on the replacements bench, with Faf de Klerk (scrum-half) and Willie le Roux (full-back) the two backs on the bench as the Springboks go for a six-two split.
“We selected a team we believe contains the best combinations to counter the threats posed by Ireland,” said Nienaber ahead of a mouth-watering fixture.
“Damian (Willemse) has done well for us at fly-half, and he is continuing to grow as a player in that role, while we think Cheslin has the potential to add a new dimension to our game at full-back.
“He was sidelined for a while after breaking his jaw against Wales, but he has played four 80-minute matches for Toulon since returning to play, and we are confident that he will step up to the challenge.”
Kolbe to cover fly-half spot
Nienaber added that Kolbe will also provide fly-half cover on Saturday, saying: “Cheslin has delivered star performances for his clubs in France at fly-half, so he will slot in as a back-up fly-half if necessary, while Faf is another option for us at number 10 as well.
“Damian Willemse can also move to inside centre if we need cover there, while Damian de Allende can play outside centre and Willie full-back, and this allowed us for us to opt for a six-two split on the bench.”
On the prospect of facing the number one side in the rankings, Nienaber expected a massive onslaught from Ireland and said his charges have to be prepared.
“Ireland are the top ranked team in the world currently and they’ve shown in the past that they can be a force to reckoned with in Dublin,” said coach Nienaber.
“We last faced them on their home patch in 2017 and they beat us 38-3 in that match, and they also beat us here 29-15 in 2014 and they will draw confidence from that.
“Similarly, to us they will also view this as a vital clash with an eye on next year’s Rugby World Cup in France where we will cross paths in the pool stages.
“Obviously we are a long way out from the World Cup, but we have a limited number of matches left before the competition and the preparation doesn’t get better than playing a side we will face in the World Cup and the number one side in the world.
“This match is important for us for many reasons, one of which is to test our player combinations with the World Cup less than a year away.”
South Africa: 15 Cheslin Kolbe, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Damian Willemse, 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Steven Kitshoff
Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Ox Nche, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Franco Mostert, 20 Deon Fourie, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Faf de Klerk, 23 Willie le Roux
Date: Saturday, November 5
Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Kick-off: 17:30 GMT
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)
Assistant Referees: Mathieu Raynal (France), Andrea Piardi (Italy)
TMO: Stuart Terheege (England)
