Springboks make mass changes for All Blacks Test but captain Siya Kolisi starts

South Africa have decided not to wrap Siya Kolisi in cotton wool after he was named in their side to face the All Blacks in their final Rugby World Cup warm-up.

The captain made his return from a serious knee injury on Saturday when the Springboks faced Wales at the Principality Stadium.

Kolisi played 40 minutes and impressed as the Boks thrashed Warren Gatland’s men 52-16 at the weekend.

He once again combines with Pieter-Steph du Toit at flanker, but there is a change at number eight where Duane Vermeulen comes into the starting XV.

Canan Moodie at centre

It is another strong line-up, but Jacques Nienaber is experimenting at centre by moving Canan Moodie from wing to 13.

With Lukhanyo Am out injured and Moodie impressing with his defensive reads, the Springboks have decided to try out the youngster in the midfield.

“The All Blacks will provide a different challenge to Wales, and we believe this group of players is the right mix for this match,” Nienaber said.

“New Zealand play a high-tempo game, and they turn on the intensity from the starting whistle as they showed in Auckland, so it’s vital that we start well this week.

“We took the lessons from that match, and we’ve built good momentum since, so this will be a fantastic test before we enter our Rugby World Cup campaign.”

Moodie partners Andre Esterhuizen at centre with Kurt-Lee Arendse taking his position at 14 and Makazole Mapimpi replacing Cheslin Kolbe on the other side.

Damian Willemse will look to replicate Willie le Roux’s playmaking excellence after being named at full-back.

“Our objective since the beginning of the season was to strike a balance between performance and managing player load with only six Test matches to get ready for the World Cup, and we are pleased with the way we have developed in that regard,” the head coach said.

“In the last five matches we’ve given everyone, with the exception of the injured players, valuable game time, which is vital going into the World Cup, and we are satisfied with the way we have been building as a team.”

Libbok remains at 10

Manie Libbok continues at fly-half as he looks to improve his kicking percentage ahead of the global tournament and he is joined at half-back by Faf de Klerk.

Meanwhile, in the pack, the front-row remains unchanged but there’s a couple of alterations at lock as Eben Etzebeth and Franco Mostert combine.

Jean Kleyn and RG Snyman remain in the 23 but are on the bench alongside Bongi Mbonambi, Ox Nche, Trevor Nyakane, Marco van Staden, Cobus Reinach and Le Roux.

“The rivalry between the Springboks and All Blacks is one of the most intense in world rugby, so it’s a great way for us to wrap up our warm-up matches before heading to France for the World Cup,” Nienaber added.

“This match may be on neutral ground, but we expect it to be as epic as every other Test between the teams. They are a quality team with several playmakers and physical forwards, and they’ll give everything on Friday.

“We know what to expect and what we need to do to work our way into a position to get the desired result, so as a team we need to be ready mentally and physically.”

The team

South Africa: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Steven Kitshoff
Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Ox Nche, 18 Trevor Nyakane, 19 Jean Kleyn, 20 RG Snyman, 21 Marco van Staden, 22 Cobus Reinach, 23 Willie le Roux

Date: Friday, August 25
Venue: Twickenham, London
Kick-off: 19:30 BST (18:30 GMT)
Referee: Matthew Carley (England)
Assistant Referees: Christophe Ridley (England), Craig Evans (Wales)
TMO: Tom Foley (England)

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