Springboks team: Rassie Erasmus deploys 7-1 Bomb Squad as South Africa aim to crush Wales with gargantuan team
Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus and second-row Eben Etzebeth.
Springboks boss Rassie Erasmus has made eight personnel changes from the team that defeated Ireland while he has also opted for a 7-1 bench.
South Africa are without several of their players due to club commitments, with the match falling outside World Rugby’s international window, but it is a physically imposing side full of power and size.
Although they have been forced into a number of alterations, Damian Willemse and Canan Moodie remain in the back three.
Moodie shifts over to the left wing, however, with Cheslin Kolbe absent which allows Ethan Hooker to come into the side on the right.
At centre, Damian de Allende moves up one to 13 with hybrid player Andre Esterhuizen starting alongside him in the Springboks midfield.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu continues at fly-half with Morne van den Berg joining him in the key decision-making positions for the Wales encounter.
Up front, there is no Pieter-Steph du Toit in the back-row, but Jasper Wiese and Siya Kolisi retain their spots with Franco Mostert completing the loose trio.
There are four changes in the front five, though, with Ruan Nortje the only player to retain his place in the side.
Jean Kleyn is alongside Nortje in the engine room while Wilco Louw, Johan Grobbelaar and Gerhard Steenekamp make up an all-Bulls front-row.
Bomb Squad
Finally, on the bench, Erasmus has gone for a 7-1 split for the first time since last November with Bongi Mbonambi, Zachary Porthen, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Eben Etzebeth, Marco van Staden, Ben-Jason Dixon and Kwagga Smith this week’s Bomb Squad.
Cobus Reinach is the only backline replacement, although Smith can cover behind the scrum is required.
“We knew from the outset that we would lose players for this match due to their club commitments, and we are pleased with the quality of the team we’ve selected,” the Boks boss said.
“We’ve been rotating our players throughout the year, and this group has been together for close to five weeks, so many of these combinations are fully settled, while others, such as Zachary and Asenathi, have shown what they are capable of this season, and we are excited that they will receive another chance to play.
“I’d like to thank the provincial unions and clubs who released these players to represent the country this weekend, so we could field a strong side capable of finishing off our November tour on a high note.
“We’ve used a total of 49 players in Test matches this season, which is a testament to the depth we have been developing with an eye on the 2027 Rugby World Cup.”
On the decision to go with the 7-1, Erasmus admitted the enforced absentees played a role in the call but that it was also based on the performance of the forwards throughout the year.
“The composition of the bench was a combination of the availability of players we had for this match, but also given how well our pack has performed this season, and we believe it will be a key area of the match on Saturday,” he said.
“Both teams were in a similar situation with regards to the availability of players, but they (Wales) have a balanced squad with a few seasoned players and several younger guys who will be desperate to make a statement.
“So, we are expecting them to come out firing and to throw everything at us. This is also the last match of the year for both teams, so there’s no doubt they’ll give everything to finish their season on a high note and try to improve their world ranking with the RWC draw coming up next week.”
Springboks side to face Wales
Springboks: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Ethan Hooker, 13 Damian de Allende, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Canan Moodie, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Morne van den Berg, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Franco Mostert, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp
Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Zachary Porthen, 18 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 19 Eben Etzebeth, 20 Marco van Staden, 21 Ben-Jason Dixon, 22 Kwagga Smith, 23 Cobus Reinach
Date: Saturday, November 29
Venue: Principality Stadium, Cardiff
Kick-off: 15:10 GMT (17:10 SAST)
Referee: Luc Ramos (FFR)
Assistant referees: Matthew Carley (RFU), Pierre Brousset (FFR)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)
FPRO: Andrew Jackson (RFU)
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