RUGBY NEWS - Head coach Rassie Erasmus has made 13 changes to his team to play their second Nations Championship match against Scotland at Loftus on Saturday.
A number of Bulls players enter the side for a Test at their franchise home ground, including Handré Pollard, Embrose Papier, Wilco Louw, Johan Grobbelaar and Elrigh Louw.
Boan Venter, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Evan Roos, Aphelele Fassie, Edwill van der Merwe, Evan Roos. Quan Horn and Vincent Tshituka are the other players coming into the side.
The five players who retained their spots in the starting XV are Jesse Kriel, Damian Willemse, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Paul de Villiers, and Ruan Nortjé.
Du Toit will captain the side again after Siya Kolisi suffered a late injury last week.
The other players who will get another run are Canan Moodie, who moves from the bench to the starting team, and Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Zach Porthen, Ben-Jason Dixon, and Grant Williams, who have been named on the bench.
Springboks: Scotland will provide a tough test
The Springboks beat England 45-21, scoring seven tries to England’s three, at Ellis Park in their first Nations Championship game at the weekend.
That lifted South Africa to the top of the overall table.
Scotland beat Argentina 47-38 in Córdoba. The Scots also scored seven tries and earned a bonus point.
“We have good depth in our squad, and this will be a great test for the team,” said Erasmus.
“We told the players from the outset that we would give as many of them a chance as possible to play this season, while we are also trying to manage some players, while others are not available for selection this week. So it was important to select a team with some continuity from last week, while bringing in players we believe will be the right fit for what we are expecting from Scotland.
ALSO READ: Erasmus pleased with Springbok depth test as attention turns to Scotland
“They had a good Six Nations campaign, and they come off a victory against Argentina away, so they will be psyched up going into this match.”
Springbok team
Aphelele Fassi, Edwill van der Merwe, Jesse Kriel, Damian Willemse, Canan Moodie, Handré Pollard, Embrose Papier, Evan Roos, Pieter-Steph du Toit (captain), Paul de Villiers, Ruan Nortjé, Cobus Wiese, Wilco Louw, Johan Grobbelaar, Boan Venter
Replacements
Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Zach Porthen, Ben-Jason Dixon, Vincent Tshituka, Elrigh Louw, Grant Williams, Quan Horn
Article: Caxton publication, The Citizen
‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’
