Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus has named a powerful matchday 23 for South Africa’s Castle Lager Rugby Championship opener against Australia at Ellis Park on Saturday.
No fewer than 18 Rugby World Cup winners are included.
The Boks are targeting a fifth consecutive victory over the Wallabies, having beaten them in both meetings in Australia last season and once each in 2023 and 2022.
The giant Sharks enforcer will see him move from joint-11th to joint-10th on the all-time list alongside former Wales prop Gethin Jenkins.
Erasmus has gone with a back-three of Aphelele Fassi, Kurt-Lee Arendse and Van der Merwe, with Jesse Kriel partnering Andre Esterhuizen in midfield following a back niggle for Damian de Allende. Manie Libbok and Grant Williams start at halfback.
Captain Siya Kolisi will wear the No.8 jersey for the first time in a Test. He joins Pieter-Steph du Toit and Marco van Staden in the loose forwards.
Etzebeth partners Lood de Jager in the second row, behind a front row of Ox Nche, Malcolm Marx and Wilco Louw.
The bench features a five-three split, with Bongi Mbonambi, Wessels and Ntlabakanye as the replacement front row, Mostert and Kwagga Smith covering the rest of the pack, and Cobus Reinach, Canan Moodie and Damian Willemse named as backline cover.
Only one player, prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye, made his Test debut during last month’s Castle Lager Incoming Series. Three players in total have five caps or fewer: Ntlabakanye, utility forward Jan-Hendrik Wessels and wing Edwill van der Merwe.
“We’ve been experimenting with player combinations during the Castle Lager Incoming Series and at our conditioning camp in the last two weeks, and we believe this team will allow us to play the type of rugby we want to play against Australia,” said Erasmus.
“All of the starters except for Edwill have faced them before, and we are confident that he is ready for this challenge.”
Erasmus added that Cheslin Kolbe had recovered from a niggle but would be given more time before returning to action.
Australia arrive in Johannesburg following a 22-12 win over the British & Irish Lions in the final Test of the the series and Erasmus expects a physical contest against a side chasing their first-ever win at Ellis Park.
“They are a physical and well-coached team, and we’ll certainly not underestimate how much those performances, combined with their motivation to bounce back strongly against us, will inspire them.”
Springbok team to face Australia in Johannesburg:
15 Aphelele Fassi
14 Edwill van der Merwe
13 Jesse Kriel
12 Andre Esterhuizen
11 Kurt-Lee Arendse
10 Manie Libbok
9 Grant Williams
8 Siya Kolisi (captain)
7 Pieter-Steph du Toit
6 Marco van Staden
5 Lood de Jager
4 Eben Etzebeth
3 Wilco Louw
2 Malcolm Marx
1 Ox Nche
Replacements:
16 Bongi Mbonambi
17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels
18 Asenathi Ntlabakanye
19 Franco Mostert
20 Kwagga Smith
21 Cobus Reinach
22 Canan Moodie
23 Damian Willemse
