Wiese earns 50th cap as Esterhuizen leads Springboks

In a significant match for the Springboks, coach Rassie Erasmus named a new-look team for their one-off Test against Australia in Perth on Saturday, September 22. Notably, No 8 Jasper Wiese earned his 50th Test cap coming off the replacements bench, while Andre Esterhuizen became the 68th player to captain South Africa.

Erasmus made 13 changes to his starting team, with only lock Eben Etzebeth and wing Ethan Hooker retaining their places from the side’s 43-28 victory against the All Blacks just over a week ago in Baltimore, which clinched them the inaugural Castle Double Malt Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry title.

The lineup saw the introduction of a new front row comprising props Jan-Hendrik Wessels and Zachary Porthen, along with hooker Johan Grobbelaar. Etzebeth was set to join Franco Mostert in the engine room, with flankers Paul de Villiers and Elrigh Louw, as well as Marco van Staden at No 8, completing the forward pack.

Erasmus opted for a new halfback pairing with Herschel Jantjies and Handre Pollard, who recovered from an injury that had sidelined him during previous games. Esterhuizen partnered with Canan Moodie in the midfield, while the back three consisted of Hooker, Edwill van der Merwe, and Aphelele Fassi. Nine of the players in Erasmus’ match-23 had participated in the final Test against the All Blacks in the USA.

The back-up front row included Malcolm Marx, Ox Nche, and Wilco Louw, while Lood de Jager provided lock cover and Wiese was expected to cover the loose forward position. The bench also featured backs Morne van den Berg, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, and Quan Horn.

Erasmus commented, "Each player in this squad has been working hard at training over the last few months and have had a chance to play in either the first leg of the Nations Championship or Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry, or both. Handre and Canan have recovered from injury, and they are all quality players, so we are pleased to give them a run and are excited to see this team in action."

He acknowledged that Australia posed a different threat than New Zealand in their style of play, believing the chosen combinations were best suited for this challenge. Erasmus expressed satisfaction with Esterhuizen’s first time leading the team and stated that he had brought significant contributions to the squad on and off the field.

Erasmus also explained the decision to release Pieter-Steph du Toit and Damian de Allende from the camp, noting their heavy workloads in recent months.

Looking ahead to the match, he shared that they had focused on player management with Head of Athletic Performance Andy Edwards and had taken time off for recovery from previous Tests and travel.

The match was set to kick off at 11:45 AM SA Time and would be broadcast live on SuperSport.

Springbok Team to Face Australia in Perth:

1. Aphelele Fassi (Toshiba) – 18 caps
2. Edwill van der Merwe (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 7 caps
3. Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls) – 25 caps
4. Andre Esterhuizen (captain, Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 35 caps
5. Ethan Hooker (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 13 caps
6. Handre Pollard (Vodacom Bulls) – 87 caps
7. Herschel Jantjies (Bayonne) – 25 caps
8. Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls) – 37 caps
9. Elrigh Louw (Vodacom Bulls) – 15 caps
10. Paul de Villiers (DHL Stormers) – 4 caps
11. Franco Mostert (Honda Heat) – 84 caps
12. Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 146 caps
13. Zachary Porthen (DHL Stormers) – 7 caps
14. Johan Grobbelaar (Vodacom Bulls) – 10 caps
15. Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Vodacom Bulls) – 14 caps

Replacements:

16. Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 93 caps
17. Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 52 caps
18. Wilco Louw (DHL Stormers) – 35 caps
19. Lood de Jager (Wild Knights) – 77 caps
20. Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks) – 49 caps
21. Morne van den Berg (10bet Lions) – 10 caps
22. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers) – 24 caps
23. Quan Horn (10Bet Lions) – 2 caps