Double Rugby World Cup-winning captain Siya Kolisi will make a return from injury to take over the captaincy for the first time this season against Georgia on Saturday.
The clash will take place at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga.
In an exciting squad named by Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus for the final Castle Lager Incoming Series match at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga, Kolisi’s place was confirmed.
Boan Venter, Marnus van der Merwe, and Neethling Fouche will all make their Springbok debuts.
Venter, who was called up to the squad in June as injury cover at prop, will start in a completely new front row with fellow prop Fouche and hooker Van der Merwe, who both had their first taste of Springbok rugby in the team’s 54-7 victory against the Barbarians, while Kolisi features in a loose trio with Pieter-Steph du Toit and Cobus Wiese after missing the last three matches due to niggles.
Erasmus’ team features only five players who started last week, and eight in total from the match-23 that defeated Italy 45-0 in Gqeberha.
The five players who retained their places in the starting lineup are Edwill van der Merwe (wing), Canan Moodie (utility back), Grant Williams (scrumhalf), Du Toit, and Ruan Nortje (lock), while Conus Wiese and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (flyhalf) are promoted from the bench to starting team, with Thomas du Toit (prop) starting among the replacements.
Edwill van der Merwe, who scored two tries in his second match in the green and gold last week, has been named in a playmaking back three with Kurt-Lee Arendse and Aphelele Fassi, while Moodie joins forces with Damian de Allende in the midfield, and Williams pairs up with Feinberg-Mngomezulu at halfback.
Up-front, apart from a new-look front row and rejigged loose trio, Eben Etzebeth will link up with Ruan Nortje in the engine room.
Erasmus named a five-three split in favour of the forwards on the replacements bench, where Thomas du Toit, Vincent Koch (both props) and Bongi Mbonambi (hooker) will serve as the impact front row, along with RG Snyman (lock) and Kwagga Smith (loose forward).
Faf de Klerk (scrumhalf), Handre Pollard, and Damian Willemse (both utility backs), in turn, will provide backline cover.
The Springboks may have won the last two matches they played against Georgia – the last of which was in 2021 before the British & Irish Lions series – but Erasmus insisted they would not underestimate the visitors.
Springbok team to face Georgia in Nelspruit:
15 Aphelele Fassi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 11 caps, 35 points (7t)
14 Edwill van der Merwe (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 2 caps, 15 pts (3t)
13 Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls) – 13 caps, 30 pts (6t)
12 Damian de Allende (Wild Knights) – 88 caps, 55 points (11t)
11 Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls) – 25 caps, 95 points (19t)
10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers) – 9 caps, 52 points (14c, 8p)
9 Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 17 caps, 25 pts (5t)
8 Cobus Wiese (Vodacom Bulls) – 1 cap, 0 pts
7 Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz) – 87 caps, 40 pts (8t)
6 Siya Kolisi (captain, Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 92 caps, 60 points (12t)
5 Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls) – 7 caps, 0 pts
4 Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 132 caps, 35 points (7t)
3 Neethling Fouche (DHL Stormers) – uncapped
2 Marnus van der Merwe (Scarlets) – uncapped
1 Boan Venter (Edinburgh) – uncapped
Replacements:
16 Bongi Mbonambi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 78 caps, 70 points (14t)
17 Thomas du Toit (Bath) – 24 caps, 5 pts (1t)
18 Vincent Koch (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 62 caps, 5 points (1t)
19 RG Snyman (Leinster) – 41 caps, 10 points (2t)
20 Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs) – 52 caps, 45 points (9t)
21 Faf de Klerk (Canon Eagles) – 59 caps, 50 points (5t, 5c, 5p)
22 Handre Pollard (Vodacom Bulls) – 81 caps, 784 points (7t, 115c, 168p, 5dg)
23 Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers) – 40 caps, 56 points (4t, 9c, 4p, 2 dg)
