Springbok stalwart Willie le Roux will earn his 100th cap this Saturday when South Africa face Italy in the second Test at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha. The experienced fullback is one of several changes made by head coach Rassie Erasmus as the Springboks continue to build squad depth following their dominant wins over the Barbarians and Italy in the first Test.
ALSO READ: Rugby Betting: Handicap vs. Match Betting.
Erasmus has named three uncapped players in the matchday 23, Edwill van der Merwe (wing), Jan-Hendrik Wessels (hooker), and Phepsi Buthelezi (loose forward). All three are in line to make their senior Springbok debuts, with Van der Merwe starting and Wessels and Buthelezi among the replacements.
Springbok XV
15. Willie le Roux (Vodacom Bulls) – 99 caps, 75 pts (15t)
14. Edwill van der Merwe (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 1 cap, 5 pts (1t)
13. Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls) – 12 caps, 25 pts (5t)
12. Andre Esterhuizen (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 19 caps, 0 pts
11. Makazole Mapimpi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 46 caps, 160 points (32t)
10. Manie Libbok (DHL Stormers) – 19 caps, 98 pts (1t, 30c, 11p)
9. Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 17 caps, 20 pts (4t)
8. Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks) – 35 caps, 10 pts (2t)
7. Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz) – 86 caps, 60 pts (8t)
6. Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls) – 26 caps, 20 pts (4t)
5. Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls) – 6 caps, 0 pts
4. Salmaan Moerat (captain, DHL Stormers) – 10 caps, 0 pts
3. Wilco Louw (Vodacom Bulls) – 17 caps, 0 pts
2. Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 77 caps, 110 pts (22t)
1. Thomas du Toit (Bath) – 23 caps, 5 pts (1t)
Replacements:
16. Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Vodacom Bulls) – 4 caps, 5 pts (1t)
17. Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 40 caps, 0 pts
18. Asenathi Ntlabakanye (Lions) – uncapped
19. Cobus Wiese (Vodacom Bulls) – uncapped
20. Evan Roos (DHL Stormers) – 7 caps, 0 pts
21. Cobus Reinach (DHL Stormers) – 39 caps, 70 pts (14t)
22. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers) – 8 caps, 52 points (14c, 8p)
23. Ethan Hooker (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – uncapped
