South Africa forced into second late team change for Cape Town

South Africa have been hit by a second late change to their matchday squad ahead of Saturday’s rematch with Australia in Cape Town.

The Springboks confirmed on Saturday that No.8 Jean-Luc du Preez has been withdrawn due to illness. Kwagga Smith will now start in the back row, with Andre Esterhuizen promoted to the bench.

It follows Friday’s news that Willie le Roux had been ruled out with a training-ground niggle, with Aphelele Fassi taking over at fullback.

Womens Rugby World Cup Opening Press Conference | RWC2021

Womens Rugby World Cup Opening Press Conference | RWC2021

Smith, who had initially been named among the replacements, shifts into the starting line-up in a back row that also features Franco Mostert and Marco van Staden. Esterhuizen, meanwhile, is set to win his 20th cap should he be called upon from the bench.

Springbok assistant coach Mzwandile Stick and captain Jesse Kriel stressed on Friday that a strong response is needed after last week’s 38-22 defeat to the Wallabies.

Stick admitted the mood in camp “felt like a funeral” in the wake of the performance, saying the reaction from supporters underlined how much rugby means in South Africa. He added that the Boks must cut out errors and raise their standards against “world-class” opposition in Cape Town.

“They have quick, quality players, and we learned a lot last week about what it requires to be the best in the world, so it’s vital that we don’t make silly errors again this weekend.

“We also created several opportunities that we didn’t use, and if you don’t take them against a team like Australia, they’ll punish you on the day. So hopefully this weekend we can put together a solid 80-minute performance, and the experienced players coming off the bench can also make a difference,” said Stick.

The revised matchday 23 is as follows:

South Africa – revised: 15. Aphelele Fassi, 14. Canan Moodie, 13. Jesse Kriel, 12. Damian de Allende, 11. Cheslin Kolbe, 10. Handre Pollard, 9. Grant Williams, 8. Kwagga Smith, 7. Franco Mostert, 6. Marco van Staden, 5. Ruan Nortje, 4. RG Snyman, 3. Thomas du Toit, 2. Malcolm Marx, 1. Ox Nche.

Replacements: 16. Marnus van der Merwe, 17. Boan Venter, 18. Wilco Louw, 19. Eben Etzebeth, 20. Lood de Jager, 21. Cobus Reinach, 22. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 23. Andre Esterhuizen.