(Reuters) – South Africa have made 14 changes to their starting XV for the one-off test with Portugal in Bloemfontein on Saturday, with seven players poised to make their international debut in the matchday 23 and a new captain in lock Salmaan Moerat.
The Springboks were always going to make wholesale changes for the first ever meeting with Portugal after a bruising shared home series with Ireland and the Rugby Championship to come next month.
Uncapped hooker Johan Grobbelaar, prop Jan-Hendrik Wessels and flanker Phepsi Buthelezi all start.
Replacement hooker Andre-Hugo Venter, the son of former Springbok flanker Andre Venter, loose-forward Ruan Venter, scrumhalf Morne van den Berg and fullback Quan Horn are on the bench and could all debut.
Four players have been retained in the matchday squad that lost 25-24 to Ireland in Durban on Saturday, namely wing Kurt-Lee Arendse, locks RG Snyman and Moerat, and utility back Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
“It was important for us to select a quality team with a bunch of experienced players, while at the same time delivering on our objective of growing our squad depth by naming a few debutants,” coach Rassie Erasmus said.
“All of the uncapped players, apart from Ruan Venter, were members of our training squad in June, and we were very impressed with the way they fitted into our structures and their work ethic. We have full faith in their abilities.”
Erasmus has warned his side against underestimating Portugal, who showed in the Rugby World Cup in France they can compete with Tier 1 teams.
“We believe they will lift their game even more this weekend given the magnitude of facing the Springboks,” Erasmus said.
“This occasion will really excite them, and they’ll certainly give everything to make a statement for the Tier 2 nations, so we have to deliver a top-quality performance to get a result.”
The match will be the first time the world champions have been officiated by a female referee with Scotland’s Hollie Davidson taking the whistle.
Team: 15-Aphelele Fassi, 14-Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13-Lukhanyo Am, 12-Andre Esterhuizen, 11-Makazole Mapimpi, 10-Manie Libbok, 9-Cobus Reinach, 8-Evan Roos, 7-Ben-Jason Dixon, 6-Phepsi Buthelezi, 5-RG Snyman, 4-Salmaan Moerat, 3-Thomas du Toit, 2-Johan Grobbelaar, 1-Jan-Hendrik Wessels
Replacements: 16-Andre-Hugo Venter, 17-Ntuthuko Mchunu, 18-Trevor Nyakane, 19-Ruan Venter, 20-Elrigh Louw, 21-Morne van den Berg, 22-Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 23-Quan Horn.
(Reporting by Nick Said; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
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