Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus has named four uncapped players in the team that will face Wales in the third Nations Championship fixture on Saturday in Durban.
The four are Jaco Williams (wing), Vusi Moyo (fly-half), Ruben van Heerden (lock) and Carlu Sadie (prop).
Erasmus has struck a fine balance by naming a strong team while staying true to his word to give every player in his expanded squad a chance to prove themselves at the highest level. The match-day squad also features André-Hugo Venter (hooker) and Herschel Jantjies (scrum-half) among the replacements.
Moyo and Williams, who play for the Hollywoodbets Sharks, will have the honour of making their Test debuts at their home ground, while Van Heerden is based in France and Sadie plays for Investec Champions Cup winners Bordeaux Bègles.
“They all played very well for their franchises this season and have been working extremely hard in training while waiting patiently for a chance to play, so we are delighted for them.
“Building squad depth has always been one of our pillars since 2018, and to have such an exciting group of players coming through is fantastic as we continue to build our squad for the future.
“We have full faith in their abilities, and I’m sure the senior players around them will help keep them calm on the field so they can showcase the talent that earned them a place in the squad,” said Erasmus.
Several players, including Eben Etzebeth, Franco Mostert, André Esterhuizen, Canan Moodie, Handré Pollard and Ox Nché, are unavailable for selection as they continue to recover from injuries.
Erasmus noted that the opposition put up a good fight in their Six Nations matches against Scotland and Ireland, and defeated Italy in their final match of the tournament.
“This squad shows an exciting mix of youth and experience, and while we are under no illusions about the threat Wales pose, we are looking forward to seeing what these players can do.
“They also beat Fiji in the Nations Championship before going down to Argentina in a competitive match last week, so they are on the rise and will come out with a point to prove this weekend,” explained the coach.
Pieter-Steph du Toit will captain the Springboks for the third time, and should the team register a victory, it will mark their 11th consecutive Test win.
