South Africa’s most capped player ever, Eben Etzebeth, was drafted into the starting line-up as a late replacement against Wales in Cardiff on Saturday.
Etzebeth (33), who boasts a whopping 130 caps, will start at lock alongside Franco Mostert (77 caps) in the Springboks’ final Castle Lager Outgoing Tour clash after Jean Kleyn was forced to withdraw from the match-23 due to a niggle.
Etzebeth’s promotion to the starting XV sees flanker Marco van Staden being drafted onto the replacements’ bench.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus decided to make the late change to the match-23 on Friday morning, and said he had full faith in Van Staden to make a valuable impact off the bench after being a regular member of the squad all season.
Jean Kleyn and Marco van Staden Photo: SA Rugby
“We feel for Jean as it would have been his first Test since the Rugby World Cup final last year, but Marco is also a Rugby World Cup winner and has been with the squad all season, and he has also been training with the squad all week and throughout the tour, so it was a logical choice for him to start on the bench,” said Erasmus.
The match kicks off at 19h40 (SA time) and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.
Wales
15 Blair Murray, 14 Tom Rogers, 13 Max Llewellyn, 12 Ben Thomas, 11 Rio Dyer, 10 Sam Costelow, 9 Ellis Bevan, 8 Taine Plumtree, 7 Jac Morgan, 6 James Botham, 5 Will Rowlands, 4 Christ Tshiunza, 3 Gareth Thomas, 2 Dewi Lake (captain), 1 Archie Griffin
Substitutes: 16 Ryan Elias, 17 Nicky Smith, 18 Keiron Assiratti, 19 Freddie Thomas, 20 Tommy Reffell, 21 Rhodri Williams, 22 Eddie James, 23 Josh Hathaway
South Africa
15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Jordan Hendrikse, 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Elrigh Louw, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Thomas du Toit
Substitutes: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Marco van Staden 20 RG Snyman, 21 Cameron Hanekom, 22 Cobus Reinach, 23 Handre Pollard
