Rassie forced to make late change for Rugby Championship opener
TEAM UPDATE: Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus has been forced to make a late change to his matchday 23 for Saturday’s Test against the Wallabies.
Prop Boan Venter will provide front row cover off the bench in the Rugby Championship opener following the withdrawal of Jan-Hendrik Wessels.
Venter, who made his Test debut against Georgia during the Incoming Series, will partner up with Bongi Mbonambi and Asenathi Ntlabakanye as the back-up front row after Wessels suffered a niggle at training on Wednesday, which ruled him out of the match.
The encounter will mark Venter’s first Rugby Championship match and his first against Australia.
South Africa – revised: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Edwill van der Merwe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Grant Williams, 8 Siya Kolisi (captain), 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit , 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche.
Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Boan Venter, 18 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 19 Franco Mostert, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Canan Moodie, 23 Damian Willemse.
Date: Saturday, August 16
Venue: Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 17.10 (15.10 GMT; 01:10, AEST, Sunday, August 17)
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: James Doleman (New Zealand), Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy)
TMO: Tual Trainini (France)
