Kolbe shifts as Rassie reveals changes for third Boks v All Blacks clash

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus has revealed his matchday squad for the third Test of the Greatest Rivalry series against New Zealand at the FNB Stadium in Soweto on Saturday.

Erasmus opted for continuity in selection, making only four changes and one positional switch to his starting team for the clash.

The changes to the match-23 will see the front row of Ox Nche, Wilco Louw (both props) and Malcolm Marx (hooker) return to the starting team, with Gerhard Steenekamp, Thomas du Toit and Deon Fourie switching to the replacements bench, while an injury-enforced change to versatile back Damian Willemse sees Cheslin Kolbe switch to fullback and Kurt-Lee Arendse being drafted onto the wing in the starting team.

“It was always our plan to have a little more continuity in player combinations for this series, and we thought that the players who did the job for us last week really showed composure and did well to stick to the plan and what we wanted to achieve last week,” said Erasmus.

“Unfortunately, Damian Willemse took a knock in the first half and was not available for selection this weekend, and neither was Handre Pollard, and by sticking to these combinations and making one switch with Cheslin at fullback, we thought it would be the best for this match.

“Kurt-Lee was unlucky not to play last week after Cheslin recovered from his niggle, so we are pleased to see him back. He is a quality player and his 25 tries in 33 matches so far shows the type of player he is.”

Erasmus expected the All Blacks to come out firing this weekend, saying they would have the same desperation to fight back after the Boks’ 33-26 victory, which saw the teams draw the series with two matches to play.

“We know how it felt after the first match in Johannesburg, and such a result really galvanises a team, so we have no doubt that they will go full-out to win this Test match before the series finale in the USA next week,” said Erasmus.

“They are one of the two best teams in the world and based on experience, they never give up, as we saw last weekend, so this will undoubtedly be another epic encounter between the sides.

“After two games, we are both into hard Test rugby mode, and we have a good idea of what to expect from one another, so it is going to be another grind of a match.”

Of the decision to switch his front rows and reverting to the original starting front row he announced last week, Erasmus said: “We decided to change our front rows last week due to the weather conditions, and Johannesburg weather is different to Cape Town, so we thought this would be the best decision for us this weekend.

“Gerhard, Thomas, and Deon have played massive games for us, and at the same time know how to deal with pressure, and that is exactly what we need against a never-say-die team like the All Blacks, who play for the full 80-minutes.”

Zooming into the match, Erasmus said: “This game is going to be equally, if not more intense than the last two given the fact that the team that wins this match will be two games up in the series, which will make the clash in the USA the decider or game that could see the series finish in a draw, so there will be a different vibe around this match.

“We are excited that we will be playing at the FNB stadium, where on a good day there is an 80 000-strong crowd, and that will be a new and exciting experience for our players because most of these players have never ran onto the field there, and the support we enjoy there will add to the occasion.

“With the vuvuzelas and passionate crowd there, we can hardly hear one another on the field, so we are all thrilled about this occasion. But make no mistake, this is going to be another intense battle between the two top teams in the world who are both looking to get an edge in the series, so we know what we have to do, and composure and accuracy are going to be vital for both sides.”

South Africa: 15 Cheslin Kolbe, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Ethan Hooker, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche.
Replacements: 16 Deon Fourie, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 Lood de Jager, 20 Andre Esterhuizen, 21 Cameron Hanekom, 22 Morne van den Berg, 23 Manie Libbok.

Date: Saturday, September 5
Venue: FNB Stadium, Soweto
Kick-off: 17.10 (15.10 GMT; 03.10 NZST Sunday, September 6)
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)
Assistant referees: Angus Gardner (Australia), Christophe Ridley (England)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (France)