Rassie drops flyhalf bolter for Aussie Test

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Elrigh Louw will make their first Test starts for South Africa against the Wallabies in Brisbane on Saturday.

The Springboks largely reverted to the squad that shared a two-Test series with Ireland last month, for the start of the Rugby Championship at Lang Park in Brisbane.

The match-23 features only three changes from the group that faced the Irish.

The only new players are Louw (No.8), two-time World Cup-winning scrumhalf Cobus Reinach, and replacement utility forward Ben-Jason Dixon.

The 22-year-old Feinberg-Mngomezulu is elevated to start at flyhalf after four appearances off the bench this season (coming on at either flyhalf or fullback). In comparison, Louw starts at No.8 after four replacement appearances since his debut at the start of the 2022 season.

Only six players are retained in the squad from the 64-21 win over Portugal at the end of July – Louw, Reinach, Dixon, Feinberg-Mngomezulu, RG Snyman (lock) and Kurt-Lee Arendse (wing).

The new halfback combination sees Reinach continue in the No.9 jumper in place of the Faf de Klerk, who is nursing a niggle.

At the same time, experienced flyhalf Handre Pollard provides cover off the replacements’ bench, along with Grant Williams, who serves as back-up at scrumhalf and wing, in a six-two split in favour of the forwards.

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus, who said that Snyman had picked up a niggle at training on Tuesday and will be monitored for the rest of the week, again named a powerful bomb squad – with a front row of Malcolm Marx (hooker), Gerhard Steenekamp and Vincent Koch (both props), alongside Dixon, Marco van Staden and Kwagga Smith.

Erasmus was delighted to hand first starts to Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Louw.

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“Sacha has made a notable impact off the bench in all four Tests he has played so far, and he’s slotted into the system with ease, so we are excited to see what dynamic he adds to the team as a starter,” Erasmus said.

“His goal-kicking has also been impressive, and we know that against teams like Australia, New Zealand, and Argentina the margins are tiny, so every point will count.

“We’re also keen to see what Elrigh brings to the game, given his consistently strong performances for the Bulls in the last few seasons and off the bench against Portugal.

“With Pieter-Steph [du Toit] and Siya [Kolisi] alongside him, he’ll have good guidance to play to his strengths and do what he does best.”

Erasmus said the changes were part of a broader Springbok selection plan.

“One of the big talking points for us as a team from the beginning of the season was that we need to get the balance right between selecting teams featuring youth and experience as we build toward the 2027 World Cup.

“We’re pleased with the way we’ve been able to integrate some of the young players into the squad this season and give them game time against top opposition.

“We rested several players against Portugal to ensure that we had a fresh squad for the Rugby Championship, while a few young players grabbed the opportunity to show what they can do in the first four Tests of the season.

“We’re excited to see what they have to offer against a team such as Australia which plays a vastly different style of rugby to that which we faced against Wales, Ireland and Portugal.

“Sacha and Ben-Jason showed proper class when they earned their chance to play this season and we are looking forward to seeing them in action against the Wallabies.”

Erasmus said he expected a thorough Test against the home team who go into the match off three successive victories this season in a city where the Springboks last registered a win in 2013.

“We only face the Southern Hemisphere teams in the Rugby Championship now, so we know they’ll pose a completely different challenge to the sides we’ve faced to date,” said Erasmus.

“They are also playing on their home turf where they have a good track record against us in the last few years, so we know it’s going to be a massive challenge.

“The fact that they are facing the world champions at home and knowing full well that they are hosting the 2027 World Cup will also inspire them, while we do not doubt that they are desperate to climb the world rankings.

“They are a well-coached team with good playmakers, so they’ll be charged up for Saturday’s match-up.”

Erasmus emphasised the importance of a good start to the competition.

“We have a challenging campaign with two away games against Australia and then two Tests against New Zealand at home before making a short trip to Santiago where we will face Argentina, and then we wrap up the tournament against Los Pumas in Nelspruit, so it will be vital for us to start well and build good momentum.”

Of the Springboks’ win record in Brisbane, Erasmus said: “This is a new year and new campaign, and a lot has changed for both teams in the last few years, so while we are mindful of that statistic, it won’t affect how we approach this match or next week’s encounter in Perth.

“Just as winning the World Cup is history now, so is that statistic, so as a team, we want to go out there and give our best, and if we stick to our structures and capitalise on our chances, hopefully, we’ll work ourselves into a good position to get the desired result.”

Erasmus added: “The rest granted to some players after the Ireland Test certainly paid off and one can see it in their enthusiasm and excitement to return to the field. That combined with the excitement from the younger players in the group for this challenge has contributed to a good atmosphere in the camp.”

South Africa: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Elrigh Louw, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 RG Snyman, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche.
Replacements: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Ben-Jason Dixon, 20 Marco van Staden, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Handré Pollard.

Date: Saturday, August 10
Venue: Lang Park, Brisbane
Kick-off: 14.30 (06.30 SA time; 04.30 GMT)
Referee: Luke Pearce (England)
Assistant referees: Paul Williams (New Zealand) and Hollie Davidson (Scotland)
TMO: Ben Whitehouse (Wales)