No.8 Duane Vermeulen volition instrumentality from wounded to commencement for satellite champions South Africa but winger Cheslin Kolbe is retired for the archetypal of back-to-back Tests against Australia successful the Rugby Championship connected Sunday.
Vermeulen hasn't played for the Springboks since the 2019 Rugby World Cup last and missed the British and Irish Lions bid to person country to hole an ankle wounded helium sustained conscionable earlier that series.
Kolbe was injured successful grooming and was replaced by Sbu Nkosi connected the close wing.
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Springboks manager Jacques Nienaber picked his strongest choky 5 and besides named six forwards connected the seat — 3 of them escaped forwards — successful a 6-2 divided that erstwhile again emphasised South Africa's penchant for its large men to get the occupation done.
In all, Nienaber made 13 changes to the 23 that bushed Argentina successful South Africa's past crippled successful the title past month, 7 successful the starting 15.
South Africa bushed Argentina doubly to commencement its title run portion besides resting immoderate of its frontline players pursuing a bruising Lions series.
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Australia has mislaid 3 successive games against New Zealand, 2 of them successful the Rugby Championship.
Vermeulen's instrumentality against the Wallabies connected the Gold Coast was the biggest alteration arsenic the Boks prepared for their archetypal overseas Test since the World Cup last successful Japan successful November 2019.
Vermeulen was antheral of the lucifer successful the final.
"He's an experienced player, he's been determination before, helium astir knows the shortcuts," Nienaber said.
"I can't hold for him to get backmost onto the field. He besides can't wait."
Halfback Faf de Klerk besides returned to the starting lineup to spouse five-eighth Handre Pollard.
De Klerk missed the decisive Test successful South Africa's bid triumph implicit the Lions and some games against Argentina with injury.
Other than Nkosi successful for Kolbe and Franco Mostert continuing to basal successful for Pieter-Steph du Toit astatine flanker, South Africa is astatine afloat spot for a Test billed arsenic a clash of styles betwixt the Springboks' guardant powerfulness and tactical kicking and Australia's penchant to determination the shot wide.
It'll beryllium the archetypal clip the Springboks person played successful beforehand of a assemblage for 2 years due to the fact that of the pandemic.
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"Australia airs a beardown menace with their moving rugby and they similar to support the shot successful play," Nienaber said.
"They volition besides beryllium playing successful beforehand of a charged up location crowd, truthful it volition beryllium bully to person these experienced players backmost arsenic they cognize what it takes to execute successful large matches."
The South Africa-Australia Test follows consecutive aft New Zealand's crippled against Argentina astatine Cbus Super Stadium connected the Gold Coast.
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The last 8 games of the 4 federation Rugby Championship volition each beryllium played successful Queensland and arsenic treble headers astatine the aforesaid stadium owed to COVID-19 question restrictions.
The Wallabies volition sanction their squad connected Friday.
SPRINGBOKS (15-1): Willie le Roux, Sbu Nkosi, Lukhanyo Am, Damian de Allende, Makazole Mapimpi, Handre Pollard, Faf de Klerk, Duane Vermeulen, Franco Mostert, Siya Kolisi (c), Lood de Jager, Eben Etzebeth, Frans Malherbe, Bongi Mbonambi, Steven Kitshoff
Reserves: Malcolm Marx, Ox Nche, Vincent Koch, Marco van Staden, Kwagga Smith, Jasper Wiese, Herschel Jantjies, Damian Willemse
English (US) ·