Andre Esterhuizen captains new look Springboks against Wallabies

Andre Esterhuizen will become the 68th Springbok captain in the one-off Test against the Wallabies in Perth on Sunday. Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus named a new-look team for their one-off Test against Australia in Perth on Saturday, which will mark significant occasions for No 8 Jasper Wiese as he earns his 50th Test cap off the replacements bench, while hybrid player Andre Esterhuizen will become the 68th player to captain South Africa. Erasmus made 13 changes to his starting team, with only lock Eben Etzebeth and wing Ethan Hooker retaining their places in the run-on team from the side’s 43-28 victory against the All Blacks just over a week ago in Baltimore, which saw them clinch the inaugural Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry title. The changes see the introduction of a new front row in props Jan-Hendrik Wessels and Zachary Porthen, and hooker Johan Grobbelaar, while Etzebeth will join forces with Franco Mostert in the engine room, and Paul de Villiers, Elrigh Louw (both flankers), and Marco van Staden (No 8) will complete the forward pack. The Bok coach also opted for a new halfback pairing of Herschel Jantjies and Handre Pollard, who has recovered from the niggle which saw him being sidelined during RGR, while Esterhuizen will partner up with Canan Moodie in the midfield, with Hooker, Edwill van der Merwe, and Aphelele Fassi forming the back three. Retained players In total nine of the players in Erasmus’ match-23 participated in the final Test against the All Blacks in the USA. The trio of Malcolm Marx (hooker), Ox Nche, and Wilco Louw (both props) will serve as the back-up front row, while Lood de Jager will again provide lock cover, and Wiese loose forward cover. The three backs on the replacements bench are Morne van den Berg (scrumhalf), Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, and Quan Horn (both utility backs). “Each player in this squad has been working hard at training over the last few months and have had a chance to play in either the first leg of the Nations Championship or RGR, or both, while guys like Handre and Canan have recovered from injury, and they are all quality players, so we are pleased to give them a run and we are excited to see this team in action,” said Erasmus. “Australia poses a completely different threat to New Zealand in the way they play, so we believe these combinations would be best suited for the challenge that we will face against them.” Springbok starting XV Aphelele Fassi, Edwill van der Merwe, Canan Moodie, Andre Esterhuizen (capt), Ethan Hooker, Handre Pollard, Herschel Jantjies, Marco van Staden, Elrigh Louw, Paul de Villiers, Franco Mostert, Eben Etzebeth, Zachary Porthen, Johan Grobbelaar, Jan-Hendrik Wessels Bench: Malcolm Marx, Ox Nche, Wilco Louw, Lood de Jager, Jasper Wiese, Morne van den Berg, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Quan Horn