Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has made 10 changes to his starting line-up for Saturday’s Nations Championship clash against Scotland at Loftus Versfeld, sticking to his plan of giving more players an opportunity to stake their claim at Test level during the 2026 season.
Only five players who started last weekend’s emphatic 45-21 victory over England retain their places in the run-on side. Jesse Kriel, Damian Willemse, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Paul de Villiers and Ruan Nortje all keep their starting spots, with Du Toit once again captaining the side after leading the team in Siya Kolisi’s absence.
Willemse will earn his 50th Test cap after reaching the milestone against England, while De Villiers continues his rapid rise after making his Test debut in that match.
The backline has a fresh look, with Aphelele Fassi returning at fullback alongside wings Edwill van der Merwe and Canan Moodie, who moves from the bench into the starting line-up. Kriel and Willemse combine in midfield, while Handre Pollard and Embrose Papier form the halfback pairing.
Up front, Boan Venter, Johan Grobbelaar and Wilco Louw make up the front row, with Cobus Wiese joining Nortje in the second row. Evan Roos completes the loose trio alongside Du Toit and De Villiers.
Erasmus has opted for a six-two split on the replacements bench, with Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Zach Porthen, Ben-Jason Dixon, Vincent Tshituka and Elrigh Louw providing forward cover. Grant Williams and Quan Horn are the two backline replacements.
Several experienced players remain unavailable through injury, including Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth, Lood de Jager, Franco Mostert, Ox Nche, Andre Esterhuizen and Ethan Hooker.
We have good depth in our squad, and this will be a great test for the team, Erasmus said.
We told the players from the outset that we would give as many of them a chance as possible to play this season, while we are also trying to manage some players, while others are not available for selection this week. It was important to select a team with some continuity from last week while bringing in players we believe will be the right fit for what we are expecting from Scotland.
The Springbok coach expects a stern challenge from the visitors, who arrive in Pretoria after an impressive Six Nations campaign and an away victory over Argentina.
They had a good Six Nations campaign, and they come off a victory against Argentina away, so they will be psyched up going into this match,he said.
All of the players have been working extremely hard at training, and they are fully aware of the threat Scotland poses. Many of these combinations have played together for the Springboks and for their provincial teams this season.
Many of the players will also be playing at theirErasmus backs squad depth with 10 changes for Scotland Test home ground at Loftus Versfeld, so they know the field and conditions well.
Erasmus also warned against underestimating Scotland, despite South Africa’s dominant recent record in the fixture.
They are a quality team who will test us in all areas of the game, and they are well coached, so they will throw everything they have at us,he said.
Matches against them are always tough, and there have been some very close encounters between the sides in the past, so we need to be switched on from the first whistle, be accurate in all departments of the game, and use our opportunities if we want to get the desired result.
South Africa boasts an outstanding record against Scotland, having won 25 of their 30 previous meetings. The Springboks have also won the last nine Tests between the sides, with Scotland’s last victory coming at Murrayfield in 2010.
Saturday’s encounter, which kicks off at 17:40, will be the first Test between the two nations in Pretoria.