Rassie Erasmus has named four changes and a positional switch for Saturday's third Greatest Rivalry Test against the All Blacks at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, with the series locked at 1-1 following the Springboks' 33-26 victory in Cape Town last weekend.
The headline alteration is injury-enforced: Damian Willemse, who took a knock in the first half in Cape Town, is unavailable, with Handré Pollard also ruled out. That reshuffle sees Cheslin Kolbe move to fullback, opening the door for Kurt-Lee Arendse to start on the right wing. Arendse was effectively displaced last week when Kolbe recovered from a niggle in time to take his place. Erasmus noted the winger's record of 25 tries in 33 Tests as justification for his recall.
The other three changes are all in the front row, where Erasmus reverts to the original combination he had initially selected for the Cape Town Test before switching it on gameday due to wet conditions. Ox Nche and Wilco Louw return at prop alongside hooker Malcolm Marx, with Gerhard Steenekamp, Thomas du Toit and Deon Fourie moving to the bench.
"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," Erasmus said. "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."
Erasmus is expecting New Zealand to respond with the same urgency the Springboks showed after losing the opening Test in Johannesburg. "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," he said.
With the winner of Saturday's match moving two Tests clear ahead of the series finale in the United States, Erasmus acknowledged the added stakes. "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 the game that could see the series finish in a draw, so there will be a different vibe around this match."
FNB Stadium, with a capacity of around 94,700, will provide the backdrop for what Erasmus expects to be a charged occasion, with most of the current squad having limited or no experience running out at the venue.