Rassie Erasmus has named his matchday 23 for Saturday's third Test against New Zealand at FNB Stadium in Soweto, making four changes and one positional switch from the side that won 33-26 in Cape Town last week.
The headline move sees Cheslin Kolbe shift to fullback to cover for the injured Damian Willemse, with Kurt-Lee Arendse coming onto the wing. Handre Pollard also misses out through injury. In the front row, Ox Nche, Wilco Louw and Malcolm Marx return to the starting lineup, pushing Gerhard Steenekamp, Thomas du Toit and Deon Fourie to the bench.
Erasmus explained the front row rotation was driven by conditions rather than form. "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," he said.
On Arendse, Erasmus noted the winger's 25 tries in 33 Tests as evidence of his quality, adding that he was unfortunate to miss last week after Kolbe recovered from a niggle in time to start in Cape Town.
Erasmus is anticipating a significantly heightened All Blacks response after their defeat drew the series level at one match apiece. "We know how it felt after the first match in Johannesburg, and such a result really galvanises a team," he said, drawing on the Boks' own experience of bouncing back. With the winner of Saturday's match moving two Tests clear heading into the series finale in the United States, the stakes are materially higher than in either of the first two encounters.
"This game is going to be equally, if not more intense than the last two given the fact that the team that wins this match will be two games up in the series," Erasmus said. "Composure and accuracy are going to be vital for both sides."
South Africa: 15 Cheslin Kolbe, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende [squad incomplete in source].