Match against Wallabies will be a firefight for the Boks

Work their forwards into the ground and then run their defence off their feet with the backline.

That is the clear message Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus sent out to the Wallabies and their head coach, Joe Schmidt, as he unveiled a strong, yet exciting team for the opening Rugby Championship Test in Brisbane on Saturday.

Prodigious talent Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu will get his baptism of fire as he starts in the No.10 jersey, with Erasmus also opting for the brute strength of Elrigh Louw as No.8 in his run-on debut.

But alongside them, plenty of experienced World Cup winners will line up against the ninth-ranked Australia in the Suncorp Stadium (6.30am kick-off, SA time). The Boks will also feature a six-two bench split with only Grant Williams (scrumhalf and wing) and Handre Pollard (flyhalf) covering the backline. But Erasmus has hinted that loose forward Kwagga Smith can also fill in at the back when coming off the bench.

It's almost that time again…

The #Springboks are set for a massive challenge in Brisbane👊#ForeverGreenForeverGold pic.twitter.com/TTt0TBTpGW

— Springboks (@Springboks) August 7, 2024

Lock RG Snyman, who is set to partner Eben Etzebeth, picked up a niggle during training and if he is not ready later this week, Ruan Nortje will step into the No.5 jersey.

“It’s an exciting opportunity for him, so hopefully the forwards provide him with the platform,” Erasmus said of the inclusion of Feinberg-Mngomezulu.

“We want to create an environment where he can be himself and bring that natural talent like all the other guys. I wouldn’t say this is the changing of the guard (with Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s inclusion over Pollard and Manie Libbok).

“Still, it gives us the opportunity while guys like Handre and Manie help nurture the guys coming through from Test-match level to Test match.

“It’s only his fifth cap, and when we went to the 2019 World Cup we said we didn’t want to use a guy with less than eight caps and it’s well-documented that there hasn’t been a World Cup won with a flyhalf younger than 24 years old. I think Jonny Wilkinson was the youngest.

“He’s got some experienced guys around him like Damian (de Allende) on his outside. It’s the same with Elrigh, who starts at eight with some experienced around him.”

According to Erasmus, they will prepare to front up to whatever the Wallabies throw at them on Saturday.

Although South Africans are used to the Boks selecting a six-two bench split between forwards and backs, Erasmus and his coaches went for a more unorthodox split with three loose forwards and no recognised lock replacement.

Kwagga Smith, fetcher Marco van Staden and bruiser Ben-Jason Dixon will all come off the bench with the head coach indicating that two of the starting locks might have to go the full 80 minutes.

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Elrigh Louw will make their first Test starts for the #Springboks on Saturday - more here: https://t.co/72uaJ1UzTG 👏#ForeverGreenForeverGold pic.twitter.com/pQLlnFtACa

— Springboks (@Springboks) August 6, 2024

Erasmus said it will be important for them to keep the momentum going with the win, and they will chase that, but if a bonus point comes along, they will take five points.

“We only face them in the Rugby Championship now, so we know they’ll pose a completely different challenge to the sides we’ve faced to date. Super Rugby made the players (in the Rugby Championship) familiar to us, but I think it just switched with the United Rugby Championship which does that now with the November Tests.

“They are also playing at home where they have a good track record against us in the last few years, so we know it will be a massive challenge.”

Springboks starting XV: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Elrigh Louw, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi, 5 RG Snyman, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche; Replacements: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Ben-Jason Dixon, 20 Marco van Staden, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Handré Pollard