Springbok Team: Moodie To Start With Willemse Moving To Flyhalf

Talented young utility back Canan Moodie will make his Springbok debut against Australia in Sydney on Saturday as injuries have forced coach Jacques Nienaber to make 8 changes to his starting XV.

Handre Pollard, Lukhanyo Am, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Elton Jantjies have all been ruled out due to injuries. Damian Willemse will move from fullback to flyhalf, Jesse Kriel will fill in at centre, while Franco Mostert has been included in the loose trio for the Rugby Championship encounter.

Moodie earns his first start on the right wing in a positional switch with Warrick Gelant, with the experienced Willie le Roux taking Willemse’s place at fullback. The other change in the backline is at scrumhalf, where Jaden Hendrikse comes in for Faf de Klerk.

Steven Kitshoff and hooker Malcolm Marx have also been selected in a new-look front row with Frans Malherbe, while Jasper Wiese takes over at No 8 from Duane Vermeulen.

Springbok Team To Face Australia

15 – Willie le Roux (Toyota Verblitz) – 76 caps, 65 pts (13t)
14 – Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls) – uncapped
13 – Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles) – 53 caps, 60 pts (12t)
12 – Damian de Allende (Wild Knights) – 63 caps, 35 pts (7t)
11 – Makazole Mapimpi (Cell C Sharks) – 30 caps, 105 pts (21t)
10 – Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers) – 21 caps, 12 pts (1t, 2c, 1p)
9 – Jaden Hendrikse (Cell C Sharks) – 7 caps, 5 pts (1t)

8 – Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers) – 15 caps, 0 pts
7 – Franco Mostert (Honda Heat) – 56 caps, 5pts (1t)
6 – Siya Kolisi (captain, Cell C Sharks) – 68 caps, 35 pts (7t)
5 – Lood de Jager (Wild Knights) – 61 caps, 25 pts (5t)
4 – Eben Etzebeth (Cell C Sharks) – 103 caps, 15 pts (3t)
3 – Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers) – 51 caps, 5 pts (1t)
2 – Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 52 caps, 55 pts (11t)
1 – Steven Kitshoff (DHL Stormers) – 64 caps, 5 pts (1t)

Replacements:

16 – Deon Fourie (DHL Stormers) – 1 cap, 0pts
17 – Ox Nche (Cell C Sharks) – 12 caps, 0pts
18 – Trevor Nyakane (Racing 92) – 57 caps, 5pts (1t)
19 – Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs) – 24 caps, 15 pts (3t)
20 – Duane Vermeulen (Ulster) – 63 caps, 15 pts (3t)
21 – Cobus Reinach (Montpellier) – 21 caps, 40pts (8t)
22 – Frans Steyn (Toyota Cheetahs) – 75 caps, 150 pts (11t, 7c, 24p, 3d)
23 – Warrick Gelant (Racing 92) – 11 caps, 15 pts (3t)