Cape Town – Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has made 13 changes to his starting line-up for Saturday’s one-off Test against Australia in Perth, with Andre Esterhuizen set to captain South Africa for the first time.
Esterhuizen will become the 68th player to captain the Springboks when he leads the team at Optus Stadium, while Jasper Wiese is in line to earn his 50th Test cap from the replacements bench.
Only lock Eben Etzebeth and wing Ethan Hooker retain their starting positions from the team that defeated New Zealand 43-28 in Baltimore earlier this month.
Erasmus has selected Jan-Hendrik Wessels and Zachary Porthen as the starting props, with Johan Grobbelaar at hooker. Etzebeth will partner Franco Mostert in the second row, while Paul de Villiers, Elrigh Louw and Marco van Staden complete the forward pack.
Handre Pollard returns at flyhalf after recovering from a minor injury, while Herschel Jantjies starts at scrumhalf.
A new captain and another 50-cap milestone for the #Springboks in Perth – more here: https://t.co/c7fGliUXQP 🫡#ForeverGreenForeverGold pic.twitter.com/lzXuDICifb
— Springboks (@Springboks) September 22, 2026
In the backline, Esterhuizen will partner Canan Moodie in midfield, with Hooker, Edwill van der Merwe and Aphelele Fassi completing the back three.
Erasmus said the changes were part of managing the squad while giving other players an opportunity to contribute.
“Each player in this squad has been working hard at training over the last few months and have had a chance to play in either the first leg of the Nations Championship or RGR, or both,” Erasmus said.
He added that several players had also recovered from injury.
“Guys like Handre and Canan have recovered from injury, and they are all quality players, so we are pleased to give them a run and we are excited to see this team in action,” he said.
Erasmus said Australia would present a different challenge from New Zealand, influencing his selection decisions.
“Australia poses a completely different threat to New Zealand in the way they play, so we believe these combinations would be best suited for the challenge that we will face against them,” he said.
Esterhuizen handed captaincy
Erasmus backed Esterhuizen to lead the Springboks after previously captaining the Hollywoodbets Sharks.
“He captained the Hollywoodbets Sharks, and he has brought so much to our squad off and on the field, both at centre and in the loose trio, and he thoroughly deserves this opportunity,” Erasmus said.
He added that Esterhuizen’s appointment would further strengthen the team’s leadership group.
“It will also help build our leadership core even more within the team with several players having captained the side over the last few seasons, and we trust that he is the right man to take over the captaincy in this match,” Erasmus said.
Etzebeth will extend his record as the most-capped Springbok of all time to 147 Test appearances, while Mostert returns to the starting line-up for his first Test since last November.
Wiese, meanwhile, will reach the 50-Test milestone if he takes the field against Australia.
Erasmus also confirmed that Pieter-Steph du Toit and Damian de Allende had been released from the squad to rest after heavy workloads.
“They had a heavy workload in the last few months, and they deserve a break,” Erasmus said.
He added that the decision had been planned from the outset if the team’s schedule allowed it.
Erasmus expects tough Wallabies challenge
The Springbok coach said Australia’s recent form and home advantage would make the Perth Test a significant challenge.
“This is going to be a big challenge against a team that has been playing good rugby, and who have won four of their last five matches,” Erasmus said.
He pointed to the Wallabies’ results against Argentina, Ireland and Italy as further evidence of their competitiveness.
“They are a proud nation and will certainly want to continue building momentum going into their next two clashes against the All Blacks and the second leg of the Nations Championship in November, so they are going to throw everything at us,” he said.
“Adding to that, they have physical forwards and a very exciting backline, so it will take another big performance from us to get the result.”
South Africa have won five of their last six Tests against Australia since September 2022. The Wallabies’ only victory in that period came in Johannesburg last year, when they won 38-22.
The Springboks have also faced Australia 10 times in Perth, with each side winning four matches and two encounters ending in draws. South Africa won the most recent Perth meeting 30-12 in 2024.
Saturday’s Test kicks off at 11:45 South African time and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
