Just now; There has been another late change to the Springbok team to take on the Wallabies in their second Rugby Championship Test at the Cape Town Stadium.

0 436 1 minute read

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA - JUNE 28: Melvyn Jaminet of Barbarians F.C tackled by Marco van Staden and Jean-Luc du Preez of South Africa during the Qatar Airways Cup match between South Africa and Barbarians F.C at DHL Stadium on June 28, 2025 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images)

There has been another late change to the Springbok team to take on the Wallabies in their second Rugby Championship Test at the Cape Town Stadium.

No 8 Jean-Luc du Preez has been withdrawn from the side due to illness. Kwagga Smith will now start at the back of the scrum, with Andre Esterhuizen coming onto the bench.

This follows the withdrawal earlier in the week of fullback Willie le Roux due to a niggle. Aphelele Fassi moves into the starting lineup.

SPRINGBOKS – 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Canan Moodie, 13 Jesse Kriel (c), 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Cheslin Kolbe, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Grant Williams, 8 Kwagga Smith, 7 Franco Mostert, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 RG Snyman, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche
Bench: 16 Marnus van der Merwe, 17 Boan Venter, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 Eben Etzebeth, 20 Lood de Jager, 21 Andre Esterhuizen, 22 Cobus Reinach, 23 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu

So they need to be thinking about how to replace those players, and I think Rassie has spoken about that in a way with how he talks about building depth, but they are they are rebuilding to an extent.

“This team’s gone back to the old formula. De Allende comes back, Willie le Roux comes back, Pollard, Jean-Luc du Preez is the big, physical number eight. They’ve gone back to a better calling lock, which has always been a traditional part of the Springbok setup.

“Sometimes when you’re rebuilding, you have to go back to the past to help you rebuild again. Losing that Test would have hurt them, and they’ve gone back to a more tried and true combination that he thinks can do the job in Cape Town.”