Springboks team: Willie Le Roux hits 100 as Rassie Erasmus makes 11 changes, issues three debuts
Rassie Erasmus has made sweeping changes to his matchday 23 for the second Test match against Italy, with Willie Le Roux becoming the eighth Springbok centurion.
Le Roux earns his 100th cap for South Africa after being named as the starting full-back for the clash at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha, with Erasmus making 11 changes to his run-on team.
Springboks lock Salmaan Moerat will captain the team, taking over the duties from centre Jesse Kriel, while the Boks continue to manage regular skipper Siya Kolisi as he recovers from a nigglesome neck injury.
Seven players in total will feature in both Tests against the Azzurri but only four have retained starting roles from the 42-24 victory in Pretoria while three players are in line to make their debuts from the bench.
Wholesale changes
Cobus Wiese, – brother of No 8 Jasper Wiese – utility back Ethan Hooker and tighthead prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye, who featured in the uncapped 54-7 victory over the Barbarians, are set to debut from the bench.
The seven players who will face the Azzurri for the second week in a row are Le Roux, Wilco Louw, Malcolm Marx, Marco van Staden and Jasper Wiese, all of whom have been named in the starting XV, while Ox Nche and Jan-Hendrik Wessels will make an impact off the replacements bench.
Joining Le Roux in the back-three in his 100th Test match is veteran winger Makazole Mapimpi, who has recovered from a hamstring injury, and livewire winger Edwill van der Merwe – earning his second cap after debuting against Wales last year.
Andre Esterhuizen combines with Canan Moodie in the midfield while the new-look backline is completed by half-backs Manie Libbok and Grant Williams, the latter recovering from an injury that saw him miss the latter stages of the Sharks’ season.
