Milestones for Etzebeth, Mbonambi as Nienaber makes changes for Wales decider

Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber made 11 changes to his starting lineup for the team’s Castle Lager Incoming Series decider against Wales in Cape Town on Saturday as Eben Etzebeth earns his 100^th Test cap and Bongi Mbonambi his 50^th.

Etzebeth, who made his Springbok debut in June 2012 against England, will become the seventh player to reach the significant career milestone, following in the footsteps of Victor Matfield, Bryan Habana, Tendai Mtawarira, John Smit, Jean de Villiers and Percy Montgomery.

Nienaber named a new-look backline featuring the versatile Damian Willemse at fullback, with Cheslin Kolbe and Makazole Mapimpi back on the wings, while the regular centre pairing of Damian de Allende and Lukhanyo Am will again partner up in the midfield.

The Bok coach retained the halfback pairing of Handre Pollard and Jaden Hendrikse in the backline, while regular Bok captain Siya Kolisi reclaims the captaincy in loose trio with Pieter-Steph du Toit (flanker) and Jasper Wiese (No 8).

The other changes up front see Lood de Jager pair up with Etzebeth in the second row, while Nienaber named a new front row of props Trevor Nyakane and Frans Malherbe on either side of Mbonambi, who made his debut off the bench against Ireland in June 2016 and will become the 45^th Bok to reach half a century of Test caps.

There were an array of changes among the replacements, which again features a split of six forwards and two backs, with Steven Kitshoff (prop), Franco Mostert, Kwagga Smith (utility forwards), and Elrigh Louw (flanker) featuring alongside scrumhalf Faf de Klerk and fullback Willie le Roux.

 

 

 

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Springbok team to face Wales in Cape Town:

15 – Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers) – 17 caps, 12 pts (1t, 2c, 1p)

14 – Cheslin Kolbe (Toulon) – 19 caps 18pts, 50pts (10t)

13 – Lukhanyo Am (Cell C Sharks) – 27 caps, 25 pts (5t)

12 – Damian de Allende (Wild Knights) – 59 caps, 35 pts (7t)

11 – Makazole Mapimpi (Cell C Sharks) – 26 caps, 100 pts (20t)

10 – Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers) – 61 caps, 613 pts (6t, 83c, 131p, 4d)

9 – Jaden Hendrikse (Cell C Sharks) – 3 caps, 5 pts (1t)

8 – Jasper Wiese (Leicester Tigers) – 12 caps, 0 pts

7 – Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz) – 59 caps, 25 pts (5t)

6 – Siya Kolisi (captain, Cell C Sharks) – 64 caps, 30 pts (6t)

5 – Lood de Jager (Wild Knights) – 57 caps, 25 pts (5t)

4 – Eben Etzebeth (Cell C Sharks) – 99 caps, 15 pts (3t)

3 – Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers) – 47 caps, 5pts (1t)

2 – Bongi Mbonambi (Cell C Sharks) – 49 caps, 50 pts (10t)

1 – Trevor Nyakane (Racing 92) – 55 caps, 5pts (1t)

Replacements:

16 – Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 48 caps, 55 pts (11t)

17 – Steven Kitshoff (DHL Stormers) – 60 caps, 5pts (1t)

18 – Vincent Koch (Wasps) 33 caps, 0 pts

19 – Franco Mostert (Honda Heat) – 52 caps, 5pts (1t)

20 – Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs) – 20 caps, 5 pts (1t)

21 – Elrigh Louw (Vodacom Bulls) – 1 cap, 0pts

22 – Faf de Klerk (Canon Eagles) – 37caps, 25pts (5t)

23 – Willie le Roux (Toyota Verblitz) – 73 caps, 60 pts (12t)

Springbok record against Wales:

Played 39, Won 31, Lost 7, Drawn 1, Points for 990, Points against 627, Tries scored 115, Tries conceded 52, Highest score 96, Biggest win 83 Points, Win % 79.

Milestones:

• Saturday’s Test against Wales will mark only the second between the two sides in Cape Town.
• The Springboks need to score 11 points to reach 1000 points against Wales.
• Eben Etzebeth will play in his 100^th Test match for South Africa and Bongi Mbonambi his 50^th.  
• Handre Pollard is the current record holder for most penalty goals against Wales (19), in just seven appearances. Percy Montgomery scored a second best of 10 penalty goals in his nine appearances against Wales.
• Pollard is one of only three Springboks to pull off a drop goal in a Test match against Wales. He kicked a drop goal at Twickenham in London in 2015 (in the RWC quarter-final), while the other players were Hansie Brewis in 1951 in Cardiff, and Lionel Wilson in 1964 in Durban.

Miscellaneous:

• The total Test caps for the Springbok starting line-up is 654.
• There are 212 caps in the backline with 442 caps amongst the forwards. On the bench there are a further 99 caps.
• The average caps per player in the backline are 30, the forwards 55, while the players on the bench average 40.