South Africa has made four changes, including a rookie prop, for their crucial World Cup match against England on Saturday.
Christo Bezuidenhout, who has never started a Test and has just one appearance as a reserve, replaces Lawrence Sephaka at loosehead prop.
The change means the tight five all play Super 12 for the Bulls.
Captain Corne Krige returns to the side after missing the 72-6 defeat of Uruguay through injury with Danie Rossouw going to the bench. Jorrie Muller returns in the centres after Jaque Fourie was ruled out with a knee injury and Jaco van der Westhuyzen replaces Werner Greeff at fullback.
”If you look at the bench, the type of players there, they can have a huge impact,” said coach Rudi Straeuli.
He said Bezuidenhout came in for Sephaka for tactical reasons but would not discuss them, while Van der Westhuyzen will help improve the Springboks kicking game.
”We’re all excited, both teams, this is the kind of game you compete in rugby for,” said Straeuli. ”We’re excited and well prepared. The player know each other well, they are very fit and very focused.”
Krige says the 53-3 loss to England last November ”hurt more than I can explain”.
”We hate losing and losing by that margin was totally unacceptable,” said Krige. ”It took a long time for me to recover from that but there is no revenge in mind. That would be the wrong attitude.”
Veteran scrumhalf Joost van der Westhuizen said the squad was in a positive frame of mind.
”The South African public won’t accept defeat against England and neither will the players,” he said. ”We’re not even thinking of losing.” — Sapa-AP
South Africa: Jaco van der Westhuyzen, Ashwin Willemse, Jorrie Muller, De Wet Barry, Thinus Delport; Louis Koen, Joost van der Westhuizen; Christo Bezuidenhout, Danie Coetzee, Richard Bands, Bakkies Botha, Victor Matfield; Corne Krige (captain), Joe van Niekerk, Juan Smith.
Replacements: John Smit, Lawrence Sephaka, Selborne Boome, Danie Rossouw, Neil de Kock, Derick Hougaard, Werner Greeff.