JUST IN: Springboks forced to make LATE change on eve of Wales Test
Yesterday at 09:17 AM
Eben Etzebeth will start at lock alongside Franco Mostert in the Springboks' final end-of-year tour clash against Wales on Saturday after Jean Kleyn was forced to withdraw from the match-23 due to a niggle.
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Etzebeth's promotion to the starting XV sees flanker Marco van Staden being drafted onto the replacements' bench.
Full faith
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus decided to make the late change to the match-23 on Friday, and said he had full faith in Van Staden to make a valuable impact off the bench after being a regular member of the squad all season.
"We feel for Jean as it would have been his first Test since the Rugby World Cup final last year, but Marco is also a Rugby World Cup winner and has been with the squad all season, and he has also been training with the squad all week and throughout the tour, so it was a logical choice for him to start on the bench," said Erasmus.
The match kicks off at 19:40 (SA time).
TEAMS
Wales
15 Blair Murray, 14 Tom Rogers, 13 Max Llewellyn, 12 Ben Thomas, 11 Rio Dyer, 10 Sam Costelow, 9 Ellis Bevan, 8 Taine Plumtree, 7 Jac Morgan, 6 James Botham, 5 Will Rowlands, 4 Christ Tshiunza, 3 Gareth Thomas, 2 Dewi Lake (captain), 1 Archie Griffin
Replacements: 16 Ryan Elias, 17 Nicky Smith, 18 Keiron Assiratti, 19 Freddie Thomas, 20 Tommy Reffell, 21 Rhodri Williams, 22 Eddie James, 23 Josh Hathaway
South Africa (revised)
15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Jordan Hendrikse, 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Thomas du Toit
Substitutes: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Marco van Staden, 20 RG Snyman, 21 Cameron Hanekom, 22 Cobus Reinach, 23 Handre Pollard
Score predictions for Wales vs South Africa?
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