Bongi Mbonambi will captain the Springboks for the first time, while Deon Fourie will get a first Test start in a heavily-rotated side to face Argentina in a World Cup warm-up in Buenos Aires on Saturday.
The team shows 14 changes to the starting lineup, and the bench includes talented Vodacom Bulls prop Gerhard Steenekamp, who could make his Bok debut.
Mbonambi – who will earn his 60th Test cap this weekend – takes over the captain’s responsibilities in the absence of Siya Kolisi, who is making encouraging progress following surgery to his knee, and stand-in captains Eben Etzebeth and Duane Vermeulen, who remained in South Africa with a group of players in a conditioning camp.
Steenekamp, who has progressed through the South African rugby ranks in the past few seasons after representing the Junior Springboks and making a strong statement for the Bulls in the Vodacom URC, is the only uncapped player in the squad, and will become Springbok No 933.
Bok coach Jacques Nienaber named a vastly different match-day squad to the side that defeated Argentina 22-21 at Ellis Park last week, with the only two players retaining their places in the starting XV being flyhalf Manie Libbok and lock Marvin Orie.
Nienaber also named a rejigged bench, with utility forward Jean-Luc du Preez and scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies donning the jersey for the first time this season as the coaches attempt to give as many players as possible a chance to prove themselves before naming the 33-man World Cup squad on Tuesday, 8 August.
Mbonambi will form a strong front row with Trevor Nyakane and Thomas du Toit, while Jean Kleyn will earn his second start in the second row with Orie.
Nienaber also named a physical loose trio with Fourie, Franco Mostert and Jasper Wiese, while the experienced Cobus Reinach will join forces with Libbok at halfback.
The backline also features grunt and class as Makazole Mapimpi, Canan Moodie and Damian Willemse form an exciting back three, while Andre Esterhuizen and Lukhanyo Am – who has been named vice-captain – will pair up in the midfield.
Kurt-Lee Arendse has been declared fit to play after suffering a finger injury on Saturday and will provide backline cover with Jesse Kriel and Jantjies on a bench featuring a five-three split in favour of the forwards.
Springboks – 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Canan Moodie, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Franco Mostert, 6 Deon Fourie, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Bongi Mbonambi (c), 1 Trevor Nyakane.
Subs: 16 Joseph Dweba, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Jean-Luc du Preez, 20 Evan Roos, 21 Herschel Jantjies, 22 Jesse Kriel, 23 Kurt-Lee Arendse.
Photo: Twitter/@Springboks
