Thirteen changes as Boks to be led by Esterhuizen against Wallabies
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus named a new-look team on Tuesday for their one-off Test against Australia at Perth Stadium on Sunday.
The clash will mark notable occasions for No 8 Jasper Wiese as he earns his 50th Test cap off the replacements bench, while hybrid player André Esterhuizen will become the 68th player to captain South Africa.
Erasmus made 13 changes to his starting team, with only lock Eben Etzebeth and wing Ethan Hooker retaining their places in the run-on team from the side’s 43-28 victory against the All Blacks just over a week ago in Baltimore. That result saw South Africa clinch the inaugural Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Series title.
The changes see the introduction of a new front row in props Jan-Hendrik Wessels and Zachary Porthen and hooker Johan Grobbelaar. Etzebeth will join forces with Franco Mostert in the engine room and Paul de Villiers, Elrigh Louw (both flankers) and Marco van Staden (No 8) will complete the forward pack.
Rassie Erasmus reacts to the Springboks being crowned champions of #RugbysGreatestRivalry in Baltimore 🇿🇦🏆 pic.twitter.com/TKu6T7ueCs— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) September 13, 2026
The Bok coach also opted for a new half-back pairing of Herschel Jantjies and Handré Pollard, who has recovered from the niggling injury that saw him being sidelined during the series against New Zealand. Esterhuizen will partner Canan Moodie in the midfield, with Hooker, Edwill van der Merwe and Aphelele Fassi forming the back three.
In total nine of the players from Erasmus’s match-23 from the final Test win against the All Blacks in Baltimore remain. The trio of Malcolm Marx (hooker), props Ox Nché and Wilco Louw will serve as the back-up front row, while Lood de Jager will again provide lock cover and Wiese loose forward cover.
The three backs on the replacements bench are scrumhalf Morné van den Berg and utility backs Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Quan Horn.
“Each player in this squad has been working hard at training over the last few months and have had a chance to play in either the first leg of the Nations Championship or Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series, or both. Guys like Handré and Canan have recovered from injury, and they are all quality players, so we are pleased to give them a run and we are excited to see this team in action,” Erasmus said.
“Australia pose a completely different threat to New Zealand in the way they play, so we believe these combinations would be best suited for the challenge that we will face against them.”
It will also help build our leadership core even more, with several players having captained the side over the last few seasons and we trust that he is the right man to take over the captaincy in this match.— Rassie Erasmus
Erasmus was pleased to see Esterhuizen lead the Boks for the first time.
“He captained the Sharks and he has brought so much to our squad off and on the field, both at centre and in the loose trio, and he thoroughly deserves this opportunity.”