Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu will make his first start for the Springboks in the opening Rugby Championship match against Wallabies when he runs out in the No 10 jersey.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu has come off the bench in the Springboks’ first four Test matches of the year, making his debut against Wales at Twickenham and featuring strongly in the two-match series against Ireland and the one-off Test against Portugal.
Bulls loose forward Elrigh Louw also makes his first start for the Boks this weekend, packing down at No 8 for the match at the Suncorp Stadium on Bristane on Saturday morning SA time.
Coach Rassie Erasmus has reverted to many of the players who featured in the Ireland series, which was shared 1-1.
The match-23 feature only three changes from the group that faced the Irish, with the only new players being Louw, two-time Rugby World Cup-winning scrumhalf Cobus Reinach, and replacement utility forward Ben-Jason Dixon.
Only six players are retained in the squad from the 64-21 win over Portugal at the end of July, with Louw, Reinach, Dixon, Feinberg-Mngomezulu, RG Snyman (lock) and Kurt-Lee Arendse (wing) all running out against the Wallabies.
Reinach continues in the No 9 jersey following Faf de Klerk’s injury against Ireland. Flyhalf Handre Pollard provides cover off the replacements’ bench.
The Springboks also picked a powerful bench, with Malcolm Marx back from injury after suffering a leg fracture against Ireland.
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Elrigh Louw will make their first Test starts for the #Springboks on Saturday - more here: https://t.co/72uaJ1UzTG 👏#ForeverGreenForeverGold pic.twitter.com/pQLlnFtACa
— Springboks (@Springboks) August 6, 2024
Erasmus was delighted to hand first starts to Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Louw.
“Sacha has made a notable impact off the bench in all four Tests he has played so far, and he’s slotted into the system with ease, so we are excited to see what dynamic he adds to the team as a starter,” said Erasmus.
“His goal-kicking has also been impressive, and we know that against teams like Australia, New Zealand, and Argentina the margins are very small, so every point will count.
“We’re also keen to see what Elrigh brings to the game, given his consistently strong performances for the Vodacom Bulls in the last few seasons and off the bench against Portugal.
“With Pieter-Steph (du Toit) and Siya (Kolisi) alongside him, he’ll have good guidance to play to his strengths and do what he does best.”
Springbok team for Wallabies
15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Elrigh Louw, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi, 5 RG Snyman, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche.
Replacements: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Ben-Jason Dixon, 20 Marco van Staden, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Handré Pollard.
@JohnGoliath82