Lood de Jager will start ahead of Franco Mostert in the Springboks’ second row for their quarter-final against Japan in Tokyo on Sunday.
Front-rowers Tendai Mtawarira and Bongi Mbonambi, as well as De Jager, all start in a strong Springbok pack. Siya Kolisi is one of two players to retain their place in the starting XV from the team that beat Canada last week, with centre Damian de Allende the other.
De Jager and prop Vincent Koch – who is on the bench – are the only two players who were not in the match 23 for the World Cup warm-up victory over Japan.
Rassie Erasmus has opted to load the Springboks’ bench with forwards, going for a 6-2 split between forwards and backs. Mostert will provide cover for both lock and flank, while Herschel Jantjies and Frans Steyn are the only two backline replacements.
Springboks – 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Subs: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Steven Kitshoff, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Franco Mostert, 21 Francois Louw, 22 Herschel Jantjies, 23 Frans Steyn.
Photo: Kaz Photography/Getty Images
