With the Springboks suffering a 24-17 defeat at Eden Park last week, they will have to quickly regroup as they seek redemption against the All Blacks in Wellington this Saturday.
A win would keep the Springboks’ Rugby Championship title defence alive, while conversely, a defeat could leave Rassie Erasmus’ team fighting to ensure they don’t finish bottom of the table as there are just two games remaining against Argentina after this weekend.
Erasmus has completely revamped the backline this week, and there will be plenty of interest in the performance of Ethan Hooker as he starts his first Test.
The match kicks off at 09:05 (SA time) and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.
The Springboks will have a Georgian referee, Nika Amashukeli, in charge of their second Rugby Championship Test against the All Blacks.
He will be assisted by Australian duo Angus Gardner and Jordan Way.
France’s Eric Gauzins will serve as the TMO, while Australia’s Brett Cronan will be the Foul Play Review Officer (FPRO).
HERE IS EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE SPRINGBOKS’ NEXT TEST
South Africa: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 Damian Willemse, 11 Ethan Hooker, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Lood de Jager, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche.
Replacements: 16 Marnus van der Merwe, 17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Grant Williams, 22 Manie Libbok, 23 Andre Esterhuizen.
Date: Saturday, September 8
Venue: Wellington Regional Stadium
Kick-off: 09.05 (SA time)
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)
Assistant referees: Angus Gardner (Australia), Jordan Way (Australia)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (France)
Stats and facts:
Springbok record against New Zealand:
Played: 109, Won: 42, Lost: 63, Drawn: 4. Points for: 1 807; Points against: 2 259; Tries scored: 175; Tries conceded: 247. Win %: 38.6%.
WHAT IS YOUR SCORE PREDICTION?
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211.
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