Willie le Roux will become the eighth Springbok centurion on Saturday when South Africa meet Italy in the second Incoming Series Test at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha.
The new-look team, which will be led by Salmaan Moerat, includes three uncapped players on the bench.
The players in Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus’ team in line to make their Test debuts are Asenathi Ntlabakanye (prop), who featured in their 54-7 victory against the Barbarians two weekends ago, Cobus Wiese (utility forward) – brother of No 8 Jasper Wiese – and Ethan Hooker (utility back), who have all been in fantastic form for their respective franchises this year.
With Siya Kolisi being managed as he recovers from a niggle, Moerat will lead the team, which features seven players from the side that defeated Italy 42-24 in Pretoria last week.
Moerat last captained the Springboks in their 2024 Rugby Championship match against the Pumas in Argentina.
The seven players who will face the Azzurri for the second week in a row are Le Roux, Wilco Louw, Malcolm Marx, Marco van Staden, Jasper Wiese, all of whom have been named in the starting XV, while Ox Nche and Jan-Hendrik Wessels will make an impact off the replacements bench.
Erasmus named an exciting new backline with Edwill van der Merwe and Eastern Cape local Makazole Mapimpi linking up with Le Roux in the back three, while Andre Esterhuizen will partner up with Canan Moodie in the midfield, and Manie Libbok joins forces with Grant Williams at halfback.
Loose trio combination
Up front, Jasper Wiese and Van Staden form a loose trio combination with Pieter-Steph du Toit, while Ruan Nortje and Moerat will command the engine room, and Thomas du Toit will pack down with Louw and Marx in the front row.
Erasmus named five forwards and three backs on the bench, with Wessels joining fellow front-rowers, Nche and Ntlabakanye, along with the versatile Cobus Wiese and Evan Roos, while Cobus Reinach, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Hooker will provide backline cover.
Du Toit, Nortje, Williams, Mapimpi, and Roos will all make welcome returns from injuries which ruled them out of action at some stage since last season, while it will also mark a significant occasion for Van der Merwe, who scored a try in his first and only Test cap to date, against Wales in London in the opening game of the 2024 season.
The match kicks off at 17:10.
Below, a look at the SCHOOLS the Springbok squad for Saturday attended:
| Position | Player | School |
| 15 | Willie le Roux | Paul Roos |
| 14 | Edwill van der Merwe | Paul Roos |
| 13 | Canan Moodie | Boland Landbou |
| 12 | Andre Esterhuizen | Klerksdorp |
| 11 | Makazole Mapimpi | Jim Mvabaza |
| 10 | Manie Libbok | Outeniqua |
| 9 | Grant Williams | Paarl Gimnasium |
| 8 | Jasper Wiese | Upington |
| 7 | Pieter-Steph du Toit | Swartland |
| 6 | Marco van Staden | Hoërskool Bekker |
| 5 | Ruan Nortje | Wonderboom |
| 4 | Salmaan Moerat | Paarl Boys’ High |
| 3 | Wilco Louw | HTS Drostdy |
| 2 | Malcolm Marx | KES |
| 1 | Thomas du Toit | Paarl Boys’ High |
| Reserves | ||
| 16 | Jan-Hendrik Wessels | Grey College |
| 17 | Ox Nche | HTS Louis Botha |
| 18 | Asenathi Ntlabakanye | St Stithians |
| 19 | Cobus Wiese | Upington |
| 20 | Evan Roos | Paarl Boys’ High |
| 21 | Cobus Reinach | Grey College |
| 22 | Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu | Bishops |
| 23 | Ethan Hooker | Westville |
Paarl Boys’ High lead the way with three representatives, while Grey Bloem, Paul Roos and Upington all have two old boys.
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