Handre Pollard returns to South Africa side for highly anticipated first test against Ireland

Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus has made eight changes to the side that beat Wales 41-13 for Saturday’s Test match against Ireland at Loftus Versfeld, while opting for a six-two split on the bench, where Grant Williams and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu will cover the backline options.

The Springboks side shows four alterations from the run-on team beaten by Ireland in the World Cup pool match in France. Willie le Roux comes in at fullback, Handre Pollard is named at outhalf, while there are two changes in the pack with Ox Nche starting at loosehead and Kwagga Smith at number eight.

Le Roux has recovered from the concussion he sustained while playing for the Bulls against Leinster in the URC semi-final and replaces the injured Damian Willemse in the 15 jersey. The South African matchday 23 features 20 Rugby World Cup-winners, the entire starting 15 and five players on the replacements’ bench.

The three Springboks who did not play in France are Gerhard Steenekamp (prop), Salmaan Moerat (secondrow) and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (utility back). Twelve of the starting XV started in the 12-11 RWC final victory over New Zealand, with the other three le Roux, Smith and Nche coming off the bench in the final.

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South Africa welcome back captain Siya Kolisi, Le Roux, Cheslin Kolbe, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Handre Pollard, Marco van Staden, RG Snyman and Steenekamp, none of whom featured against Wales.

Erasmus said: “This is the team we believe will give us the impetus we need against Ireland, who are the second highest ranked team in the world. We are blessed to have a lot of depth in our squad, and we are in a fortunate position to have several Rugby World Cup-winners in our ranks who know what it takes to perform at the highest level and play against the best teams in the world.

“The fact that most of these guys have played together is a bonus for us, and most of them have faced Ireland before so they are well aware of the challenge that lies ahead, especially since we haven’t beaten them since 2016.”

“It’s great to be in such a position, and while it may serve as a mental boost, Ireland are a quality outfit and they’ll come out guns blazing. This is a new year for us with new systems in place, so while it certainly helps that most of the players have won a World Cup or two, this is a fresh chapter for us.”

Erasmus said he was excited to see what dimension Steenekamp, Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Moerat would bring to the game – in what will mark Steenekamp and Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s second Test matches. “Gerhard made a strong statement in the front row against Argentina in Buenos Aires last year and we were equally pleased with how easily Sacha slotted in and the contribution he made against Wales.

“Sacha, similarly to Grant [Williams], also offers us additional options in the backline, as he can cover flyhalf and centre, while Grant is efficient at scrumhalf and wing, which places us in a good position with the six-two split.

“Salmaan, in turn, may only have a few Test caps, but he’s a former Junior Springbok captain, he captained the DHL Stormers, and like Sacha, he came through our Elite Player Development (EPD) system, so they have been exposed to the way we do things at this level for some time now.

“This match will test their skills, but they are all quality players, in whom we have full faith, and it doesn’t get better to experience that against a team like Ireland.

“Ireland have had the upper hand over us in the last few years and they will certainly want to build on that on Saturday,” said Erasmus. “That said, we have a good idea of what to expect from them, especially after the World Cup last year.

“They have a few new players in their ranks this year, but so do we and that contributes to the excitement for the match. They are a physical team that never give up, but the margins between the teams are fairly small, so it’s going to be an intense battle and one that will require a resolute performance for the full 80 minutes.”

South Africa: W Le Roux; C Kolbe, J Kriel, D de Allende, K-L Arendse; H Pollard, F de Klerk; O Nche, B Mbonambi, F Malherbe; F Mostert, E Etzebeth; S Kolisi (capt), P Steph du Toit, K Smith. Replacements: M Marx, G Steenekamp, V Koch, RG Snyman, S Moerat, M van Staden, G Williams, S Feinberg-Mngomezulu.