Tri-Nations: South Africa coach Jake White has named lock Johann Muller and winger Akona Ndungane to his team for Saturday's Tri-Nations match against Australia in Sydney.
Muller wins his third cap in place of Albert van der Bergh while the fit-again Ndungane comes in for Breyton Paulse in two changes to the starting line-up that lost 35-17 to New Zealand two weeks ago.
Hooker Chiliboy Ralepele is named on the replacements bench for the first time, while captain John Smit will play his 36th Test match in a row.
White said the key to South Africa's game plan would be to close down Australia's outhalf Stephen Larkham.
"Every guy that understands rugby will know that Australia's whole game is based on what Larkham does," White said yesterday. "He played really, really well against us in the first Test, and on the weekend the All Blacks got to cut him off and obviously he didn't play as well."
White said he was optimistic about the future despite recent heavy defeats in Australia and New Zealand, including a 49-0 drubbing by the Wallabies in Brisbane last month: "A lot of our top players are still at home and we haven't had them this year but stranger things have happened in the world of sport and if I don't believe it can be done, then it won't be done.
"So you've got to keep positive. The players know it's a difficult ask. We played in Sydney last year and we were comprehensively beaten in the same stadium with a very good Springbok team - a Springbok team that ended up winning a lot more games than they lost. That's how sport works, and that's part of the challenge."
The Australia coach John Connolly has made two changes to his side. Flanker Wycliff Palu will make his first start as a replacement for Scott Fava at number eight and Tai McIsaac comes in at hooker in place of Jeremy Paul.
"There are a couple of positions we haven't settled on and the backrow is an area we are looking very closely at," Connolly said.
"(Palu) is a huge man and he gives us another strong ball-carrying option. He's still developing a number of aspects of his game but has a lot of potential. He's an important part of our philosophy of expanding our base in the lead-up to the World Cup."
Connolly still believes the Wallabies can win the Tri-Nations despite their 13-9 defeat by New Zealand on Saturday.
"There's still a possibility if results go our way that we can win the Tri-Nations," he said.
"The match against New Zealand took a lot out of the players both physically and mentally, so it's a big challenge for them to get up for a Test against South Africa with such a short turnaround."
AUSTRALIA: C Latham; M Gerrard, S Mortlock, M Giteau, L Tuqiri; S Larkham, G Gregan (capt); G Holmes, T McIsaac, R Blake; N Sharpe, D Vickerman; Rocky Elsom, G Smith, W Palu. Replacements: J Paul, G Shepherdson, M Chisholm, P Waugh, S Cordingley, M Rogers, C Rathbone.
SOUTH AFRICA: P Montgomery; A Ndungane, J Fourie, W Olivier, B Habana; B James, F du Preez; O du Randt, J Smit (capt), CJ van der Linde; J Muller, V Matfield; S Tyibilika, J Smith, J Cronje. Replacements: C Ralepele, E Andrews, A van der Berg, J van Niekerk, R Januarie, M Bosman, J van der Westhuyzen.
