Salmaan Moerat will captain the Springboks for the first time as seven uncapped players are set to make their Test debuts in the historic first-ever clash with Portugal in Bloemfontein on Saturday.
Rassie Erasmus included all seven of the uncapped players in his training squad for the historic Test, which will also be the first time the Boks have been refereed by a woman, with Scotland’s Hollie Davidson taking the whistle.
The uncapped players in the starting lineup are former Junior Springbok captain Phepsi Buthelezi (flanker), Johan Grobbelaar (hooker) and Jan-Hendrik Wessels (prop), while Andre-Hugo Venter (hooker), Ruan Venter (loose forward), Morne van den Berg (scrumhalf) and Quan Horn (fullback) could be in line to make their Test debuts from the replacements’ bench.
The 26-year-old Moerat becomes the 66th Springbok captain – and the third in four tests this year – as he makes the step up having previously led SA Schools, the Junior Springboks and the DHL Stormers.
Only four players in the team were retained from Saturday’s match-23 against Ireland: Kurt-Lee Arendse (wing), RG Snyman, Moerat (both locks), and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (utility back).
The match marks the first appearance of the Test season for Rugby World Cup winners Lukhanyo Am (centre), Manie Libbok (flyhalf), Cobus Reinach (scrumhalf), Trevor Nyakane and Thomas du Toit (props).
Eight players were members of the match-23 that defeated Wales 41-13 in London in the team’s opening match of the season in June: Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Aphelele Fassi (fullback), Makazole Mapimpi (wing), Andre Esterhuizen (centre), Evan Roos, Ben-Jason Dixon (both loose forwards), Moerat, and Ntuthuko Mchunu (prop).
Springboks – 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Phepsi Buthelezi, 5 RG Snyman, 4 Salmaan Moerat (c), 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Jan-Hendrik Wessels.
Subs: 16 Andre-Hugo Venter, 17 Ntuthuko Mchunu, 18 Trevor Nyakane, 19 Ruan Venter, 20 Elrigh Louw, 21 Morne van den Berg, 22 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 23 Quan Horn.
Photo: Gaspafotos/MB Media/Getty Images
The post Moerat to captain new-look Boks appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Src: sarugbymag.co.za
