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Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu starts at No 10 for the Boks against the Wallabies. (Paul Harding/Gallo Images)
- Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Elrigh Louw will earn their first starts for the Springboks in Saturday's Rugby Championship opener against the Wallabies in Brisbane.
- Feinberg-Mngomezulu is picked at No 10, with Handre Pollard named on the bench. Louw starts at No 8, with the Boks opting for a 6-2 forwards-backs split on the bench.
- Saturday's Test kicks off at 06:45 (SA time).
- For more news on the Springboks, visit our dedicated section.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has named his team for Saturday's opening Rugby Championship encounter against Australia in Brisbane.
The two notable selections are Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu starting at flyhalf and Elrigh Louw at No 8, with both players earning their first starts in a Springbok jersey.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who has been in red-hot form off the bench for the Boks, is preferred to veteran Handre Pollard, who will provide backline cover off the bench. Louw starts at No 8 after four appearances off the bench since his debut at the start of the 2022 season.
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Erasmus has largely reverted back to the squad that featured in the two-Test series against Ireland last month.
The match-day squad features only three changes from the group that faced the Irish, with the only new players being Louw, two-time Rugby World Cup-winning scrumhalf Cobus Reinach, and replacement utility forward Ben-Jason Dixon.
Only six players are retained in the squad from the 64-21 win over Portugal, namely Louw, Reinach, Dixon, Feinberg-Mngomezulu, RG Snyman (lock) and Kurt-Lee Arendse (wing).
The new halfback combination sees Reinach continue in the No 9 jumper in place of the Faf de Klerk, who is nursing a niggle. Grant Williams is the other backline reserve and will cover scrumhalf and wing, with Erasmus opting for a six-two forwards-backs bench split.
Erasmus said Snyman had picked up a niggle at training on Tuesday and will be monitored for the rest of the week.
Springbok team:
15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Elrigh Louw, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 RG Snyman, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche
Substitutes: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Ben-Jason Dixon, 20 Marco van Staden, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Handre Pollard
The Bok mentor was delighted to hand first starts to Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Louw.
"Sacha has made a notable impact off the bench in all four Tests he has played so far, and he's slotted into the system with ease, so we are excited to see what dynamic he adds to the team as a starter.
"His goal-kicking has also been impressive, and we know that against teams like Australia, New Zealand, and Argentina the margins are very small, so every point will count.
"We're also keen to see what Elrigh brings to the game, given his consistently strong performances for the Vodacom Bulls in the last few seasons and off the bench against Portugal. With Pieter-Steph (du Toit) and Siya (Kolisi) alongside him, he’ll have good guidance to play to his strengths and do what he does best," said Erasmus.
Springbok record against Australia:
Played 93; Won 50; Lost 40; Drawn 3
Points for: 1 860, Points against: 1 653
Tries scored 218, Tries conceded 170
Highest score 61-22 (Pretoria, 1997)
Biggest win 45 points (53-8, Johannesburg 2008)
Win % 53.8%.
Erasmus added that he expected a tough encounter against the Wallabies in a city where the Boks last won in 2013.
"We only face the southern hemisphere teams in the Rugby Championship now, so we know they'll pose a completely different challenge to the sides we've faced to date," said Erasmus.
"They are also playing on their home turf where they have a good track record against us in the last few years, so we know it's going to be a massive challenge.
"The fact that they are facing the world champions at home and knowing full well that they are hosting the 2027 World Cup will also inspire them, while we also have no doubt that they are desperate to climb the world rankings.
"They are a well-coached team with good playmakers, so they'll definitely be charged up for Saturday’s match-up."
Erasmus stressed the importance of hitting the ground running in the Rugby Championship.
"We have a challenging campaign with two away games against Australia and then two Tests against New Zealand at home before making a short trip to Santiago where we will face Argentina, and then we wrap up the tournament against Los Pumas in Nelspruit, so it will be vital for us to start well and build good momentum."
Saturday's clash kicks off at 06:45 (SA time).
