A much-changed Springbok lineup will be out to clinch the series in the second Test against Wales at Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein on Saturday.
South Africa v Wales
09 July 17:05
Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein
To Win Match
South Africa 2/9 | Draw 25/1 | Wales 36/10
Handicap
SA (-10.5) 9/10 | Wales (+10.5) 9/10
Coach Jacques Nienaber has made a whopping 14 changes to his starting lineup for this one, with Eben Etzebeth (who will earn his 99th cap) being the sole survivor of the run-on side that came back from a 15-point half-time deficit to win the first Test 32-29 at Loftus last week.
Much has been made in the media about the decision, particularly from Welsh publications, most of whom view it as a sign of disrespect. Nienaber publicly addressed the viewpoint this week, emphasising the fact that his senior players share a different outlook entirely and that he believes he’s making wholesale changes is well within the spirit of the game.
From a Bok supporter’s perspective, this is easily one of the most exciting teams named in recent memory, with form players like Deon Fourie, Evan Roos, Kurt-Lee Arendse and Ruan Nortje all set to debut in Bloem. In addition, Warrick Gelant, Marcell Coetzee and Thomas du Toit make well-deserved returns and Handre Pollard will become the 64th Springbok captain when he leads the team out.
▪️ Kurt-Lee Arendse
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) July 6, 2022
▪️ Evan Roos
▪️ Ntuthuko Mchunu
▪️ Ruan Nortje
▪️ Deon Fourie
▪️ Grant Williams
Six debutants in the Springbok team for this weekend, here's what fans can look forward to 🤤 pic.twitter.com/Ei9fV3x6fF
Wales were colossal in Pretoria and came agonisingly close to winning on SA soil for the first time. They’ll doubtless be motivated by the Boks’ bold selections and will be aiming to unsettle the side just as they did a week ago.
The tourists definitely have cohesion and continuity on their side heading into this one, and Dan Biggar will be imploring his charges to get under the Boks’ skin once more.
Verdict: Wales (+10.5) 9/10
The Boks will be victorious here, but the margin will all depend on Wales’ ability to take their chances and live with the Bok Bomb Squad late on. In any case, they should be good enough to remain within the handicap.
