The Test is seen as something of a warm-up ahead of the impending British & Irish Lions series, with three players set to debut in Green and Gold and the likes of Handre Pollard earning some much-needed game time. This will be the first of two matches against the Eastern European country.
Springboks v Georgia
9 July 19h00
Emirates Airlines Park
To Win (80 mins)
South Africa 1/100
Draw 40/1
Georgia 14/1
Handicap
South Africa (-38.5) 9/10
Georgia (+38.5) 9/10
Rosko Specman and Aphelele Fassi will debut when they start on either wing, while Jasper Wiese can win his first Test cap if he makes an appearance off the bench.
Montpellier flyhalf Pollard, who spent most of the past Top 14 season sidelined through injury, will start in the No 10 shirt and will desperately want to win back some form before the first Test against the Lions on 24 July. It is imperative for the Boks that he regains his mojo.
After several players in the Bok camp tested positive for Covid-19, Jacques Nienaber and Rassie Erasmus have named a matchday squad that differs slightly from the side that beat England in Yokohama on 2 November 2019.
Aside from the wingers, Willie le Roux is at No 15, Jesse Kriel and Frans Steyn are in midfield with Pollard and Montpellier teammate Cobus Reinach the halfback pairing.
Kwagga Smith is at eighthman in the absence of Duane Vermeulen, with skipper Siya Kolisi and Pieter-Steph du Toit on the sides of the scrum, Eben Etzebeth and Franco Mostert in the second row and a front-row comprised of Ox Nche, Bongi Mbonambi and Trevor Nyakane.
There is plenty of firepower on the bench with the likes of Steven Kitshoff, Frans Malherbe and Wiese.
The 12th-ranked Georgia have named a team with an average age of 22. They beat the Netherlands 48-15 last week.
Verdict: Springboks (-38.5) 9/10
The Springboks may show rust at times but will have no issue comprehensively seeing off an inexperienced Georgia here.
Teams
South Africa
15 Willie le Roux, 14 Rosko Specman, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Aphelele Fassi, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Kwagga Smith, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Trevor Nyakane, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche
Subs: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Steven Kitshoff, 18 Frans Malherbe, 19 Marvin Orie, 20 Jasper Wiese, 21 Herschel Jantjies, 22 Elton Jantjies, 23 Damian Willemse
Georgia
15. David Niniashvili, 14. Akaki Tabutsadze, 13. Giorgi Kveseladze, 12. Merab Sharikadze, 11. Demur Tapladze, 10. Tedo Abzhandadze, 9. Vasil Lobzhanidze, 8. Tornike Jalagonia, 7. Beka Saginadze, 6. Giorgi Tsutskiridze, 5. Kote Mikautadze, 4. David Gigauri, 3. Giorgi Melikidze, 2. Jaba Bregvadze, 1. Guram Gogichashvili.
Subs: 16. Giorgi Chkoidze, 17. Nikoloz Khatiashvili, 18. Luka Japaridze, 19. Nodar Cheishvili, 20. Giorgi Javakhia, 21. Gela Aprasidze, 22. Giorgi Babunashvili, 23. Ilia Spanderashvili.
