Rassie hopes it doesn’t get sticky Down Under

Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus has named a heavily changed lineup featuring 13 adjustments to face the Wallabies on Sunday at Optus Stadium. André Esterhuizen will captain the reshuffled side, which includes scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies making his first Test start since 2023. Erasmus warned that fans should not expect South Africa to come flying out of the blocks due to potential rustiness.

Erasmus noted that most starters have averaged around 140 minutes over the last six weeks, comparing the situation to a disjointed performance against Argentina. Despite unproven combinations across the pitch, he expressed confidence in the squad's mobility, hunger, and bench depth to handle Australia.