South Africa and New Zealand square up in a Rugby Championship Test at the Cape Town Stadium on Sept 7, with both teams having made multiple changes in their backlines.
The All Blacks need a win to keep their title hopes alive after losing a thrilling first match 31-27 at Ellis Park in Johannesburg last weekend.
It was their second defeat in the tournament after losing the first of two home matches against Argentina.
The Springboks will take a giant step towards winning the championship if they can secure a fourth successive win. As it stands, they have 14 points, ahead of New Zealand (six), Argentina (five) and Australia (four).
"There are games where you want to grow the team and there are games when you desperately want to win. Trying to win this game would mean a lot in the Rugby Championship," said South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus in explaining his selection, which includes the recall of Willie le Roux and Handre Pollard at fullback and fly-half.
Captain Siya Kolisi will play despite having suffered what Erasmus said was a broken nose last week.
This story is from the September 07, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
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This story is from the September 07, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
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