South Africa coach Jake White has made a number of changes to his starting line-up for Saturday’s Tri Nations encounter with New Zealand in Rustenburg.
White has dropped fullback Percy Montgomery and flanker Solly Tyibilika for the game, while handing Jaque Fourie the number 15 shirt and bringing 33-year-old veteran AJ Venter into a loose trio with Pierre Spies and Pedrie Wannenburg.
Venter last represented the Springboks against England in 2004 and has been playing lock in recent times for his province, the Sharks.
Wannenburg was a late inclusion in the South Africa squad for last weekend’s clash with the All Blacks and takes Tyibilika’s place, with the latter not even being able to command a place on the bench at the moment.
Tighthead prop BJ Botha comes in for the injured CJ Van der Linde while Andre Pretorius returns to the fly-half position in the place of Butch James.
The final change is Wynand Olivier, who takes Fourie’s place at outside centre.
South Africa: Jaque Fourie; Akona Ndungane, Wynand Olivier, Jean de Villiers, Bryan Habana; Andre Pretorius, Fourie du Preez; Os du Randt, John Smit (capt), BJ Botha, Johann Muller, Victor Matfield, Pedrie Wannenburg, Pierre Spies, AJ Venter.
Replacements: Chiliboy Ralepelle, Lawrence Sephaka, Albert van den Berg, Jacques Cronje, Ruan Pienaar, Butch James, Breyton Paulse.
