New-look Springboks to face Barbarians

AFP: South Africa will field a revamped side against the Barbarians at London’s Wembley Stadium on Saturday after coach Allister Coetzee unveiled his matchday squad for the Springboks’ European tour opener on Thursday.

By tradition, matches against the invitational side are non-cap encounters and, with South Africa staying in London to play England at Twickenham the following weekend, Coetzee has decided to rest the bulk of his first-choice team.

Instead, there are nine uncapped players in the matchday 23, with wings Sergeal Petersen and Jamba Ulengo, centres Francois Venter and Rohan Janse van Rensburg, flanker Roelof Smit and lock RG Snyman all in the starting XV. 

Only three forwards that started South Africa’s record 47-15 loss to world champions New Zealand in Durban last month -- flanker Oupa Mohoje, lock Pieter-Steph du Toit and prop Tendai Mtawarira have been retained.

With no foreign-based players available for the match as it falls outside World Rugby’s designated window for international fixtures, Lourens Adriaanse returns at tighthead prop.

Meanwhile, Snyman will partner Du Toit, the newly-crowned South Africa Rugby Player of the Year, in the second row.

South Africa have lost five of their nine Tests in 2016 and Saturday’s match has been given added interest by the fact the Barbarians’ starting line-up features four South African players