SOUTH AFRICA'S head coach Jacques Nienaber has named his Bok's side for the opening Autumn Nations Series game against Ireland in the Aviva Stadium this Saturday.
Cheslin Kolbe starts at fullback for the southern hemisphere side.
Damian Willemse and Kurt-Lee Arendse, while ex Munster player Damian de Allende starts in midfield with Jesse Kriel.
Jaden Hendrikse starts at scrumhalf.
Siya Kolisi joined by Pieter-Steph du Toit and Jasper Wiese in the back row, while Eben Etzebeth and Lood de Jager are the second row.
This will be the first time the sides have face each other since 2017. Ireland came out on top with a score of 38-3 in that game.
The man with the dancing feet is back - in a new position - when the #Springboks face @IrishRugby in Dublin on Saturday - team announcement: https://t.co/oPabqKxI1r 🕺#StrongerTogether #StrongerForever #IREVRSA pic.twitter.com/xso1ZtTJc1
— Springboks (@Springboks) November 1, 2022
The world champions last win against Ireland was in 2012.
However South Africa have since gone onto to win the World Cup, while Ireland have become the best ranked side in the world
Ireland is the top ranked team in the world currently and they’ve shown in the past that they can be a force to reckoned with in Dublin," said Nienaber.
"We last faced them on their home patch in 2017 and they beat us 38-3 in that match, and they also beat us here 29-15 in 2014 and they will draw confidence from that.
"Similarly, to us they will also view this as a vital clash with an eye on next year’s Rugby World Cup in France where we will cross paths in the pool stages.
"Obviously we are a long way out from the World Cup, but we have a limited number of matches left before the competition and the preparation doesn’t get better than playing a side, we will face in the World Cup and the No 1 side in the world."
SOUTH AFRICA TEAM TO PLAY IRELAND (5.30PM)
Fullback: 15. Cheslin Kolbe
Winger: 14. Kurt-Lee Arendse
Centres: 13. Jesse Kriel 12. Damian De Allende
Winger: 11. Makazole Mapimpi
Out half: 10.Damian Willemse Scrumhalf: 9. Jaden Hendrikse
Front row: 1. Frans Malherbe; 2. Steven Kitshoff, 3. Malcolm Marx
Second row: 4, Eben Etzebeth, 5. Lood de Jager
Backrow: 6. Siya Kolisi (capt), 7. Pieter-Steph du Toit, 8. Jasper Wiese.
Replacements: Bongi Mbonambi, Ox Nche, Vincent Koch, Franco Mostert, Deon Fourie, Kwagga Smith, Faf de Klerk, Willie le Roux.
