Northampton Saints' scrum-half Cobus Reinach has been named on the bench ahead of South Africa's first summer Test against Australia.
After scooping up both the Club's Players' Player and Supporters' Player of the Year – while also being named in the BT Sport Dream Team – for his efforts last term, Reinach pulls on the Springbok jersey for the first time since 2015 as he hopes to secure his spot at the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
And Saints' top try-scorer from last season will be hoping to add an eleventh South Africa cap to his name by coming off the bench in the opening Test of the Rugby Championship in Johannesburg on Saturday (20 July, kick-off 5.05pm SA time).
Rassie Erasmus, the SA Rugby Director of Rugby, said he and the Springbok team are excited for the start of the international season.
“The squad have trained together for more than three weeks and this match is important for us to start a very important rugby year,” said Erasmus.
“We have planned to mix things up in the first two Tests of the season, in order to give game time to as many of the players in our wider squad, and we believe this is the right combination to face a very good and competitive Australian side."
SOUTH AFRICA TEAM TO FACE AUSTRALIA
Castle Lager Rugby Championship
Saturday 20 July, 2019
Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg
Kick-off 5.05pm (SA time)
15 Warrick Gelant (Vodacom Bulls)
14 Sbu Nkosi (Cell C Sharks)
13 Jesse Kriel (Vodacom Bulls)
12 André Esterhuizen (Cell C Sharks)
11 Makazole Mapimpi (Cell C Sharks)
10 Elton Jantjies (Emirates Lions)
9 Herschel Jantjies (DHL Stormers)
1 Tendai Mtawarira (Cell C Sharks)
2 Bongi Mbonambi (DHL Stormers)
3 Trevor Nyakane (Vodacom Bulls)
4 Eben Etzebeth (captain, DHL Stormers)
5 Lood de Jager (Vodacom Bulls)
6 Rynhardt Elstadt (Toulouse)
7 Pieter-Steph du Toit (DHL Stormers)
8 Francois Louw (Bath, England)
Replacements:
16 Schalk Brits (Vodacom Bulls)
17 Lizo Gqoboka (Vodacom Bulls)
18 Vincent Koch (Saracens)
19 Marvin Orie (Emirates Lions)
20 Marcell Coetzee (Ulster)
21 Cobus Reinach (Northampton Saints)
22 Frans Steyn (Montpellier)
23 Dillyn Leyds (DHL Stormers)
