Orie gears up for first Bok start as Nienaber rings the changes

Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber has made wholesale changes to the team for their second Rugby Championship Test against Argentina on Saturday.

Lood de Jager will run out for his 50th cap, while Marvin Orie will earn his first Test start and the uncapped Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg has been named on the replacements bench.

The starting team shows 11 changes from last week’s victory over the Pumas – six in the backline and five upfront – with Nienaber bringing back a host of players who featured in the recent series win over the British and Irish Lions. There are a further six changes on the bench.

The only players who will start again this weekend are De Jager (lock), Siya Kolisi (captain and flank), Jasper Wiese (No 8) and Cobus Reinach (scrumhalf).

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Reinach will start in the same backline that secured the series win in the final Test against the British and Irish Lions two weeks ago, which sees Handré Pollard back at flyhalf, Damian de Allende and Lukhanyo Am returning to the midfield, and Makazole Mapimpi, Cheslin Kolbe (wings) and Willie le Roux (fullback) at their posts in the back three.

Orie, who has made all five of his Test appearances off the bench, Malcolm Marx (hooker) and Trevor Nyakane (prop) have all been promoted to the starting team, where Thomas du Toit (prop) will also start his first Test of the season.

The only change in the loose trio is at flank, where Franco Mostert steps in for Kwagga Smith, who moves to the bench in place of the injured Marco van Staden.

South Africa

Willie le Roux, Cheslin Kolbe, Lukhanyo Am, Damian de Allende, Makazole Mapimpi, Handre Pollard, Cobus Reinach, Jasper Wiese, Franco Mostert, Siya Kolisi (capt), Lood de Jager, Marvin Orie, Thomas du Toit, Malcolm Marx, Trevor Nyakane

Bench: Bongi Mbonambi, Steven Kitshoff, Frans Malherbe, Nicolaas van Rensburg, Kwagga Smith, Dan du Preez, Jaden Hendrikse, Damian Willemse