Handre Pollard will make his return from a calf injury for the Springboks in the number 10 jersey against Tonga in Marseille on Sunday.
Pollard will play his first Test since August 2022 and Marco van Staden will wear the No 16 jersey as replacement hooker for the first time when the Springboks meet Tonga in Marseille on Sunday, as coach Jacques Nienaber rotated his starting team for their final Rugby World Cup pool match.
Nienaber made 12 changes to the starting team from the one which played Ireland, retaining forwards Siya Kolisi – who will make his 50appearance as captain – Eben Etzebeth and Jasper Wiese for the must-win clash. Nienaber named a traditional split of five forwards and three backs on the bench. The calf injury ruled Pollard out of the initial 33-man RWC squad but he now partners scrumhalf Cobus Reinach at halfback, while Andre Esterhuizen and Canan Moodie are reunited as a hard-running centre combination. Makazole Mapimpi and Grant Williams will patrol the wings as they did against Romania.
The only change Nienaber made among the loose forwards was at flanker, where regular No 8 Duane Vermeulen will wear the No 7 jersey in a formidable combination with Kolisi and Wiese.
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