Springboks change three starters for must-win Test
World champions South Africa have made three changes to the starting line-up for a must-win second Test against the British and Irish Lions in Cape Town on Saturday.
In come props Steven Kitshoff and Frans Malherbe and number eight Jasper Wiese in place of injured Ox Nche, Trevor Nyakane and Kwagga Smith.
Nche was ruled out by a sore neck while Nyakane and Smith are among the eight replacements, where there are also changes.
Malherbe and Nyakane swap places, Vincent Koch replaces Kitshoff, flanker Marco van Staden is promoted at the expense of loose forward Rynhardt Elstadt and fly-half Elton Jantjies drops out to accommodate Smith.
After using a 5-3 forwards-backs split in the first Test, which they lost 17-22 after leading by nine points at half-time, Springboks coach Jacques Nienaber has switched to a 6-2 divide.
South Africa had six forwards on the bench throughout the triumphant 2019 World Rugby Cup campaign in Japan.
South Africa must win on Saturday to keep alive hopes of a ninth victory in 14 Test series against the tourists since they first met 130 years ago.
The final match in a series being staged behind closed doors because of the coronavirus pandemic is also scheduled for Cape Town Stadium, on August 7.
Team (15-1)
Willie le Roux; Cheslin Kolbe, Lukhanyo Am, Damian de Allende, Makazole Mapimpi; Handre Pollard, Faf de Klerk; Jasper Wiese, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Siya Kolisi (capt); Franco Mostert, Eben Etzebeth; Frans Malherbe, Bongi Mbonambi, Steven Kitshoff
Replacements: Malcolm Marx, Trevor Nyakane, Vincent Koch, Lood de Jager, Marco van Staden, Kwagga Smith, Herschel Jantjies, Damian Willemse
Coach: Jacques Nienaber (RSA)
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