With Adrian Jacobs ruled out with a groin injury, so making Jaque Fourie’s selection at outside centre a certainty, the pivot position was the only real debating point, which sees six changes made from the side that started in the 28-9 defeat to the British and Irish Lions last time out.

As expected, the stalwart group of JP Pietersen, Jean de Villiers, Bryan Habana, Pierre Spies and Bismarck du Plessis all return. Wings Jongi Nokwe and Odwa Ndungane have been back with their provinces all week after being discarded from the group that played against the Lions when the cut was made from a squad of 28 to 23.

However, Ryan Kankowski and Chiliboy Ralepelle move from the starting team to the bench, as does Wynand Olivier, who was excluded from the Tri-Nations group initially but was recalled when Jacobs was considered doubtful. Two players not in the squad at all for the Coca-Cola Park test, the last of the Lions series, but who come onto the bench for this game are Ricky Januarie and Jannie du Plessis.

Danie Rossouw is now over his concussion and returns to the bench, where on this occasion he will cover both flank and lock as Andries Bekker was the player in the squad who was left out of the 22. Bakkies Botha makes his welcome return to the second row as Victor Matfield’s partner after serving his two-week suspension.

Du Plessis was wisely added to the group after it was belatedly decided that the experiment conducted during the Lions series of going without a specialist tighthead back-up for retreaded tighthead John Smit was not the way to go. It is also one of several reasons why this match day squad looks stronger than the one that started the second test against the Lions in Pretoria, the other being the resumption of the long-standing midfield partnership of Jean de Villiers and Fourie.

De Villiers and Fourie played two seasons together for Jake White before injury ruled De Villiers out of the bulk of the 2007 World Cup. Frans Steyn played as De Villiers’s replacement in France, and Adrian Jacobs was selected at No 13 when Fourie made a slow start to the international season because of injury in 2008.

With De Villiers and Fourie in tow, the Boks will not be short of either class or physicality in what could be a match-determining dual with the All Black centre combination of Ma’a Nonu and Conrad Smith.

The South African pair’s chances of showing up on attack have arguably been enhanced by the selection of Pienaar at flyhalf, for he is a better distributor than the man he replaces, Morne Steyn. The Bulls flyhalf struggled in the last test, and seemed to be standing in no-man's land for much of the game as first receiver.

However, Pienaar, after an excellent start in Durban, showed what a lottery he can be as an international flyhalf by going walkabout when he, like Steyn, was not presented with the usual stream of front-foot ball against the Lions in the second test. It is often said about Pienaar that when he is the goalkicker his allround game is impacted by how he goes with his first few kicks at goal. He struck the post with his first attempt at Loftus, and it was all downhill from there.

One player from the second test who did not play particularly well that day but might be missed against these opponents just for his physical presence is Schalk Burger. Heinrich Brussow’s personal duel with Richie McCaw, who is both much bigger and more accomplished than the men the Lions fielded in the fetching role, is going to be interesting to watch.

Springbok team: Francois Steyn, JP Pietersen, Jaque Fourie, Jean de Villiers, Bryan Habana, Ruan Pienaar, Fourie du Preez, Pierre Spies, Juan Smith, Heinrich Brussow, Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha, <>John Smit (captain), Bismarck du Plessis, Tendai Mtawarira.

Reserves: Chiliboy Ralepelle, Jannie du Plessis, Danie Rossouw, Ryan Kankowski, Ricky Januarie, Morne Steyn, Wynand Olivier.

Source:  supersport.co.za