Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber has shuffled his pack for Saturday’s third Test of the current northern hemisphere tour by including a new lock combination.

The Stormers second-row duo of Marvin Orie, who came off the bench against France last week, and Salmaan Moerat, will start a Test together for the first time.

The rejigging of the locks ends Eben Etzebeth’s 18-match starting streak as he takes a welcome break on the bench. It has been a remarkable sequence of durability, but more importantly, high-quality performances. It’s staggering that he hasn’t been shortlisted for World Player of the Year.

Franco Mostert shifts to blindside flank, with Pieter-Steph du Toit still awaiting the outcome of his disciplinary hearing following a red card against France.

Salmaan Moerat trains at the University of Dublin on 1 November 2022. (Photo: Brendan Moran / Sportsfile / Gallo Images)

Du Toit is likely to cop a ban of a few weeks, which will be a factor against England on 26 November if there are injuries to any loose forwards against Italy.

No 8 Jasper Wiese returns in place of Kwagga Smith for the Italian clash,  following the concussion he sustained against Ireland in the first match of the tour. But this will be Wiese’s last appearance of the year because he must return to English club side Leicester next weekend.

With Wiese gone and Du Toit likely to be suspended, the Boks will start the England match without two of their three first-choice loose forwards. But that is a problem for another day.

Jasper Wiese – seen in action against Argentina in Durban on 24 September 2022 – returns in place of Kwagga Smith for the Italian clash. (Photo: Anton Geyser / Gallo Images)

Bruising inside centre Andre Esterhuizen also makes a rare start – his first since the second Test against Wales in July and only his second Test start in three years. That means Damian de Allende shifts to outside centre for his first start in the No 13 jersey since the Rugby World Cup 2019 match against Canada.

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The back three of Cheslin Kolbe, Kurt-Lee Arendse and Willie le Roux, from last weeks’ 30-26 defeat in Marseille, are retained.

Stormers loose forward Evan Roos will feature on the replacements bench alongside Etzebeth, Smith and the front row of Steven Kitshoff, Vincent Koch (both props) and Malcolm Marx (hooker) in a split of six forwards and two backs on the bench.

Cobus Reinach (scrumhalf) and Manie Libbok (utility back), in turn, will provide backline cover, with Libbok able to cover flyhalf, centre, wing and fullback.

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“A couple of players have been training very hard in the last few weeks and deserve a chance to start, and Lood’s injury and Pieter-Steph’s disciplinary hearing opened the door for us to give them an opportunity,” said Nienaber.

“Salmaan and Marvin are both Stormers players, so they have been playing together for a while, and they are very hungry for game time, so we are looking forward to what they bring in the game.

Salmaan Moerat on the attack against Wales at Loftus Versfeld on 2 July 2022. (Photo: Gordon Arons / Gallo Images)

“It’s also good to have Jasper back against the physical Italian pack, and we know that Kwagga will spark something different when he takes the field. Evan also gets a chance off the bench and his skills will work well with Kwagga in the loose trio, while Manie earns another run after making his debut last week.

“Manie’s versatility will also come in handy, as he can cover most positions in the backline, and with Cobus on the bench and several experienced backs in the backline, he will have enough guidance to be able to play his game.”

Both Tests on tour so far have been tight matches, with the Boks losing 19-16 in Dublin. A little bit of luck here and there and the mood going into the Italy match might be different.

Crucial match

As it is, it’s become a crucial fixture in the context of this tour. Although the subtext is always that these matches are about building towards the World Cup, the reality is that results matter. The Boks have already lost five Tests in 2022, which for the world champions is simply not good enough.

To compound matters Italy will have some confidence and momentum after they beat Australia 30-29 in Florence last week. It was the Azzurri’s first win over the Wallabies and followed wins over Wales and Samoa in recent months.

“They defeated Wales away in the Six Nations and tested Scotland as well, so we are under no illusions as to the challenge that lies ahead. Italy have shown before what a force they can be at home by defeating the Boks 20-18 in Florence, and they will draw confidence from that as well.

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“We have been working hard on improving the areas of the game that let us down in the last two matches, and we are determined to get onto the right side of the scoreboard after very narrow defeats against the first- and second-ranked teams in the world.”

Marvin Orie contests for the ball during the Boks’ clash against Georgia at Loftus Versfeld on 2 July 2021. (Photo: David Rogers / Getty Images)

Zoning in on Italy, Nienaber said: “Their forwards are physical, they have a skilful backline and a good defensive system, and they play with a lot of confidence, so we know what we are in for. We have to deliver a quality performance for the full 80 minutes.

“We believe we are on the right track after coming close against Ireland and France, and if we can produce a strong showing up front and be a little more accurate in our execution, we know we can turn things around on tour.” DM

Springbok team:

15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Damian de Allende, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Damian Willemse, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Franco Mostert, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Salmaan Moerat, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nche.

Substitutes: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Steven Kitshoff, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Eben Etzebeth, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Evan Roos, 22 Cobus Reinach, 23 Manie Libbok.