The Qantas Wallabies will open their 2015 Test season this Saturday night at Suncorp Stadium against the Springboks, who have named an experienced side for their opening Rugby Championship clash.
Springboks coach Heyneke Meyer has made five changes to the 23-man team that defeated the World XV last weekend, headlined by the returned of experienced back-rower Schalk Burger to run on side.
"We’re expecting a massive contest for the ball on the ground on Saturday and with Schalk there next to Francois Louw and Marcell Coetzee, as well as Bismarck du Plessis, we’ve got a lot of players who are very good at the breakdowns,” Heyneke Meyer said.
“It will be good to see what Heinke (van der Merve), Frans (Malherbe), Lood (de Jager) and Lwazi (Mvovo) can do from the bench, while we’ve also opted to keep continuity in the starting team. There will most likely be changes for every match this season as we keep one eye on the World Cup."
The Wallabies and Boks battled it out twice in 2014, with the home side victorious on each occasion.
The Springboks record at Suncorp Stadium doesn’t favour them, winning just one match since 1965. Their one victory at Suncorp came in 2013 when they defeated the Wallabies 38-12.
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SPRINGBOKS TEAM
Starting XV
1. Tendai Mtawarira
2. Bismarck du Plessis
3. Jannie di Plessis
4. Eben Etzebeth
5. Victor Matfield (Captain)
6. Francois Louw
7. Marcell Coetzee
8. Schalk Burger
9. Ruan Pienaar (Vice-captain)
10. Handré Pollard
11. Bryan Habana
12. Damian de Allende
13. Jesse Kriel
14. JP Pietersen
15. Willie le Roux
Bench
16. Adrian Strauss
17. Heinke van der Merwe
18. Frans Malherbe
19. Lood de Jager
20. Oupa Mohoje
21. Cobus Reinach
22. Pat Lambie
23. Lwazi Mvovo
