Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus says he expects Australia to treat Saturday's Rugby Championship opener as a "must-win" after a lean 2018 season.
With a host of players travelling to New Zealand early ahead of their second Rugby Championship Test against the All Blacks, South Africa has named a team missing some of its biggest names to take on the Wallabies.
Stormers second rower Etzebeth takes the captaincy from the injured Siya Kolisi (knee) hooker Malcolm Marx and flyhalf Handre Pollard are among those absent from the team.
Erasmus has named three potential debutants for the clash with France-based flanker Rynhardt Elstadt and halfback Herschel Jantjies in the starting team and Bulls loosehead Lizo Gqoboka on the bench.
With just four wins from 13 Tests last year, including just one win from three Spring Tour Tests, Erasmus said Australia would likely approach this as a Test they simply had to win.
"It's obviously one eye on the World Cup but you can't have your eye on the World Cup without building momentum going into the World Cup," he said.
"Each coach is in a different position - the New Zelaand coach has torest a lot of Crusader guys otherwise they just continue playing. They're sending a few guys over to Argentina and keeping a few guys back in New Zealand to be ready forour Test match.
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"Australia is in a different boat. I think if you take their last few matches, end of last year, they would like to pick up some momentum.
"After us they play Argentina (at home) then they play New Zealand at home and away so I guess this game's a pretty big game in terms of picking up momentum for them.
"I guess they will come out in this game and see this as a big must-win for them and I guess that's why they've probably picked their first in-form, first choice team. I'm not sure, I'm guessing when I say that."
This will be the Wallabies' first Test without Israel Folau since the fullback took a Spring Tour sabbatical back in 2017 and Erasmus said he expected it would only really impact them in the air.
"They will miss him, there's no doubt they'll miss Folau because he's a world-class player but they interchange positions no matter what the number on the back," he said.
"It's actually difficult to sum up that guy can play 15,12,13 or 10, they just interchange all the time but I think they'll be less of a threat aerially without him.
The Wallabies haven't won a Test in Johannesburg since 1963 and lost their last outing against the Springboks at Ellis Park 53-8 in 2008.
South Africa hosts the Wallabies at Ellis Park, Johannesburg on Saturday July 20, kicking off at 5:05pm local, Sunday 1:05am AEST, LIVE on FOX SPORTS and Kayo Sports.
TEAM
South Africa to face Wallabies
1. Tendai Mtawarira (Cell C Sharks)
2. Bongi Mbonambi (DHL Stormers)
3. Trevor Nyakane (Vodacom Bulls),
4. Eben Etzebeth (captain, DHL Stormers)
5. Lood de Jager (Vodacom Bulls)
6. Rynhardt Elstadt (Toulouse, France)
7. Pieter-Steph du Toit (DHL Stormers)
8. Francois Louw (Bath, England)
9. Herschel Jantjies (DHL Stormers),
10. Elton Jantjies (Emirates Lions)
11. Makazole Mapimpi (Cell C Sharks)
12. André Esterhuizen (Cell C Sharks)
13. Jesse Kriel (Vodacom Bulls)
14. Sbu Nkosi (Cell C Sharks)
15. Warrick Gelant (Vodacom Bulls)
Reserves
16. Schalk Brits (Vodacom Bulls)
17. Lizo Gqoboka (Vodacom Bulls)
18. Vincent Koch (Saracens, England)
19. Marvin Orie (Emirates Lions)
20. Marcell Coetzee (Ulster, Ireland)
21. Cobus Reinach (Northampton Saints, England)
22. Frans Steyn (Montpellier, France)
23. Dillyn Leyds (DHL Stormers)
