Setbacks for Boks, OZmob

The Springboks have suffered a double late blow ahead of their Test against Australia at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday.

Sport24

Centre Frans Steyn and prop Coenie Oosthuizen have both been ruled out of the Boks’ penultimate Rugby Championship match.

Steyn will be replaced by the Lions’ Jaco Taute. Taute will start at outside centre with skipper Jean de Villiers moving to No 12, while Juan de Jongh comes onto the bench.

Pat Cilliers will replace Oosthuizen on the bench.

Australia were given a further blow ahead of their Rugby Championship match against the Springboks at Loftus Versfeld when reserve loose forward Scott Higginbotham looked set to be ruled out of the game.

Higginbotham, who was named on the bench, tweaked his back in training on Thursday and will be given until Saturday morning to prove his fitness, but at the moment it seems unlikely he will make the Test 22 for the match on Saturday.

Teams:

South Africa:15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Bryan Habana, 13 Jaco Taute, 12 Jean de Villiers (captain), 11 Francois Hougaard, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Francois Louw, 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Beast Mtawarira

Substitutes: 16 Tiaan Liebenberg, 17 Pat Cilliers, 18 Flip van der Merwe, 19 Marcell Coetzee, 20 Elton Jantjies, 21 Jaco Taute/Juan de Jongh, 22 Patrick Lambie

Australia:15 Berrick Barnes, 14 Dominic Shipperley, 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12 Pat McCabe, 11 Digby Ioane, 10 Kurtley Beale, 9 Nick Phipps, 8 Radike Samo, 7 Michael Hooper, 6 Dave Dennis, 5 Nathan Sharpe (captain), 4 Kane Douglas, 3 Ben Alexander, 2 Tatafu Polota Nau, 1 Benn Robinson

Substitutes: 16 Saia Fainga’a, 17 James Slipper, 18 Rob Simmons, 19 Scott Higginbotham, 20 Liam Gill, 21 Brett Sheehan, 22 Anthony Fainga’a

Kick-off is at 17:00.