Depleted Springboks gamble on hooker Marx for Rugby Championship

South Africa have included forwards Pieter-Steph du Toit and Malcolm Marx in their 33-player squad for the opening two games of the Rugby Championship despite injury concerns around the pair but will be without several other senior players.

Hooker Marx has a tibia fracture but is expected to be fit for the Springboks’ second fixture against Australia in Perth on Aug. 17. Loose forward Du Toit should be ready for their opener a week earlier against the Wallabies in Brisbane.

The squad will be led by captain Siya Kolisi. Returning lock Ruan Nortje is the only player included in the group who missed the drawn two-test series with Ireland and victory over Portugal earlier this month.

He comes in for Franco Mostert, who heads an injury list that includes second rowers Jean Kleyn and Lood de Jager, prop Steven Kitshoff, scrumhalves Faf de Klerk and Jaden Hendrikse, centre Canan Moodie and fullback Damian Willemse.

They join suspended number eight Jasper Wiese and centre Andre Esterhuizen on the sidelines, the latter waiting for the verdict of his disciplinary hearing after being sent off in the 64-21 win over Portugal on Saturday.

All were part of the squad that lifted the Rugby World Cup in France last October, but their absence gives coach Rassie Erasmus the chance to cast his selection net wider.

"This is a quality group of players, which includes a mixture of youth and experience, and we believe this is the best group of players we could select," Erasmus said in a media release from South African Rugby.

"We rested some players before the match against Portugal to recharge for this competition and we are excited to see the energy they’ll bring back to the squad.

"We’ve also included a few younger players who made a strong