Etzebeth returns to captain Springboks against All Blacks, Willemse at flyhalf

Eben Etzebeth's return to competitive action will be combined with the increased responsibility as Springbok captain for the crunch Rugby Championship meeting with the All Blacks in Auckland on Saturday.

The outstanding lock had been on the sidelines since early April when he sustained a shoulder injury doing duty for the Sharks, but launched an effective comeback bid.

"Eben has been working very hard in the last few months to make a full recovery from his shoulder injury and it’s great to see him return to the field in this important fixture. He’s a vastly experienced player with 110 Test caps, he’s captained the Springboks before and he has been with the group of players in New Zealand for over a week, so he is the ideal person to lead the team this weekend," said national coach Jacques Nienaber.

Interestingly, despite some still arguing that the combination that comprehensively beat the Wallabies last weekend represented a "B-team" of sorts, that perception has now been blown out of the water given that several heroes from that performance are still present.

"We planned to select a squad with a few key combinations of players who are fully acclimatised and settled in in New Zealand, while also selecting some players who started last week, and we are pleased with the balance we were able to strike with this squad," said Nienaber.

"This allows us to give some players their first taste of international rugby this season alongside a group of players who come off a physical clash against the Wallabies, and we believe this will be beneficial against a top opponent in the All Blacks." 

Notably, Damian Willemse will start at No 10, while wing stalwarts Cheslin Kolbe and Makazole Mapimpi have resisted pressure from the red-hot duo