Four new caps in Springboks match-day squad to face Wales

South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus will give out four new caps this weekend as his Springbok side warm-up for their Test series against Ireland with a game against Wales at Twickenham.

In their first game since becoming world champions for a record fourth time in 2023, the South Africa head coach has shaken up his squad, with Lions pair Edwill van der Merwe (wing) and Jordan Hendrikse (out-half) making their debuts in the starting XV.

Two more new faces are set to be given debuts off the bench, with forward Ben-Jason Dixon and utility back Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, both of the Stormers, included among a 5:3 split.

Pieter-Steph du Toit captains the side, with ten of the matchday squad having featured in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final, while 16 players were members of the wider squad for that tournament.

Hooker Malcolm Marx makes his return from an anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered at the World Cup, and joins Ox Nche and Vincent Koch in the front row, with Koch earning his 50th Springbok cap.

Franco Mostert and Eben Etzebeth form an experienced second row partnership, with Du Toit joined in the back row by Kwagga Smith and Evan Roos.

Debutant Hendrikse is partnered with Faf de Klerk in the half-backs, with Jesse Kriel and Andre Esterhuizen in the centre, while Van der Merwe has Sharks pair Makazole Mapimpi and Aphelele Fassi in the back three.

On the bench, World Cup winners Bongi Mbonambi, Frans Malherbe, Grant Williams and Damian de Allende are joined by Ntuthuko Mchunu and Salmaan Moerat, while Manie Libbok, RG Snyman, Neethling Fouche, Phepsi Buthelezi, Ethan Hooker, Quan Horn and Andre-Hugo Venter will also travel to London as part of a 30-man squad.

South Africa: Aphelele Fassi; Edwill van der Merwe, Jesse