Pollard returns to captain as Springboks shock with wholesale changes for 2nd Test

Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber has made wholesale changes to his team for Saturday's second Test against Wales in Bloemfontein.

Nienaber has picked two uncapped players - winger Kurt-Lee Arendse and No 8 Evan Roos - in his starting XV and there are a further four newcomers on the bench.

The uncapped players on the bench are prop Ntuthuko Mchunu, lock Ruan Nortje, utility forward Deon Fourie and scrumhalf Grant Williams.

Only four players from last week's match-day squad have retained their places. Experienced lock Eben Etzebeth, who will earn his 99th cap for South Africa, is the only starter from that group, while hooker Malcolm Marx, prop Vincent Koch and utility back Damian Willemse have been included on the bench.

Elsewhere, the experienced Handre Pollard replaces Elton Jantjies at flyhalf and also takes over the captaincy from regular skipper Siya Kolisi.

15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Aphelele Fassi, 10 Handre Pollard (captain), 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Trevor Nyakane, 2 Joseph Dweba, 1 Thomas du Toit

Substitutes: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Ntuthuko Mchunu, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Ruan Nortje, 20 Rynhardt Elstadt, 21 Deon Fourie, 22 Grant Williams, 23 Damian Willemse

Nienaber stressed the importance of building depth, with the 2023 Rugby World Cup on the horizon.

"We said from the outset that we needed to strike a balance between giving our talented young players an opportunity to show what they can do at international level, and winning," said Nienaber.

"If one looks at the balance between players who have played at this level and those who have performed consistently well for their franchises and