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South Africa have selected veteran flanker Schalk Burger out of position at No.8 for their Rugby Championship opener against the Wallabies on Saturday night.
Burger replaces Warren Whiteley in the only change to the Springboks’ starting side which thrashed a World XV 46-10 on the weekend.
Coach Heyneke Meyer felt in the absence of regular No.8 Duane Vermeulen who has a neck injury, veteran Burger was best suited to the back of the scrum in a highly mobile back-row designed to negate David Pocock and Michael Hooper.
There are four changes to the bench – props Heinke van der Merwe and Frans Malherbe, lock Lood de Jager and winger Lwazi Mvovo have all been included.
Meyer said the changes were all part of the plan to rotate players in the lead-up to the World Cup.
“We’re expecting a massive contest for the ball on the ground on Saturday and with Schalk there next to Francois Louw and Marcell Coetzee, as well as Bismarck du Plessis, we’ve got a lot of players who are very good at the breakdowns,” Meyer said.
The Springboks have only beaten the Wallabies once at Suncorp Stadium – a 38-12 thrashing in 2013.
Springboks: Willie le Roux, JP Pietersen, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Bryan Habana, Handre Pollard, Ruan Pienaar, Schalk Burger, Marcell Coetzee, Francois Louw, Victor Matfield (capt), Eben Etzebeth, Jannie du Plessis, Bismarck du Plessis, Tendai Mtawarira. Replacements: Adriaan Strauss, Heinke van der Merwe, Frans Malherbe, Lood de Jager, Oupa Mohoje, Cobus Reinach, Pat Lambie, Lwazi Mvovo.
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