Fourie du Preez will end a 23-month absence from the Springboks starting line-up when he faces Australia on Saturday in the Rugby Championship.
The 31-year-old scrum-half replaces Ruan Pienaar for the penultimate-round southern hemisphere championship match at Newlands in Cape Town.
Japan-based Pienaar last started for the green and gold against Australia in a 2011 Rugby World Cup quarter-final in Wellington.
Recalled to the squad last month. he came off the bench against Argentina in Soweto and scored a try, but was unavailable for the return match and an Australasia tour.
His return is one of two changes from the team that started in a 29-15 defeat by the New Zealand All Blacks in Auckland two weeks ago.
The other sees hooker Adriaan Strauss replace Bismarck du Plessis, who was controversially red-carded during the Eden Park Test.
Du Plessis was incorrectly sin binned during the opening half after making a hard but legal tackle on All Blacks playmaker Dan Carter.
And when he was justifiably yellow carded soon after half-time for leading with his elbow against Liam Messam, he was shown an automatic red card.
The International Rugby Board (IRB) and southern hemisphere body SANZAR later admitted French referee Romain Poite blundered over the first yellow card.
Springboks coach Heyneke Meyer told a media conference after the team announcement in Cape Town that the two changes had been planned.
“We were always going to rotate players where possible and planned to start this Test with Adriaan and Fourie,” he said.
Springboks: Zane Kirchner; Willie le Roux, JJ Engelbrecht, Jean de Villiers (capt), Bryan Habana; Morne Steyn, Fourie du Preez; Duane Vermeulen, Willem Alberts, Francois Louw; Flip van der Merwe, Eben Etzebeth; Jannie du Plessis, Adriaan Strauss, Tendai Mtawarira
Replacements: Bismarck du Plessis, Gurthro Steenkamp, Coenie Oosthuizen, Juandre Kruger, Siya Kolisi, Ruan Pienaar, Patrick Lambie, Jan Serfontein
Ben.S
Roar Guru
Never saw Brussow run much with the ball either. He was a jackal.
Rusty
Roar Guru
holy crap - very ordinary name though..we need more ligtorings!
Dannie Blixem
Guest
Brussow was one of the Boks most physical players despite not being a big ox, so not sure what you're on about.
Yeah , he does Harry, I quite like the look of him.
Chan Wee
Guest
A coin has 2 sides Dannie; Flow was at Bath if i remember correct and was their standout flank in AP. Maybe he is a shade slower but not a slouch by any measure. HB is more of the Hooper mould , smaller flank who liks to run more than get involved in dirty stuff. Meyer thinks he is a penalty magnet but has not compltely written him off. BTW Scot Burger is coming back !!!! If he plays line in 2009 even Flow is not safe :D Also it seems Meyer has taken a leaf out of MIB book and got 2 hookers who do the ball snatching also (in fact Meyer seems to be imitating the Blacks a lot - their discipine is much better and the coach for a change is not a clown a-la PDV). The new union order seems to focus more on the collission than the ball snatching - the logic may be if u win the collission , then u can get over the ball anyway or slow it down so much that in the next phase someone gets burried! Another point is Boks have a kicking for territory game; so having tall towers at lineout helps , not only to win ball but also to disrupt opposition. Add to that the most destructive rolling maul in international rugger :)
Dannie Blixem
Guest
Stubborn coach who likes all of his players to be 6 foot 4+ 110kg. It is a disgrace that Brussow's talents are being wasted.
Buk
Guest
How come Heinrich Brussow is no longer in the team ? One of the top open sides in World Rugby, and I am not from SA.
Rusty
Roar Guru
Welcome back Fouie but for me the thing I have been waiting for... DHL WESTERN PROVINCE TEAM: Gio Aplon, Gerhard van den Heever, Michael van der Spuy, Damian de Allende, Cheslin Kolbe, Kurt Coleman, Nic Groom, Nizaam Carr, Michael Rhodes, Deon Fourie (captain), De Kock Steenkamp, Tazz Fuzani, Pat Cilliers, Scarra Ntubeni, Steven Kitshoff. Replacements: Michael Willemse, Brok Harris, Gerbrandt Grobler, Schalk Burger, Josh Katzen, Louis Schreuder, Demetri Catrakilis.
Harry Jones
Guest
2.04 m 113 kg Still growing
Harry Jones
Guest
Ruan Botha? WP
Harry Jones
Guest
BB: Looks more like a No. 7, hey? Mobile.
Loftus
Guest
Don't forget about Paul Willemse as well. 21 years old, 2.00 metre, 135kg.
Jaques du plessis is 6" 7' and 119 kg He has signed with the Bulls and are playing Currie Cup for them currently
chann wee
Guest
who is the 6' 9" 120kg boy who was at under 20 tournament?
Our new crop of locks are very, very young, Pieter Steph du Toit, Eben Etzebeth, Lood de Jager are all only 20 years old. The problem is we have lost a plethora of locks, it will take a year or two to replace.
Ben.S
Roar Guru
He's given away some silly penalties this RC.
Mr.G
Roar Rookie
If you take stock of the locks in South Africa, then Flip isn't such a bad choice. He's certainly better in the tight than Kruger, who is a master lineout guy, but offers little else. He's cut down on his indiscretions now, and isn't the walking yellow he was once dubbed. Bulls- Flip and Kruger Sharks- FvDM and PSDT ( PSDT injured, now in squad. Franco old, on loan from Lions, shored up Sharks lineout, but like Kruger, offers little else) Cheetahs- De Jager, Uys and Landman Stormers- Bekker ( off to Japan), Etzebeth Kings- Sykes, Nell, Bulbring
Ben.S
Roar Guru
I can see the reasons for Kirchner being selected with the flaws that Le Roux has, but again I imagine there's better 15s out there. I've been told of Du Toit on another thread, so will keep an eye on him.
DanUK
Guest
Lol, agree there. Flippie and Zane are definitely overrated. Du Toit from the Sharks will hopefully take his spot in the coming years
Ben.S
Roar Guru
Still for the life of me cannot see the value in Van der Merwe? I can appreciate that he's useful with regard to the scrummaging laws, and that Kruger hasn't developed as I thought he could, but VDM is a calamity. He has the rugby nous of a rocking horse. It may well only be a short-term thing, but surely there must be better locks in South Africa than this pudding?