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Fresh-Look Springboks Overhaul Squad as Esterhuizen Named Captain for Perth Showdown

By Karen Scheepers23 Sept 2026👁️ 481 views

Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus has made a statement of squad management and depth by making 13 changes to the starting XV for South Africa's upcoming Test against Australia in Perth.

Coming off a hard-fought 43-28 victory over the All Blacks in Baltimore to secure the inaugural Castle Double Malt Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry title, the world champions enter this fixture with a fresh-faced lineup featuring new leadership and individual milestones.

The most notable selection sees hybrid back Andre Esterhuizen step into the role of 68th Springbok captain. Esterhuizen, who has featured both at centre and in the back row, will skipper the side alongside midfield partner Canan Moodie. Only lock Eben Etzebeth and wing Ethan Hooker have retained their starting spots from the USA victory. Etzebeth will extend his record as the most-capped Springbok to 147 Test appearances, linking up in the engine room with Franco Mostert. Behind them, a completely new front row of Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Zachary Porthen, and hooker Johan Grobbelaar takes the field, while Paul de Villiers, Elrigh Louw, and Marco van Staden complete the forward pack.

In the backline, Handre Pollard returns to the starting flyhalf role after recovering from injury, forming a halfback pairing with Herschel Jantjies. Fullback Aphelele Fassi joins wingers Ethan Hooker and Edwill van der Merwe to round out the back three. Meanwhile, No 8 Jasper Wiese is set to hit the milestone of 50 Test caps off a bench that boasts experienced powerhouses including Malcolm Marx, Ox Nche, Wilco Louw, and Lood de Jager. Key regulars such as Pieter-Steph du Toit and Damian de Allende have been granted rest after heavy recent workloads.

Position	Player	Test Caps
15	Aphelele Fassi	18
14	Edwill van der Merwe	7
13	Canan Moodie	25
12	Andre Esterhuizen (c)	35
11	Ethan Hooker	13
10	Handre Pollard	87
9	Herschel Jantjies	25
8	Marco van Staden	37
7	Elrigh Louw	15
6	Paul de Villiers	4
5	Franco Mostert	84
4	Eben Etzebeth	146
3	Zachary Porthen	7
2	Johan Grobbelaar	10
1	Jan-Hendrik Wessels	14

Despite the squad rotation, Australia presents a formidable challenge on home turf at Optus Stadium. The Wallabies enter the encounter having claimed four victories in their last five outings, alongside a draw with Argentina and a narrow loss to Ireland. While South Africa holds the overall head-to-head advantage with 53 wins out of 97 played, meetings in Perth have been balanced, with both sides recording four wins and two draws across 10 previous encounters.

Final whistle

As kickoff approaches at Optus Stadium, this Test presents a crucial platform for South Africa’s squad depth to prove itself against a rising Australian side. With new leaders stepping up and core stalwarts ready to make an impact off the bench, the Springboks will look to maintain their winning momentum on international soil.

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