All six returning overseas-based Springboks have been included in the match 23 for Saturday’s Test against France in Paris.
They were all unavailable for last week’s game at Twickenham as it fell outside World Rugby’s international window.
Fullback Willie le Roux (Wasps), scrumhalf Faf de Klerk (Sale Sharks) and lock Franco Mostert (Gloucester) have come into the starting XV for Damian Willemse, Ivan van Zyl and the injured Eben Etzebeth respectively, with Willemse and Van Zyl both falling out of the match-day squad.
Prop Vincent Koch (Saracens), flank Francois Louw (Bath) and wing Cheslin Kolbe (Toulouse) have been included on the Bok bench, at the expense of Wilco Louw, Lood de Jager and André Esterhuizen respectively.
Pieter-Steph du Toit will once again start in the second row, with coach Rassie Erasmus opting to keep Duane Vermeulen on the blindside flank and Warren Whiteley at No 8.
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‘It’s good to have the experienced players back in the starting team for France,’ said Erasmus. ‘I thought Damian [Willemse] and Ivan did very well last week against England but you need as much experience as possible playing away from home. We are building squad depth for the World Cup and they will be back in the mix as the tour progresses.
‘We believe it would be better not to rush Eben back as we still have two Tests left on the tour after the match against France. Franco has started in eight of our 11 Tests this year and he starts with Pieter-Steph du Toit, who is obviously also a good option to move to loose forward later in the match.’
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Springboks – 15 Willie le Roux, 14 S’bu Nkosi, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Aphiwe Dyantyi, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Warren Whiteley, 7 Duane Vermeulen, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Subs: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Thomas du Toit, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 RG Snyman, 20 Francois Louw, 21 Embrose Papier, 22 Elton Jantjies, 23 Cheslin Kolbe.
Photo: Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images
