South Africa names four uncapped players vs Wales in Durban

South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus has named four uncapped players in a heavily rotated starting lineup for the Springboks' upcoming Nations Championship match against Wales in Durban on Saturday, July 18, 2026. The selection continues a policy of squad rotation aimed at building depth ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

The debutants are Sharks flyhalf Vusi Moyo, Sharks winger Jaco Williams, Montpellier lock Ruben van Heerden, and Bordeaux-Bègles tighthead prop Carlu Sadie. Moyo and Williams will make their first Test appearances at their home ground, Kings Park. The quartet are part of 10 changes to the starting XV that defeated Scotland 42-28 in Pretoria on July 11.

Several experienced players return to the fold, including centre Damian de Allende, wing Kurt-Lee Arendse, scrumhalf Cobus Reinach, No. 8 Jasper Wiese, hooker Malcolm Marx, and loosehead prop Gerhard Steenekamp. The bench features a five-three split of forwards and backs, including hooker Andre-Hugo Venter, who could earn his second cap, and 2019 World Cup winner Herschel Jantjies, who last played for South Africa in 2023.

Erasmus explained that the rotational policy was communicated to the squad at the start of...