South Africa v Wales: Springboks back row Pieter-Steph du Toit misses opening Test injured

South Africa back row Pieter-Steph du Toit was named World Player of the Year in 2019

Former World Player of the Year Pieter-Steph du Toit will miss South Africa's opening Test with Wales on Saturday in Pretoria.

Du Toit, 29, is still recovering from shoulder surgery, but is expected to be back for the second and third Tests in Bloemfontein and Cape Town.

It is a second back-row blow for the Springboks, with number eight Duane Vermeulen already missing.

Salmaan Moerat and Elrigh Louw are in line to make debuts from the bench.

Moerat, a member of the Springbok squad for last season's UK tour, is primarily a second-row while Louw plays either lock or flanker.

Head coach Jacques Nienaber has opted for an experienced side which has a combined total of 603 caps and includes 10 players who started the World Cup final in 2019.

Captain Siya Kolisi starts in the back-row with Franco Mostert and Jasper Wiese, while lock Eben Etzebeth will win his 98th cap alongside Lood de Jager.

In the front row, Frans Malherbe and Ox Nché will pack down on either side of hooker Bongi Mbonambi.

Alongside scrum-half Faf de Klerk, the number 10 jersey will be worn by Elton Jantjies, selected ahead of Handré Pollard who is a late-comer to the South African camp after playing for Montpellier on Friday in the Top 14 final.

On Pollard's absence, Nienaber said: "He flew out on Saturday and arrived in camp on Sunday, so yes, he probably could've played.

"Why is he not in the 23? I suppose you can ask that of a lot of players. To be honest, there are certain boxes that we want to tick.

"There are plans for all 42 guys that are in camp with us. We've been open with them, and they know what our plan is.

"Obviously, the plan can change when there's a change in performance, when a player didn't play to expectations, or there's an injury.

"Hopefully, our plan will come to fruition over the next three weeks.

"We want to select a player we coached during the week.

"If we didn't coach a guy on a Monday, but another guy though, we just feel that the coaching and information they guy that did train, puts himself in a better condition for selection. There's nothing sinister about that."

Damian Willemse starts at full-back in a backline featuring wings Makazole Mapimpi and Cheslin Kolbe and centres Lukhanyo Am and Damian de Allende.

South Africa: Damian Willemse; Cheslin Kolbe, Lukhanyo Am, Damian de Allende, Makazole Mapimpi; Elton Jantjies, Faf de Klerk; Ox Nché, Bongi Mbonambi, Frans Malherbe, Eben Etzebeth, Lood de Jager, Siya Kolisi (capt), Franco Mostert, Jasper Wiese.

Replacements: Malcolm Marx, Steven Kitshoff, Vincent Koch, Salmaan Moerat, Elrigh Louw, Kwagga Smith, Herschel Jantjies, Willie le Roux