South Africa v Wales: Springboks make 14 changes for second Test in Bloemfontein

Jacques Nienaber was appointed South Africa head coach in January 2020

South Africa coach Jacques Nienaber has made 14 changes to the starting side to face Wales for the second Test on Saturday.

Only lock Eben Etzebeth remains from the team that defeated Wales 32-29 in Pretoria.

After not being involved last week, fly-half Handre Pollard takes over the captaincy from Siya Kolisi.

Uncapped duo Kurt-Lee Arendse and Evan Roos have been handed first Springboks starts.

Ntuthuko Mchunu, Ruan Nortje, Deon Fourie and Grant Williams could make their debuts off the bench.

Utility forward Fourie, 35, will become the oldest player to make a Springbok debut if he comes on the field in Bloemfontein.

The 2019 World Rugby player of the year Pieter-Steph du Toit returns to the back row after injury.

Only four players in the first Test match 23 retained their places with hooker Malcolm Marx, prop Vincent Koch and Damian Willemse - who kicked the winning penalty in Pretoria - included on the bench.

Nienaber insists he is not disrespecting Wales with his selection.

"We'll never choose a team we believe can't win," said Nienaber.

"I've said it many times before. This isn't a platform for development.

"You have to perform. That's the most important and only requirement. It will be tight because we're facing a Wales team desperate to still win this series.

"That's this team's pressure. The other side wanted to make a good early start last weekend. They ticked their box.

"The team that played last week made this team selection possible.

"We had a plan with all 42 players in our squad and told them about the plan from day one.

"Everyone knew about the plan, but you don't know whether it will be doable and be able to execute it. The win obviously gave us an opportunity."

Nienaber said he believes some of his star players would take offence to this being called a B team.

Handre Pollard has won 60 caps for South Africa since his debut in 2014

"I don't think I'd take offence, but Handre and Eben [Etzebeth] will and other players," added Nienaber.

"Our biggest strategic objective will always be to keep momentum, which is to win.

"We've picked a side we think we can beat Wales. We want to tick a fair few boxes in this series.

"This selection strategy isn't unique. People may ask why we're making so many changes, but it is not just us.

"If you look France now it is not a B team playing in Japan.

"If you look at what Wales did in the last (Six Nations) game against Italy there were seven changes, they did not disrespect Italy at all.

"They could only finish third in the Six Nations if they beat Italy and there were also opportunities to give some guys a go and some of them are now playing against us.

"That gave some answers to their coaching staff, so it's not a unique situation."

Nienaber says he did not consider only playing this team in the third Test in Cape Town if South Africa had already won the series.

"You could say why not wait until the series is wrapped up and give these guys a go in the third Test?" said Nienaber.

"Because you want to see these guys perform under pressure. If we're going to take them to a World Cup and play New Zealand, you need to be sure everyone can perform under pressure. That's not always the case when a series is wrapped up early.

"It's like a final for them, as it is for Wales. They didn't come here to compete, they came to win a series and they are now playing for survival and that is going to be our challenge.

"To face a fierce Wales team playing for survival and you want to see whether our players will be able to perform under that pressure.

"We selected them because we think they can."

South Africa team to face Wales in Bloemfontein: Warrick Gelant; Kurt-Lee Arendse, Jesse Kriel, Andre Esterhuizen, Aphelele Fassi; Handre Pollard (capt), Jaden Hendrikse; Thomas du Toit, Joseph Dweba, Trevor Nyakane, Eben Etzebeth, Marvin Orie, Marcell Coetzee, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Evan Roos.

Replacements: Malcolm Marx, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Vincent Koch, Ruan Nortje, Rynhardt Elstadt, Deon Fourie, Grant Williams, Damian Willemse.

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