Pieter-Steph du Toit takes the reins as Erasmus picks four debutants to face Wales

The opening clash of the 2024 season falls outside the regular international window, meaning a number of regular starters for the Springboks are unavailable - captain Siya Kolisi included - while several players are also missing through injury.

The situation has created an opportunity for head coach Rassie Erasmus to test some new blood in the Bok jersey, and as many as four uncapped players could make their debut on Saturday.

Winger Edwill van der Merwe and flyhalf Jordan Hendrikse are both set to earn their first starts in the run-on side, while lock Ben-Jason Dixon and utility back Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu are the two new faces on the replacements bench.

Still, there are 10 players in the matchday squad who also played in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final, and as many as 16 who were members of the Rugby World Cup squad in France.

That includes world-class hooker Malcolm Marx, who will be making his first appearance in a Springbok jersey since suffering a devastating knee injury in the Boks' World Cup match against Scotland.

Five players in the starting team featured in the same positions in the World Cup Final at the Stade de France in October last year -  locks Eben Etzebeth and Franco Mostert, captain Du Toit, scrumhalf Faf de Klerk and centre Jesse Kriel, who has been named as the vice-captain for this match.

Marx will be joined in the front row by experienced Bok campaigners Vincent Koch - celebrating his 50th cap - and Ox Nche, while Du Toit will have the dynamic duo of Evan Roos and Kwagga Smith joining him in a formidable loose trio.

Kriel, meanwhile, will have the dangerous Andre Esterhuizen joining him in the midfield, while Makazole Mapimpi takes his spot on the wing as a resurgent Aphelele Fassi comes back into the side at No 15.

Erasmus opted for a five-three split in favour of the forwards on the replacements bench, which includes four World Cup winners Bongi Mbonambi, Frans Malherbe, Grant Williams, and Damian de Allende alongside Ntuthuko Mchunu, Salmaan Moerat and Feinberg-Mngomezulu.

Commenting on his team selection, Erasmus said he was excited to see what this team, featuring a strong mix of youth and experience, could achieve.

"This is an exciting playing squad and travelling group, and we are looking forward to seeing how the uncapped players step up at top international level and how we execute what weâ™ve been working on at training in the last few days and at the alignment camps," said Erasmus.

"The likes of Edwill, Jordan, Ben-Jason, and Sacha have really impressed us at training, and we believe they have what it takes to make their presence felt against a quality team such as Wales.

"They will be surrounded by several experienced campaigners â- some of whom are Rugby World Cup winners - so they will have enough guidance on the field to fulfil their roles even when the pressure is on. It is equally exciting for us to see players such as Aphelele, Evan, Ntuthuko and Salmaan back in the green in gold after earning their stripes in the last few seasons."

Erasmus also revealed that an additional seven players not in the matchday 23 will travel with the Boks to London: Manie Libbok, RG Snyman, Neethling Fouche, Phepsi Buthelezi, Ethan Hooker, Quan Horn and Andre-Hugo Venter.

As for his decision to hand the captaincy to Du Toit, Erasmus said it was a richly deserved honour.

"Pieter-Steph has been a key figure in our system for several years now and heâ™s a player who leads by example on the field," said Erasmus. "We have a strong core of senior players in this group, and we had a few options for captain, but we feel Pieter-Steph will be the right man to lead the team this week.

"He has captained the Springboks only once before and that was against Wales in 2018, and after that result, we believe it will make this match even more personal for him. Over and above that, he has immense respect from his team-mates and the coaches, and we know he will accept this responsibility with great pride."

Erasmus said Saturday's Test is a prime opportunity to introduce young talent to the national set-up and build squad depth, which is crucial for developing a squad capable of winning the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

"We knew what challenges we would face in selecting the squad for this training camp and the Wales Test, but as a team we turned it into a fantastic opportunity to blood a few youngsters and expose them to the national set-up, which will be vital in the next few years as we build a squad capable of trying to win the Rugby World Cup in 2027," he added.

"We are already reaping the rewards of exposing a few players to Test rugby in the last few years, with some of them being selected for the World Cup, while a few of the players taking the field on Saturday already know what it takes to succeed at international level.

"Building squad depth is one of our key pillars as a team, and this camp and Test match, as well as the one coming up against Portugal in Bloemfontein, will allow us to tick that box with an eye on the next few years."

Springbok team to face Wales: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Edwill van der Merwe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Jordan Hendrikse, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit (captain), 6 Kwagga Smith, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Vincent Koch, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche

Substitutes: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Ntuthuko Mchunu, 18 Frans Malherbe, 19 Salmaan Moerat, 20 Ben-Jason Dixon, 21 Grant Williams, 22 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 23 Damian de Allende.