[Image: Jessie Kriel / X]
Springboks centre Jesse Kriel will captain South Africa against the Barbarians following the withdrawal of Siya Kolisi.
SA Rugby confirmed on Friday that double Rugby World Cup-winning skipper Kolisi has withdrawn from the fixture due to a ‘niggle’ and has been replaced in the starting line-up by Bulls flanker Marco van Staden.
Planet Rugby reports that the Bulls players, as well as Handre Pollard and RG Snyma,n only linked up with the squad last week following their involvement in the United Rugby Championship and Premiership Finals respectively, and as a result, head coach Rassie Erasmus opted to only include utility forward Jan-Hendrik Wessels in his matchday 23.
The remainder of the Springboks team is unchanged, with Vincent Tshituka and Jean-Luc du Preez starting in the back row along with Van Staden, while Jean Kleyn and Lood de Jager are the run-on locks.
Uncapped prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye has been named in the front row along with Malcolm Marx and Ox Nche.
The game kicks off at DHL Stadium in Cape Town tomorrow, 28 June, at 17:00.
Springboks (revised): 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel (c), 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Morne van den Berg, 8 Jean-Luc du Preez, 7 Vincent Tshituka, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche
Replacements: 16 Marnus van der Merwe, 17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 18 Neethling Fouche, 19 Franco Mostert, 20 Kwagga Smith, 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Manie Libbok, 23 Andre Esterhuizen
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[Source: Planet Rugby]
