Watch South Africa vs New Zealand (4pm) followed by Argentina vs Australia (8pm) on Sky Sports Mix on Saturday; All Blacks drop Beauden Barrett, TJ Perenara to bench; Springboks have won last three games vs New Zealand; Australia's James Slipper set to equal caps record
Saturday 7 September 2024 20:52, UK
New Zealand have Beauden Barrett and TJ Perenara to the bench for Saturday's Rugby Championship fixture against South Africa in Cape Town as they look to snap a three-match losing streak against the Springboks.
The All Blacks led last weekend's encounter in Johannesburg 27-17 with 10 minutes remaining, only for South Africa to triumph 31-27 after scoring two late tries.
New Zealand coach Scott Robertson - who says Barrett and Perenara moving to the replacements will ensure "experience and leadership" later in the game, has made four changes in total for a game you can watch live on Sky Sports Mix from 4pm.
Will Jordan replaces Barrett at full-back after moving from right wing while Cortez Ratima takes Perenara's spot at scrum-half.
The All Blacks have also been forced into two alterations because of injury, with wing Caleb Clarke (back) and flanker Ethan Blackadder (hamstring) missing out.
Mark Tele'a will operate on the left wing with Sevu Reece on the right and Wallace Sititi, the youngest member of Robertson's squad at 21, starting on the blindside flank.
New Zealand have not lost four matches in a row to South Africa since 1949, with this current winless run including a 12-11 defeat at the 2023 World Cup final.
South Africa make seven changes for the Cape Town fixture, include returns for fly-half Handre Pollard and Willie le Roux at full-back, while captain Siya Kolisi is fit after a facial injury last week.
Le Roux is joined in the back three by wings Canan Moodie and Cheslin Kolbe with Kurt-Lee Arendse ruled out due to concussion, and Pollard replaces Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu at 10.
Lock Eben Etzebeth will move to within one cap of all-time Springboks record-holder Victor Matfield when he makes his 126th appearance for his country.
South Africa: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Canan Moodie, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Cheslin Kolbe, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Grant Williams; 1 Ox Nche, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 3 Frans Malherbe, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 5 Ruan Nortje, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 8 Jasper Wiese.
Replacements: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Kwagga Smith, 20 Elrigh Louw, 21 Jaden Hendrikse, 22 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 23 Lukhanyo Am.
New Zealand: 15 Will Jordan, 14 Sevu Reece, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Mark Tele'a, 10 Damian McKenzie, 9 Cortez Ratima; 1 Tamaiti Williams, 2 Codie Taylor, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 4 Scott Barrett (captain), 5 Tupou Vaa'i, 6 Wallace Sititi, 7 Sam Cane, 8 Ardie Savea.
Replacements: 16 Asafo Aumua, 17 Ofa Tu'ungafasi, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Sam Darry, 20 Luke Jacobson, 21 TJ Perenara, 22 Anton Lienert-Brown, 23 Beauden Barrett.
In the game between Argentina and Australia in Sante Fe - live on Sky Sports Mix from 8pm on Saturday - Wallabies prop James Slipper is poised to equal his country's record for most Test caps after being named as a replacement.
Slipper - who missed last week's 20-19 win over the Pumas in La Plata for the birth of his second child - will move level with former captain George Gregan on 139 international appearances if he takes to the field, having made his debut against England in 2010.
The 35-year-old said: "It's a proud moment for me. You don't really expect to get that many games.
"I feel I've had a lot of luck. My timing's been good and a lot of hard work's gone into it. I'm very proud."
Argentina captain Julian Montoya will win his 100th cap, becoming the fourth player from his country to the milestone after Agustin Creevy, Pablo Matera and Nicolas Sanchez.
Argentina: 15 Juan Cruz Mallia, 14 Bautista Delguy, 13 Lucio Cinti, 12 Santiago Chocobares, 11 Mateo Carreras, 10 Tomas Albornoz, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou; 1 Thomas Gallo, 2 Julian Montoya (c), 3 Joel Sclavi, 4 Guido Petti, 5 Tomas Lavanini, 6 Pablo Matera, 7 Marcos Kremer, 8 Juan Martin Gonzalez.
Replacements: 16 Ignacio Ruiz, 17 Mayco Vivas, 18 Eduardo Bello, 19 Franco Molina, 20 Joaquin Oviedo, 21 Santiago Grondona, 22 Gonzalo Garcia, 23 Santiago Carreras.
Australia: 15 Andrew Kellaway, 14 Max Jorgensen, 13 Len Ikitau, 12 Hamish Stewart, 11 Marika Koroibete, 10 Ben Donaldson, 9 Jake Gordon; 1 Angus Bell, 2 Matt Faessler, 3 Taniela Tupou, 4 Nick Frost, 5 Jeremy Williams, 6 Rob Valetini, 7 Carlo Tizzano, 8 Harry Wilson (c).
Replacements: 16 Josh Nasser, 17 James Slipper, 18 Allan Alaalatoa, 19 Josh Canham, 20 Langi Gleeson, 21 Tate McDermott, 22 Tom Lynagh, 23 Josh Flook.
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