BREAKING: Eben Etzebeth returns to captain Springboks, Willemse at 10! Arendse not in the team!

Jacques Nienaber has just named his side to face New Zealand in Auckland. Eben Etzebeth is back and he will captain the Springboks with Damien Willemse at 10!

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As expected, Nienaber made several changes with several first choice regulars coming back into the starting line-up.

Most noticeably, Etzebeth is back and he will captain the Springboks in NZ. He is joined by Lood de Jager, Kwagga Smith, Jasper Wiese, Faf de Klerk, Makazole Mapimpi, Damien de Allende and Cheslin Kolbe. Surprisingly, hat-trick hero Kurt-lee Arendse drops out of the matchday 23 altogether.

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SPRINGBOKS STARTING XV AGAINST NZ:

15 – Willie le Roux (Vodacom Bulls) – 84 caps, 65 pts (13t)

14 – Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath) – 23 caps, 74pts (11t, 2c, 5p)

13 – Lukhanyo Am (Cell C Sharks) – 32 caps, 30 pts (6t)

12 – Damian de Allende (Panasonic Wild Knights) – 70 Tests, 45pts (9t)

11 – Makazole Mapimpi (Cell C Sharks) – 36 caps, 110pts (22t)

10 – Damian Willemse (DHL Stormers) – 28 caps, 36 pts (2t, 4c, 4p, 2d)

9 – Faf de Klerk (Canon Eagles) – 46 Tests, 41pts (5t, 2c, 4p)

8 – Jasper Wiese (Leicester) – 20 caps, 5pts (1t)

7 – Franco Mostert (Honda Heat) – 63 caps, 15pts (3t)

6 – Kwagga Smith (Blue Revs) – 31 caps, 20pts (4t)

5 – Lood de Jager (Panasonic Wild Knights) – 65 caps, 25pts (5t)

4 – Eben Etzebeth (captain, Cell C Sharks) – 110 caps, 15pts (3t)

3 – Frans Malherbe (DHL Stormers) – 59 caps, 5 pts (1t)

2 – Bongi Mbonambi (Cell C Sharks) – 57 caps, 60 pts (12t)

1 – Steven Kitshoff (Ulster) – 72 caps, 10pts (2t)

Replacements:

16 – Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 59 caps, 70pts (14t)

17 – Thomas du Toit (Bath) – 16 caps, 0 pts

18 – Vincent Koch (Stade Francais) – 42 caps, 0 pts

19 – RG Snyman (Munster) – 24 caps, 5 pts (1t)

20 – Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz) – 67 caps, 30 pts (6t)

21 – Duane Vermeulen (SA Rugby) – 66 caps, 15 pts (3t)

22 – Grant Williams (Cell C Sharks) – 2 caps, 0 pts

23 – Manie Libbok (DHL Stormers) – 4 caps, 19 pts (8c, 1p)