Ireland and South Africa will do battle for the first time since 2017 this weekend, as both teams look to kickstart their Autumn Nations Series campaign.
The last meeting between the pair saw Ireland record their biggest ever win over the Springboks, with a comfortable 38-3 win in Allister Coetzee’s final autumn in charge of the 2019 world champions.
The action gets underway at 5.30pm on Saturday evening, with 28-year-old Georgian referee Nika Amashukeli in the hot seat.
Kolbe returns and Kriel starts in exciting first South Africa XV
Jacques Nienaber’s team has a very familiar feel, with 12 of the side having started their final fixture of the 2022 Rugby Championship and 18 World Cup winners included in the squad.
Cheslin Kolbe is the headline inclusion as he returns to the side for the first time since July and will play his first Test at full-back.
Elsewhere, Jesse Kriel gets the nod at outside centre, while Damian Willemse starts at fly-half, though there is no substitute No.10, as Nienaber opts for a six/two split with scrum-half Faf de Klerk and full-back Willie le Roux his back options from the bench.
Ireland triumphed in just one of their first 16 matches against South Africa but have won six of their last 10 and are unbeaten at the Aviva in their last two meetings.
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Conor Murray has been given the nod ahead of Jamison Gibson-Park by Andy Farrell, with the veteran scrum-half set to win his 100th Test cap.
Elsewhere in the backs, Robert Baloucoune starts on the wing having missed Ireland’s historic tour of New Zealand with a hamstring injury. He is joined in the back three by Hugo Keenan and Mack Hansen.
It’s a very familiar looking forward pack, with the same eight selected who started all three tests Down Under.
Ireland: 15 Hugo Keenan, 14 Robert Baloucoune, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Robbie Henshaw, 11 Mack Hansen, 10 Johnny Sexton (captain), 9 Conor Murray, 1 Andrew Porter, 2 Dan Sheehan, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 4 Tadhg Beirne, 5 James Ryan, 6 Peter O’Mahony, 7 Josh van der Flier, 8 Caelan Doris
Subs: 16 Rob Herring, 17 Cian Healy, 18 Finlay Bealham, 19 Kieran Treadwell, 20 Jack Conan, 21 Jamison Gibson-Park, 22 Joey Carbery, 23 Stuart McCloskey
South Africa: 15 Cheslin Kolbe, 14 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Damian Willemse, 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 1 Steven Kitshoff, 2 Malcolm Max, 3 Frans Malherbe, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 5 Lood de Jager, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 8 Jasper Wiese
Subs: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Ox Nche, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Franco Mostert, 20 Deon Fourie, 21 Kwagga Smith, 22 Faf de Klerk, 23 Willie le Roux
How to watch and listen to Round 1 of the Autumn Nations Series
