PREVIEW-Rugby-New-look Boks face stern test against fired-up Welsh

South Africa take a giant step into the unknown with a much-changed side for Saturday’s second test against Wales at the Free State Stadium, giving the tourists a chance to claim a first ever away win over the Springboks. Bok coach Jacques Nienaber has kept only four players from the match-day 23 that took part in the epic first test his side narrowly won 32-29 as he looks to give more international experience to squad members with an eye on building depth ahead of their Rugby World Cup title defence in France next year.

South Africa take a giant step into the unknown with a much-changed side for Saturday's second test against Wales at the Free State Stadium, giving the tourists a chance to claim a first ever away win over the Springboks.

Bok coach Jacques Nienaber has kept only four players from the match-day 23 that took part in the epic first test his side narrowly won 32-29 as he looks to give more international experience to squad members with an eye on building depth ahead of their Rugby World Cup title defence in France next year. There have been suggestions in Wales that selecting a mostly second-string, inexperienced team for the second game in the three-match series is an insult to the visitors and devalues the contest, but Nienaber is adamant he has picked a side that can win.

"We'll never choose a team we believe can't win. I've said it many times before. This isn't a platform for development," he told reporters. "You have to perform. That's the most important and only requirement. It will be tight because we're facing a Wales team desperate to still win this series. That's this team's pressure.

"This selection strategy isn't unique. People may ask why we're making so many changes, but France are doing it too and they're definitely not labelling their squad in Japan a 'B-team'." There will be debuts for wing Kurt-Lee Arendse and number eight Evan Roos, but those are countered by returns for first-choice flyhalf Handre Pollard, 2019 World Player of the Year Pieter-Steph du Toit and in-form flank Marcell Coetzee.

Wales, by contrast, have largely stuck to the team that probably should have beaten the under-performing Boks in the first test in Pretoria after they led 18-3 at halftime. But four yellow cards and a penalty try conceded show where they need to improve, with the return of Alex Cuthbert on the wing the only change to the starting XV made by coach Wayne Pivac.

He replaces Josh Adams, who wore heavy strapping in the first test and drops to the bench. "We know there are areas we need to improve on (with regards to discipline), but we felt there were some things that went against us," Pivac said of the officiating in the first test.

"We have to put that behind us. We can go in there knowing we can't do much more to prepare." Wales have lost all 11 of their previous tests in South Africa.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)