Du Plessis gets nod to face Wallabies

Jannie du Plessis will make his South Africa debut against Australia on Saturday in the Tri-Nations encounter in Sydney.

The highly-rated 24-year-old Cheetahs prop, who is also a doctor in a Bloemfontein hospital, was included in coach Jake White’s starting XV after Cobus Visagie suffered an elbow injury during training on Tuesday.

Du Plessis is the only uncapped player in a much-changed line-up from the one which faced New Zealand in Durban last month.

Flanker Wikus van Heerden is handed a first Test start since 2003, while fly-half Peter Grant could earn his first cap off the bench. Du Plessis’ younger brother, Bismarck, is also a replacement for the Telstra Stadium clash.