Four changes for South Africa

South Africa coach Peter de Villiers has made four changes from the team beaten by France last weekend for Saturday’s clash with Italy in Udine.

Loosehead prop Wian du Preez will earn his first Test cap while Adriaan Strauss replaces the injured Bismarck du Plessis at hooker.

Schalk Burger is also sidelined so Danie Rossouw starts on the flank with Andries Bekker at lock.

Prop Tendai Mtawarira and lock Victor Matfield, who started against France, will be used from the bench against Italy while Jean Deysel and Francois Hougaard are in line for their first caps.

BJ Botha, who joined the squad as cover for the injured CJ van der Linde, has also been included on the bench. Botha last played for the Springboks against Wales in June 2008.

De Villiers, who has also seen the injury-hit world champions lose to Leicester and Saracens on their European tour, is delighted to be able to turn to the experience of Botha.

“We have lost almost two front rows and it is reassuring to know that there are players that we can call on to assist us,” he said.

De Villiers is also backing Deysel and Hougaard to meet the challenge should they be called upon at the Stadio Friuli.

“We feel that this is an ideal opportunity to test Jean and Francois at Test level and hopefully they will be able to make the step up,” he added.

The Springboks should break their tour duck this weekend but their coach is certainly not taking Italy lightly, especially after they pushed New Zealand in a 20-6 defeat last weekend.

“The more experience they gain, the better they are becoming and they are able to compete with any team on the day,” continued De Villiers.

“They have a very good pack of forwards and they showed in their match against New Zealand that they will be very competitive at scrum time.”

South Africa team: Zane Kirchner (Bulls); JP Pietersen (Sharks), Jaque Fourie (Lions), Adi Jacobs (Sharks), Bryan Habana (Stormers); Morne Steyn (Bulls), Fourie du Preez (Bulls); Ryan Kankowski (Sharks), Danie Rossouw (Bulls), Heinrich Brussow (Cheetahs), Andries Bekker (Stormers), Bakkies Botha (Bulls), John Smit (capt, Sharks), Adriaan Strauss (Cheetahs), Wian du Preez (Cheetahs).

Replacements: Tendai Mtawarira (Sharks), BJ Botha (Ulster), Victor Matfield (Bulls), Jean Deysel (Sharks), Francois Hougaard (Bulls), Ruan Pienaar (Sharks), Wynand Olivier (Bulls).