Springbok duo handed first starts

Inexperienced pair Francois Hougaard and Flip van der Merwe will win their first starts for South Africa after being named in the starting line-up for the Tri Nations encounter against New Zealand in Johannesburg on Saturday.

Gio Aplon was also a surprise inclusion at full-back, although the inclusion of the Stormers winger in the number 15 jersey had been predicted in recent days.

Scrum-half Hougaard, who has two previous caps coming off the bench, was named in place of injured counterpart Ruan Pienaar.

The three-capped Van der Merwe comes in for Danie Rossouw – the lock replacing his Bulls team-mate who is among the replacements.

There are seven changes in total from the side that were beaten 30-13 by Australia, including a new midfield combination of Jean de Villiers and Juan de Jongh.

The historic first-ever clash at the FNB Stadium – or Soccer City, which hosted the 2010 football World Cup final – will also mark the 100th appearance of captain John Smit.