Overview
- Veteran James O’Connor is set to start at fly-half against South Africa in Johannesburg, marking his first Wallabies test since 2022.
- Scrum-half Nic White has postponed his planned retirement to partner at nine, providing experience to Australia’s backline.
- Coach Joe Schmidt has selected a six-two forwards-backs bench split and omitted a specialist fly-half replacement as a bold tactical gamble.
- Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus will field captain Siya Kolisi at No. 8 in a strategic change aimed at strengthening the back of the scrum.
- Argentina have recalled several veterans, including Juan Cruz Mallía and Marcos Kremer, to bolster their squad ahead of home matches versus New Zealand.