South Africa will be led by returning captain Siya Kolisi when they take on Georgia in a Test at Mbombela Stadium on Saturday, with coach Rassie Erasmus naming three debutant starters in the front row.
Kolisi, who had been out injured for the Boks' two Tests against Italy, both of which the World Champions won easily, will rejoin Eben Etzebeth in the pack to provide leadership for newcomers Boan Venter, Marnus van der Merwe, and Neethling Fouche.
The three uncapped front rankers will increase the number of newly capped players this season to seven, after Vincent Tshituka (flanker), Wiese, Asenathi Ntlabakanye (prop), and Ethan Hooker (utility back) all made their Test debuts against Italy.
Erasmus said on the SA Rugby website: "We wanted to make sure that Siya is 100% fit before selecting him, so it's great to have him back in the squad, while Boan, Marnus, and Neethling have been training hard and deserve their chance.
"Marnus and Neethling played against the Barbarians, so they have an idea of what international rugby is about, while Boan has shown great potential at club level and with the squad in the last few weeks, and we are looking forward to seeing him play."
Erasmus added: "Building squad depth has been one of our pillars as a squad since 2018, and they are all undoubtedly ready to make the step-up."
Zoning into his team selection, Erasmus said: "We know how passionate and intense this Georgian side is, and they will be determined to make a strong statement, so we selected some experienced players who we would like to get more game time before the Castle Lager Rugby Championship, and a few of the younger players, who have put up their hands another run, so we are pleased with the balance we have in this group."
While the Boks have not lost to Georgia (scoring 12 tries to 1 in two matches), and last played them in 2021, Erasmus said he would be taking them seriously as they Boks look to find their best combinations ahead of the Rugby Championship.
He said: "Georgia are a tough outfit, and they pride themselves on their physicality and brute force in the collisions, so the set pieces, mauls, and breakdowns will be key areas.
"They also have quality backline players to round off their team, so we need to be sharp in all the departments of our game to ensure that we continue to lift our standards, build momentum, and get the desired result."
Springboks team:
The #Springboks team to face Georgia feature a new-look front row, while Siya Kolisi is back for the first time in 2025 💚💛#ForeverGreenForeverGold
— Springboks (@Springboks) July 15, 2025