SOUTH AFRICA HAVE replaced Marco van Staden on the bench with fit-again veteran lock Eben Etzebeth for their Rugby Championship match against New Zealand on Saturday.

Etzebeth, 32, was excluded from the matchday 23 named on Tuesday due to a minor back injury for the match in Johannesburg, which is a rematch of the 2023 Rugby World Cup final won by South Africa.

Coach Rassie Erasmus said double World Cup winner Etzebeth has fully recovered and been added to a bench that originally included three loose forwards, but lacked a specialist lock.

If he plays at Ellis Park, Etzebeth will become the second most capped Springbok with 125 Test appearances, overtaking winger Bryan Habana.

Retired lock Victor Matfield holds the record with 127 Test caps.

South Africa

Aphelele Fassi; Cheslin Kolbe, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Kurt-Lee Arendse; Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Cobus Reinach; Jasper Wiese, Ben-Jason Dixon, Siya Kolisi (capt); Ruan Nortje, Pieter-Steph du Toit; Frans Malherbe, Bongi Mbonambi, Ox Nche

Replacements:

Malcolm Marx, Gerhard Steenekamp, Vincent Koch, Eben Etzebeth, Elrigh Louw, Kwagga Smith, Grant Williams, Handre Pollard