Springbok coach Nick Mallett has made eight changes to his side to meet the unbeaten New Zealand All Blacks in the Tri-Nations series in Pretoria on Saturday. South Africa lost 32-6 to Australia in Brisbane four weeks ago after losing 28-0 to New Zealand in Dunedin in the opening round.
Flanker Ruben Kruger returns to the line-up for the first time after two years of injury problems while hooker Chris Rossouw will play his first game in four years if he comes off a bench which also shows six changes.
Scrum-half and new skipper Joost van der Westhuizen and centres Andre Snyman and Franco Smith make their first appearances of the season. Other recalls are wingers Deon Kayser and Pieter Rossouw, out-half Gaffie du Toit and lock Albert van den Berg.
"You can have consistency in selection when the side has been performing but you also have to make allowances for injuries," said Mallett, drawing comparisons with the 1998 Tri-Nations series when South Africa won the competition making only one change in four matches.
"We're trying to do in nine months what it took New Zealand 18 months to achieve when they started last year.
"They are a settled combination and must go into the game as favourites but we are looking to make it harder for them than it was in Dunedin."
South Africa - P Montgomery; D Kayser, A Snyman, F Smith, P Rossouw; G du Toit, J van der Westhuizen; R Erasmus, A Venter, R Kruger, A van den Berg, S Boome, C Visagie, N Drotske, O du Randt.
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