DHL Western Province and DHL Stormers star Damian de Allende will join provincial colleague Nizaam Carr on the Springboks’ bench for Saturday’s Test against Wales at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff (kick-off 16h30 SA time).

Loose forward Carr made his Test debut off the bench against Italy in Padova last Saturday – setting up a try with his first touch of the ball as the Boks eventually won by 22-6 – and he will be hoping for another cap this weekend, along with centre star De Allende who has two Test caps to his credit thus far.

Prop Tendai Mtawarira, hooker Bismarck du Plessis, fullback Willie le Roux and wings Cornal Hendricks and Lwazi Mvovo are all back in the Springbok starting line-up for Saturday.

The changes in the back three were required because Johan Goosen, Bryan Habana and JP Pietersen, all of whom started in Padova, are not available this week.

The two changes to the front row are rotational. Adriaan Strauss, who started at hooker in the victories over England and Italy, moves to the bench, where he will be joined by prop Trevor Nyakane and De Allende – who has started two Tests and been an unused replacement on two other occasions – in the only other changes to the matchday 23.

“This tour has been a good test of our depth and we’re looking forward to see what the team can do on Saturday,” said Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer.

“We will face a fired-up Welsh side this weekend. They played very well against New Zealand and it will be a tough end to our season, but we want to finish on a high and the focus this week has been on ensuring we keep on building on what we’ve done thus far this year.

“All the players coming into the team have been part of our squad for most of the season. They know our plans and structures and now it’s about execution on Saturday.”

Injuries and the non-availability of overseas-based players for matches outside the Test window have meant that only three players, Le Roux, Du Plessis and Duane Vermeulen, have played in all 12 Tests for the Springboks in 2014.

In 2013, a total of 10 players featured in each of the 12 Tests. Le Roux is the only player who has played in every Springbok encounter over the last two seasons, while Du Plessis has missed only one match.

* Meanwhile, it was also confirmed today that scrumhalf Rudy Paige picked up a medial knee ligament injury during training on Tuesday which will rule him out of action for approximately three to four weeks. A replacement for Paige in the Springboks’ touring squad will be named at a later stage.

The Springbok team to face Wales in Cardiff is:

15. Willie le Roux – 24 caps
14. Cornal Hendricks – 10 caps
13. Jan Serfontein – 19 caps
12. Jean de Villiers (captain) – 105 caps
11. Lwazi Mvovo – 9 caps
10. Pat Lambie – 39 caps
9. Cobus Reinach – 5 caps
8. Duane Vermeulen – 28 caps
7. Teboho ‘Oupa’ Mohoje – 6 caps
6. Marcell Coetzee – 25 caps
5. Victor Matfield (vice-captain) – 120 caps
4. Eben Etzebeth – 32 caps
3. Coenie Oosthuizen – 20 caps
2. Bismarck du Plessis – 69 caps
1. Tendai Mtawarira – 63 caps

Replacements:
16. Adriaan Strauss – 43 caps
17. Trevor Nyankane – 12 caps
18. Julian Redelinghuys – 1 cap
19. Lood de Jager – 8 caps
20. Nizaam Carr – 1 cap
21. Francois Hougaard – 34 caps
22. Handré Pollard – 8 caps
23. Damian de Allende – 2 caps

Referee: John Lacey (Ireland)
Assistant referees: George Clancy (Ireland), Pascal Gauzère (France)
Television Match Official: Graham Hughes (England)