Pollard Recalled as Springboks Reshuffle for All Blacks Rematch

South Africa have recalled Handre Pollard at fly-half and moved Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu to the bench for Saturday's rematch against New Zealand in Cape Town. BBC Sport reported the changes after the Springboks lost the opening match of the four-Test series 33-16 in Johannesburg.

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Feinberg-Mngomezulu was dispossessed five times during the defeat and also encountered problems in defence, according to the BBC report. He moved from fly-half to full-back during the second half, but head coach Rassie Erasmus has now chosen 32-year-old Pollard, a two-time Rugby World Cup winner, to wear the number 10 shirt.

Two further changes were forced by injuries. Ethan Hooker will start on the wing in place of Cheslin Kolbe, while Cobus Reinach comes in at scrum-half for Grant Williams. Damian Willemse remains at full-back, with Kurt-Lee Arendse on the other wing and Jesse Kriel and Damian de Allende continuing in the centres.

Captain Siya Kolisi could return to the back row after a hamstring injury, although his involvement has not yet been confirmed. South Africa have listed Paul de Villiers as the alternative at blindside flanker if Kolisi is not ready, with Pieter-Steph du Toit and Jasper Wiese completing the named back-row combination.

The replacements include Deon Fourie, who could make his first Springbok appearance since the 2023 Rugby World Cup final against New Zealand. Fourie, now 39, entered that final early and played 77 minutes as South Africa defeated the All Blacks. Feinberg-Mngomezulu is also among the eight players selected on the bench.

Erasmus said South Africa had created numerous opportunities in the series opener but were undone by mistakes at important moments. His stated priority before the Cape Town match is to make the side sharper when those chances arise. The Springboks will be seeking to level the series after New Zealand's strong second-half performance secured the opening victory.