Springbok flyhalf Manie Libbok will start in the first Test of the year against England at Ellis Park.
Head coach Rassie Erasmus insists that the Springboks' settled matchday 23 selected to face England at Ellis Park on Saturday is the absolute "best team for the job", but has promised that his rotation policy will kick in further down the line of a demanding, 12-Test international season.
The Springbok mastermind emphasised the crucial importance of launching the team's international campaign on a positive note after a lengthy competitive layout.
“We haven’t played a Test match for seven months, since the middle of last November, and our priority for a top team like England is to make sure we win the fixture and keep positive momentum," Erasmus explained.
"We know exactly what our supporters expect from us — we hear them on social media and read the letters they write. So, we have picked a very settled team. The Barbarians game was just a warm-up for guys who needed it ahead of this vital season opener.”
