EDINBURGH, Scotland — This Sunday at Murrayfield, No. 8 Kwagga Smith will celebrate his 50th test cap as he takes the field for South Africa during their opener against Scotland on their British tour.

Smith, who made his international debut in 2018, has the distinction of being part of two Rugby World Cup-winning teams. Despite the fact that there have been 11 changes to the starting lineup, a majority of the matchday 23 squad—21 players—brings in the invaluable experience of having won at least one World Cup.

Lock Franco Mostert is set to make his return from a broken leg that he sustained back in July, partnering with Eben Etzebeth, who will captain the Springboks and further his record of caps with the team to 129. Siya Kolisi has been named among the reserves.

With an eye on their upcoming clash with England at Twickenham, the Springboks have undergone significant changes after their impressive 48-7 victory against Argentina in the Rugby Championship decider held in Mbombela last month.

Coach Rassie Erasmus has decided to implement a 7-1 split on the bench, designating scrumhalf Grant Williams as the only reserve back.

“This is a seasoned and quality team, and they understand what is required to perform at this level,” Erasmus noted on Friday.

He added that many of the combinations within the squad have played together throughout the season during both the July home series and the Rugby Championship, which is advantageous as they prepare to face a strong opponent in Scotland.

“We are anticipating a highly physical match, which is why we opted for a seven-one split of forwards on the bench. Our backline players have versatility and can cover various positions if needed,” Erasmus remarked.

On the Scottish side, New Zealand-born Tom Jordan will make his first starting appearance among four changes to the lineup. Jordan made his debut as a substitute in last weekend’s dominant 57-17 victory over Fiji after qualifying on residency terms and is slated to start at fullback in place of the injured Kyle Rowe from Glasgow.

The lineup for Scotland sees the return of Toulouse’s Blair Kinghorn, Bath flyhalf Finn Russell, and Toulon scrumhalf Ben White—players who were absent in the previous match due to it falling outside the international window.

Kinghorn will shift from his usual fullback position to start on the wing, filling in for Darcy Graham, who impressed with four tries against Fiji but is sidelined due to a head injury. White and Russell will replace Ali Price and standout Adam Hastings in the halves, both of whom will miss this match entirely.

Former Scotland captain Jamie Ritchie has made a return to the bench after being left out of the squad against Fiji.

To counter the Springboks’ formidable ‘bomb squad’ in the second half, Coach Gregor Townsend has opted for a 6-2 bench split, including Northampton prop Elliot Millar-Mills and Bath No. 8 Josh Bayliss.

Historically, South Africa has had a strong record against Scotland, winning their last eight encounters since 2012, including a decisive 18-3 victory during the Rugby World Cup last year.

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**Lineups:**

**Scotland:** Tom Jordan, Blair Kinghorn, Huw Jones, Sione Tuipulotu (captain), Duhan van der Merwe, Finn Russell, Ben White; Jack Dempsey, Rory Darge, Matt Fagerson, Scott Cummings, Grant Gilchrist, Zander Fagerson, Ewan Ashman, Pierre Schoeman. Reserves: Dylan Richardson, Rory Sutherland, Elliot Millar Mills, Josh Bayliss, Jamie Ritchie, Jamie Dobie, Stafford McDowell.

**South Africa:** Willie le Roux, Canan Moodie, Lukhanyo Am, Andre Esterhuizen, Makazole Mapimpi, Handre Pollard, Jaden Hendrikse; Kwagga Smith, Elrigh Louw, Marco van Staden, Franco Mostert, Eben Etzebeth (captain), Thomas du Toit, Bongi Mbonambi, Ox Nche. Reserves: Malcolm Marx, Gerhard Steenekamp, Vincent Koch, RG Snyman, Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Jasper Wiese, Grant Williams.

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