South African coach Allister Coetzee has recalled halfback Ross Cronje for Saturday's Rugby Championship Test against Australia in Perth.
Cronje replaces Francois Hougaard at No.9 in an otherwise unchanged backline to face the Wallabies. The scrumhalf has recovered from an ankle injury after missing the 41-23 victory two weeks ago over Argentina.
Coetzee's decision to rest lock Franco Mostert means Pieter-Steph du Toit will start in the second row alongside captain Eben Etzebeth, who will play his 60th Test.
"Franco has played an enormous amount of rugby - at Super Rugby level, playing club rugby in Japan and starting all of our Test matches so far this year," said Coetzee.
"We have to be sensible in managing the workload of certain players, such as Franco. We are fortunate to have a number of very good locks. Pieter-Steph now gets an opportunity to start again, and we know what he is capable of."
Lood de Jager will provide cover for the second row from a bench which also features five-eighth Handre Pollard, who has not played a Test since the 2015 World Cup because of a string of injuries.
"I am really satisfied with the way he has trained till now and it's great for the team to have a player of his calibre on the bench," Coetzee added.
A resurgent Springboks will look for a sixth-straight Test victory in Perth after sweeping France 3-0 in June and beating Argentina home and away in their first two Tests of the Rugby Championship.
SOUTH AFRICA:
Andries Coetzee, Raymond Rhule, Jesse Kriel, Jan Serfontein, Courtnall Skosan, Elton Jantjies, Ross Cronje, Uzair Cassiem, Jaco Kriel, Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Eben Etzebeth (capt), Coenie Oosthuizen, Malcolm Marx, Tendai Mtawarira.
Res: Bongi Mbonambi, Steven Kitshoff, Trevor Nyakane, Lood de Jager, Jean-Luc du Preez, Francois Hougaard, Handre Pollard, Damian de Allende.
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