Damian Willemse replaces Willie le Roux at full-back and centre Jesse Kriel comes in for S’busio Nkosi on the wing. Scrum-half Herschel Jantjies, who once played a game on loan for the Scarlets, replaces the injured Faf de Klerk as the other change from last month’s 31-29 win over New Zealand.
Wales will be looking to bounce back after their defeat to New Zealand last weekend, but face a difficult task against the reigning world champions. “Wales are a tough side to beat and our track record over here in the last few years is evidence of that,” said Nienaber.
“We also edged them in the [2019] Rugby World Cup semi-final, so we know that this is going to be a hard grind of a Test. They may have lost against the All Blacks last week but this result was in the absence of a number of key players, so this week will be a completely different proposition.
“The Wales that I saw in the Six Nations [earlier this year, which Wales on] was pretty much what I saw from Wales in World Cup 2019. The Wales that I saw with younger players playing against Canada and then the two Tests against Argentina [in July], I saw a little bit of a different style of play.
“Then last weekend against New Zealand, I saw probably two halves. I think they are in a place of transition and I think they will probably play the style the conditions allow, and the style that we allow.
“They’re a pretty adaptable side.” Nienaber has coached against Wayne Pivac before when he was defence coach at Munster.
Pivac coached the Scarlets to an impressive PRO12 final victory over a Munster side coached by Rassie Erasmus and Nienaber at the Aviva Stadium in 2017. “When I coached against Wayne when he was coaching Scarlets and I was at Munster, that was always a challenge against him,” said Nienaber.
“You never know what you’re going to get so, from a coaching point of view, I’m looking forward to it.”
South Africa: Damian Willemse; Jesse Kriel, Lukhanyo Am, Damian de Allende, Makazole Mapimpi; Handre Pollard, Herschel Jantjies; Ox Nche, Bongi Mbonambi, Trevor Nyakane, Eben Etzebeth, Lood De Jager, Siya Kolisi (capt), Kwagga Smith, Duane Vermeulen.
Replacements: Malcolm Marx, Steven Kitshoff, Vincent Koch, Franco Mostert, Jasper Wiese, Cobus Reinach, Elton Jantjies, Frans Steyn.
