LOCK Eben Etzebeth will become the youngest player to reach 50 Test caps for the Springboks when he takes the field against Australia in Brisbane on Saturday. Etzebeth, 24, was named in a starting lineup for the Rugby Championship encounter that sees six changes to the squad that lost 26-24 to Argentina in Salta 11 days ago. Tighthead Lourens Adriaanse will make his first start in place of Vincent Koch, who drops out of the 23 altogether, while the starting backline sees three changes. Francois Hougaard returns to Test rugby for the first time since November 2014, coming in on the leftwing in place of the injured Ruan Combrinck while Juan de Jongh and Jesse Kriel combine as centres for the first time. Lionel Mapoe is among the replacements and Damian de Allende falls out of the squad completely as coach Allister Coetzee went for a six-two split between forwards and backs on the bench. Hougaard, who has played 21 of his 35 Tests as a halfback, will provide scrumhalf cover. He has pla...

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