Scrum-half Ruan Pienaar returns to South Africa's starting XV in place of the injured Jano Vermaak © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

News: Brendan Venter confirmed as Sharks' new boss

News in Brief: Schreuder gets Springboks call

Match Pack: South Africa power past Italy

South Africa have made two enforced changes for their four-nation tournament Test against Scotland in Nelspruit this weekend.

Flanker Marcell Coetzee replaces the unavailable Francois Louw and halfback Ruan Pienaar comes in for injured Jano Vermaak for Saturday's match. Louw, from English Premiership club Bath, is getting married on Sunday and was given time off to prepare for his special day.

There are three changes among the replacements, with hooker Bismarck du Plessis back 10 months after sustaining a knee injury against Argentina. Piet van Zyl, a late call-up after a halfback injury crisis, will also be on the bench for the Test at the 40,000-seat Mbombela Stadium. The third change sees the elevation of loose forward Siya Kolisi to a place among the eight replacements.

South Africa have won 17 Tests and lost five against Scotland in their 107-year rivalry, including victories in all five previous home matches.

Scotland delayed their team announcement by 48 hours because of an injury crisis after a 27-17 defeat by Samoa in Durban last Saturday. Captain and flank Kelly Brown, hooker Pat MacArthur and prop Geoff Cross have been forced to return home and there are several doubts for the Springbok Test.

North-eastern city Nelspruit is staging Test rugby for the first time, with an Italy-Samoa curtain-raiser before South Africa tackle Scotland.

South Africa: Willie le Roux; Bryan Habana, JJ Engelbrecht, Jean de Villiers (capt), Bjorn Basson; Morne Steyn, Ruan Pienaar; Pierre Spies, Arno Botha, Marcell Coetzee; Juandre Kruger, Eben Etzebeth; Jannie du Plessis, Adriaan Strauss, Tendai Mtawarira. Replacements: Bismarck du Plessis, Trevor Nyakane, Coenie Oosthuizen, Flip van der Merwe, Siya Kolisi, Piet van Zyl, Patrick Lambie, Jan Serfontein.