Back-row Cameron Hanekom is set to become the 12th new Springbok this season, as he has been named on the bench for a potential Test debut.
Erasmus has made seven changes to the side that defeated England 29-20 at the Allianz Stadium in London on Saturday.
Jaden (scrum-half) and Jordan (fly-half) Hendrikse will become the 36th set of brothers to play for the Springboks since Dan and Robert du Preez featured against Wales in Washington, D.C., at the start of the 2018 season.
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The last time a pair of brothers started together for the Springboks was during the 2015 Rugby World Cup pool match against Scotland, when front-row duo Jannie and Bismarck du Plessis took the field in Newcastle.
The inclusion of the Hendrikse brothers marks the only changes in the backline, with Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel continuing as the starting centre pairing. The back three are also unchanged, with the double try-scoring and simply unstoppable Cheslin Kolbe and Kurt-Lee Arendse named as the starting wingers, while Aphelele Fassi retains the fullback position.
Erasmus has made five changes in the forwards, with Johan Grobbelaar replacing Bongi Mbonambi at hooker. Ever-present Ox Nche retains his spot at loosehead prop, while Thomas du Toit replaces Wilco Louw at tighthead prop.
There is an all-new second-row combination, with Jean Kleyn - fit again after his last appearance in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final - partnering Franco Mostert.
Erasmus commented on Kleyn’s return saying: “Jean is a seasoned player who has featured in two World Cups - one with the Springboks and one with Ireland. He has been in excellent form for Munster, and it’s great to have him back in the side alongside Franco, with whom he shares a strong understanding.”
The back row sees one change, with Elrigh Louw replacing Pieter-Steph du Toit, who is nursing a shoulder injury. He joins Siya Kolisi, who will captain the side once again, and Jasper Wiese.
The bench remains formidable, with Erasmus opting for a 6–2 split, favouring six forwards and two backs. The replacement front row is unchanged, featuring Malcolm Marx (hooker), Gerhard Steenekamp, and Vincent Koch (both props). Meanwhile, Eben Etzebeth and RG Snyman, who started in the second row on Saturday, move to the bench.
The two backline players among the substitutes are the seasoned Rugby World Cup-winning pair, Cobus Reinach (scrumhalf) and Handré Pollard (flyhalf).
The bench sees a staggering combined cap count of 431, which is nearly as many as the whole Springboks starting lineup of 539, including 17 Rugby World Cup winners.
Erasmus’s Springboks will be hoping for a win against Wales on Saturday to complete the first undefeated Northern Hemisphere tour since 2013 (although a draw will see them achieve that also).
“Wales are a proud nation with a world-renowned coach in Warren Gatland, and they’ll do everything to finish their campaign on a high note,” said Erasmus.
“We’ve experienced first-hand how a run of defeats can galvanise a team, and the fact that they’ll be playing at home with a passionate crowd behind them will inspire them even more – just as our supporters inspire us when we play at home.
“Obviously we’d love to finish the tour unbeaten, but we are well aware of the fact that we’ve have a few close results against them over the years at the Principality Stadium.”
Erasmus said there were plenty of examples of teams reversing their fortunes from the status of underdogs.
“A lot can change in rugby with a change in confidence and mindset, and Australia is a perfect example of how things can change in the sport if one considers how well they are playing now compared to last year,” said Erasmus.
“So, we’ll show Wales the same respect we showed England and Scotland, and we know we know we have to be at our best to come out with the result we want.
“They are a team with everything to gain and nothing to lose, so it would be careless of us to think that we just need to pitch up and the result will go in our favour. In fact, a little over a year ago, they played in the Rugby World Cup quarter-final, which is a testament to the force they can be.”
Springbok team to face Wales in Cardiff:
15 – Aphelele Fassi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 10 caps, 30 points (6t)
14 – Cheslin Kolbe (Suntory Sungoliath) – 39 caps, 111 points (18t, 3c, 5p)
13 – Jesse Kriel (Canon Eagles) – 78 caps, 90 points (18t)
12 – Damian de Allende (Wild Knights) – 86 caps, 55 points (11t)
11 – Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls) – 23 caps, 85 points (17t)
10 – Jordan Hendrikse (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 1 cap, 7 pts (2c, 1p)
9 – Jaden Hendrikse (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 19 caps, 19 pts (2t, 3c, 1p)
8 – Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks) – 33 caps, 10 points (2t)
7 – Elrigh Louw (Vodacom Bulls) – 12 caps, 0 points
6 – Siya Kolisi (captain, Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 91 caps, 60 points (12t)
5 – Franco Mostert (Honda Heat) – 77 caps, 15 points (3t)
4 – Jean Kleyn (Munster) – 7 caps, 0 pts (Ireland 5 caps)
3 – Thomas du Toit (Bath) – 22 caps, 5 pts (1t)
2 – Johan Grobbelaar (Vodacom Bulls) – 2 caps, 0 points
1 – Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 39 caps, 0 points
Replacements:
16 – Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 75 caps, 105 points (21t)
17 – Gerhard Steenekamp (Vodacom Bulls) – 10 caps, 0 points
18 – Vincent Koch (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 60 caps, 0 points
19 – Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 130 caps, 30 points (6t)
20 – RG Snyman (Leinster) – 39 caps, 10 points (2t)
21 – Cameron Hanekom (Vodacom Bulls) – uncapped
22 – Cobus Reinach (Montpellier) – 38 caps, 70 pts (14t)
23 – Handre Pollard (Leicester Tigers) – 79 caps, 772 points (7t, 109c, 168p, 5dg)
