Springbok hooker Bismarck du Plessis’s bench role means the Wallabies will be spared a full game of the rampaging hooker looking to make amends for his recent red card.
As part of South African coach Heyneke Meyer’s rest and rotation policy, du Plessis has been replaced by Adriaan Strauss in the line-up to face Australia in their Rugby Championship Test at Newlands on Saturday.
Du Plessis was wrongly red-carded in South Africa’s last Test against New Zealand at Eden Park.
The red card was withdrawn post-match after one of his two yellow-card offences – a tackle on Dan Carter – was ruled to be within the laws of the game.
The second offence, an elbow in the throat of All Blacks back-rower Liam Messam, was upheld.
His brother Jannie, who will celebrate 50 Test caps in the Newlands match, said Bismarck still felt he owed his country.
“I know that if he gets two minutes, he will fire because, at the end of the day, after 80 minutes against the All Blacks, he felt responsible for letting the team down,” the tighthead prop said.
“I know he never intended to injure somebody and he never intended to be malicious, but he did intend to hurt him, if I can say that.
“We do play a physical sport, you want to impose yourself physically on your opponent, but I don’t think there was any malice in it and I don’t think it was anything sinister.
“Getting red-carded, he really feels responsible not only letting the team down but all of South Africa because we knew how important that game was for us.
“I know he would really want to come on and play out of his skin and really make a big difference.”
Australia were pummelled in the set piece in their demoralising 38-12 loss to South Africa in their last clash in Brisbane.
Jannie du Plessis expected a better showing from the Wallabies scrum, who he felt had lost their rhythm.
He said his team couldn’t rely on their scrum dominance to win the game because the Wallabies had plenty of other strengths.
“I think it’s just a few things they have to tweak and they know what to work on and they’ll probably sort it out.”
He said the inclusion of veteran Benn Robinson, named on the bench, would make a difference.
“He’s one of the best players I’ve scrummed against so his presence will strengthen the pack, in the scrum especially.”