Overview
- On Thursday several nations named heavily altered matchday 23s with Australia confirming Declan Meredith will start at flyhalf after Carter Gordon and Ben Donaldson were ruled out by calf injuries.
- South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus made 13 changes to a Springbok matchday 23 that now contains just 514 total caps and has been described by Duane Vermeulen as showing greater energy.
- Scotland restored Finn Russell to start at flyhalf as one of three changes to Gregor Townsend’s XV for the Pretoria Test against the Springboks.
- Ireland named four uncapped players in their squad with Sean Jansen starting and three forwards set to make their first caps from the bench while the All Blacks put Anton Segner and Josh Moorby on the bench as potential debutants and England prepared three bench debutants with Henry Slade starting.
- Coaches across the competition are balancing short-term match plans with longer-term goals by blooding new players, rotating experienced squad members and managing soft-tissue and concussion risks in a congested international calendar.