They are forced to go without Bryan Habana and JP Pietersen, who return to club obligations in France and Japan respectively as the game falls outside the IRB’s designated Test window period.
That is a surrender of a massive 165 caps between them and arguably also the two Bok first-choice players – not to mention World Cup winners in 2007 -- in the wide berths.
Both were at their posts in the rather laboured 22-6 disposal of Italy in Padova on Saturday and Habana, 31, could do with a break anyway – he has begun to look unusually flat at this advanced stage of the calendar year although he did streak away for the last of three South African tries against the Italians.