The injuries to JP Pietersen and Bryan Habana have eased, allowing their inclusion in the Springbok team to play in Sunday's World Cup quarterfinal match against the Wallabies.
There was, however, no place for experienced lock Bakkies Botha and prop Tendai Mtawarira, who have been two influential members of the pack during coach Peter de Villiers's reign.
The team shows three changes from the one that played against Samoa in a Pool D match last week, with Jean de Villiers, John Smit and Gurthro Steenkamp coming in for Frans Steyn, Bismarck du Plessis and Mtawarira.
Pietersen, who is struggling with a knee injury, is, however, not quite out of the woods yet.
"You'll always have players with niggles at this stage of the season. JP will be monitored and given every chance to play," De Villiers said.
Botha was in line for selection but aggravated his injury at yesterday's practice.
"That was the worst part of day yesterday. Bakkies came down badly after the first lineout. He was nursing a hamstring but he landed badly and his Achilles went.
"I knew when I saw the look [on] that face last night, but that's life," De Villiers lamented.
Though Botha's inclusion would no doubt have cranked up the physical challenge the Springboks would bring to the Wallabies, his lumbering presence would have further compromised their ability to keep up with the two-time champions.
Tight forwards Smit and Jannie du Plessis are not known for their speed around the park either and the Boks could have faced a long afternoon if they failed to out-muscle the Wallabies. Moreover, Danie Rossouw has been superb in Botha's absence and would have been desperately unlucky not to crack the starting line-up.
There had been questions around whether Smit would be replaced by Du Plessis, but the tour captain will push his test record to 111 caps on Sunday.
De Villiers explained Mtawarira's absence. "There is nothing wrong with Beast. There is only place for 22," he said.
The starting XV, however, is vastly experienced, boasting a record 836 caps. Only three players in the starting team did not feature at the 2007 World Cup, whereas eight started in the final against England.
Continuity in selection has been one of the hallmarks of the De Villiers rein.
"We focus on what we want to do," he said about the decision to announce his team before Australia do theirs. "If you do something because of what someone else does, then it's not your decision."
The Wallabies have, however, been a thorn in the Boks' flesh in recent times, winning five out of the last six tests.
"That makes them pretty much the favourites. They are Tri-Nations champions. They were number two in the world for 10 months. They are confrontational."
BOK TEAM
Pat Lambie JP Pietersen, Jaque Fourie Jean de Villiers Bryan Habana Morné Steyn, Fourie du Preez, Pierre Spies, Schalk Burger, Heinrich Brüssow, Victor Matfield, Danie Rossouw, Jannie du Plessis, John Smit (capt), Gurthrö Steenkamp, Replacements: Bismarck du Plessis, CJ van der Linde, Willem Alberts, Francois Louw, Francois Hougaard, Butch James, Gio Aplon (Western Province)
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