Springboks

Erasmus has signed a six-year contract to the end of the 2023 World Cup in France and has been tasked with improving results after South Africa had slipped to sixth in the world rankings.

The decision to appoint Erasmus, who had been acting as director of rugby in South Africa, was widely expected. He will stay in both roles as he finally fulfils his ambition of coaching the side, having missed out two years ago to Coetzee.

Having gained the recommendation of the Rugby World Cup board following an independent evaluation report, South Africa were left disgusted when the World Rugby Council awarded France hosting rights for the 2023 tournament on Wednesday.

If that provided additional motivation for Saturday's match in Paris, the Springboks were also fuelled by a desire to bounce back from last weekend's stunning 38-3 defeat to Ireland.

And a much-changed side managed to do just that as tries from Dillyn Leyds and Jesse Kriel proved enough to edge out a France team that struggled for fluency.

Vermeulen has not played for the Springboks since June last year, but the number eight is back in the reckoning for the clash at Stade de France.

Oosthuizen has flown home after sustaining a serious knee injury in a heavy defeat to Ireland at the Aviva Stadium last weekend.

Loose forward Pieter-Steph du Toit has also been ruled out the encounter with Les Bleus in Paris due to a concussion suffered against Joe Schmidt's men.

The All Blacks beat the Springboks at the semi-final stage of the 2015 World Cup in England before going on to defeat Australia in the final.

Steve Hansen's men begin the defence of their title against their fellow-Pool B heavyweights at the International Stadium on September 21 in the 2019 tournament. 

Hosts Japan get the World Cup started a day earlier at Tokyo Stadium versus a European qualifier in Pool A.

England face Tonga at Sapporo Dome on September 22, a day after 2015 runners-up the Wallabies take on Fiji at the same venue.

Etzebeth took over as skipper when Whiteley sustained a groin injury during the Test series victory over France in June.

Whiteley was expected to be fit to travel to Europe, but the number eight will not be ready in time for the Tests against Ireland, France, Italy and Wales in November and December.

Etzebeth has been an inspiration since being installed as stand-in captain and the towering lock will continue to lead his country out.

The Springboks have not beaten the All Blacks in New Zealand for eight years and they showed little prospect of changing that statistic as they were overwhelmed by the All Blacks 57-0 in a seven-try-to-none demolition at North Harbour Stadium tonight.

The young Springboks team initially ran and scrumed strongly in the early exchanges but the All Blacks quickly seized on lineout and passing errors with a first half masterclass in counterattacking rugby and ruthless finishing.

The Springboks endured an awful 2016 as they suffered their first loss to Ireland at home and were thumped 41-13 and 57-15 by the All Blacks in their two Rugby Championship clashes.

They also lost all three of their end-of-season tests in Europe as they ended the year with just four wins from 12 matches and slumped as low as seventh in the world rankings by this March.

At the start of the international season Springbok rugby was at an all-time low.

2016 was the worst season in South Africa's history. They won just four of their twelve games, were humbled by their heaviest defeat to New Zealand in 95 years, and didn't win a single test away from home.

They fell to their first ever home defeat to Ireland and their first ever loss to Argentina in South America.

Hames comes in for the injured Joe Moody.... it will be his third Test.

It's an inexperienced propping duo starting with Nepo Laulala having played just six Tests.

In other changes, lock Sam Whitelock, loosies Liam Squire and Sam Cane, halfback Aaron Smith, wing Rieko Ioane and centre Ryan Crotty return to the starting lineup.

All Blacks Head Coach Steve Hansen said: "Our big focus this week has been about continual improvement, growing ourselves as a team, growing our game and how we want to play it, and how we want to play against different opposition.

Saturday's test against the Springboks at Albany's QBE Stadium will be Whitelock's 15th appearance against the South Africans (and 91st test in all). You get the impression he could play them all back in his head. He has been on the winning side in 12 of them.

"It's one of those awesome test matches you hope you can be part of," said the 30 year-old after Tuesday's training hitout at Alexandra Park. "If you go back through history between South Africa and New Zealand, those are the games people talk about 10 or 20 or 30 years ago. No doubt this one will be the same.