Coach Allister Coetzee also decided to return Francois Louw for his first test since 2015, while Ross Cronje returns to the team as well.
Leyds has been part of the squad and has had three tests off the bench, but the poor defensive performance by Raymond Rhule has seen him elevated to the squad.
Coetzee said as much when asked about the back three and the change against the Australians.
“It’s not completely new, Andries Coetzee and Courtnal Skosan have been there for seven tests now. Raymond Rhule – I’m completely happy with Raymond Rhule, and I haven’t discarded Raymond Rhule . One has to understand a player like Dillyn Leyds has been knocking on the door and has been playing well.
“There are certain boxes that Raymond does tick as a winger, his kick chase is good, his cross cover is good. He moves off his side to come outside nine, inside ten but the reality is he has to work on his defence. That’s no secret. A lot of players will also have to do that. It is time, with the process I am following, that we do have a look and see what Dillyn Leyds can do and bring to this side this weekend. I am happy for him, he has constantly been playing well, when he went to the Currie Cup.
“We also had a look at S’busiso Nkosi and I’m very excited to have him in the mix as well.”
Coetzee also brought back Francois Louw, who captains English club Bath to fulfil a hole left by Jaco Kriel, and is keen to see him make a massive impact with experience and at the breakdown.
“I’m very pleased with Francois Louw – he is a player of calibre and you can see the experience that came out throughout the week in training. He understands his role and responsibility and gives you confidence, and even the players around Flo as well.
'READY TO ADAPT'
"The calmness that he brings in the pack, supporting the leaders. You know what, we always had a package of Jean-Luc coming off the bench with Pieter-Steph (du Toit) and Steven Kitshoff that brought that impact for us, and that is what we would like to see this weekend again.
"This is a fantastic Wallabies side and we have a lot of respect for them, and I think the plan is 100 percent right, with Jaco Kriel that we lost, we had an extra guy playing to the ball and who contested for the ball. One must understand that Sean McMahon and Michael Hooper are great players on the ground as well, so in that respect Siya Kolisi and Francois Louw are selected to make sure we hold our own.
“The Wallabies are a settled side, (Michael) Cheika and the team have come a long way now, and I suppose that is what we are looking for with this side, continuity going forward. Those players coming in will slot in perfectly well. We expect another tough test, because in Bloemfontein it is always a very big ball-in-play game, and we have to learn from our mistakes, and this is the process we are on as a team.
"We got together this year, built on a few things and really learn from experiences and we would like to take that into this game this week.”
While rain is forecast this weekend at the venue, Coetzee believes his team can adapt to all types of conditions.
“It has given us an opportunity to really look at adapting our plan. A lot of people talk about plan A and B, I think that is the only time you should have a plan A and plan B, where the conditions force you to change the ball in hand approach. The test in Perth was an example where we had to change at halftime to tweak our game. We had that opportunity, and hopefully if everything stays as it is, and there are good conditions for Saturday, we are also geared for that.”
Cronje returns from illness after missing the All Black test while on the bench Chiliboy Ralepelle finds himself in a match 23 for the first time since June 2013, as Coetzee rotates some of his fringe squad members.
“It is brilliant to have Ross back and he is looking fit and healthy again. He has gained 3kg back and we’re happy with that. He has shown throughout this campaign that he is a classy player and you only miss him when he is not there. We are really happy to have Ross back.
“Chiliboy has been waiting in the wings and has been a fantastic guy outside the 23. I think Chiliboy comes with a lot of experience and he is one of those set-piece hookers that you need to come off the bench and close things out. That is what hurt our set-piece last week, especially the lineouts. We want to start on a good note and end on a good note and Chiliboy gives us that,” Coetzee added.
