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Springbok coach Peter de Villiers has backed the players who lost to Australia on home soil for the first time in eight years for Saturday's Tri-nations Test against the Wallabies in Johannesburg.

De Villiers has made just two enforced changes to the starting XV from last weekend's 27-15 defeat.

Odwa Ndungane returns on the right wing for the injured JP Pietersen, while Zimbabwean-born tighthead Brian Mujati comes in for suspended prop CJ van der Linde.

De Villiers has been heavily criticised since the defeat in Durban, their fourth loss in five Tri-nations matches.

But he said on Thursday that he was sticking by the players and the new game plan he is trying to implement for the world champions.

"The Peter de Villiers game plan is all about adding decision-making to structure and we are stuck at the moment at decision-making," he said.

"But I back the players and I want them to keep going out and playing what's in front of them. The win will come because we have very good players."

There are three changes to the reserves bench, with Jannie du Plessis replacing Mujati, utility forward Danie Rossouw coming in for loose forward Joe van Niekerk and utility back Ruan Pienaar replacing Francois Steyn.

Steyn has concussion after getting a knee in the nose while trying to tackle Australian fullback Drew Mitchell in Durban, while Rossouw has recovered from a back strain.

"We don't have control over whether we win or lose and I treat winning or losing as the same," De Villiers said.

"But we let the public down last week and we want them to feel part of a winning recipe."

South Africa: 15-Conrad Jantjies, 14-Odwa Ndungane, 13-Adrian Jacobs, 12-Jean de Villiers, 11-Jongikhaya Nokwe, 10-Butch James, 9-Fourie du Preez, 8-Pierre Spies, 7-Juan Smith, 6-Schalk Burger, 5-Victor Matfield (capt), 4-Andries Bekker, 3-Brian Mujati, 2-Bismarck du Plessis, 1-Tendai Mtawarira.

Replacements: 16-Adriaan Strauss, 17-Jannie du Plessis, 18-Danie Rossouw, 19-Luke Watson, 20-Enrico Januarie, 21-Ruan Pienaar, 22-Percy Montgomery.

Reuters