Le Roux, who became the eighth player in South African rugby history to feature in 100 Tests earlier this season, suffered the niggle at training earlier this week and has not recovered in time to play, prompting Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus to draft Fassi straight into the starting lineup.
Fassi started last week’s Test against the Wallabies in Johannesburg, where the Springboks went down 38-22, making this his second appearance in a row against the Wallabies.
Updated Springbok team to face Australia in Cape Town:
15 Aphelele Fassi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 13 caps, 35 points (7t)
14 Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls) – 15 caps, 35 pts (7t)
13 Jesse Kriel (captain, Canon Eagles) – 81 caps, 95 points (19t)
12 Damian de Allende (Wild Knights) – 89 caps, 55 points (11t)
11 Cheslin Kolbe (Tokyo Sungoliath) – 41 caps, 111 points (18t, 3c, 5p)
10 Handre Pollard (Vodacom Bulls) – 82 caps, 797 points (7t, 116c, 168p, 5dg)
9 Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 20 caps, 25 pts (5t)
8 Jean-Luc du Preez (Bordeaux Begles) – 14 caps 10 points (2t)
7 Franco Mostert (Honda Heat) – 80 caps, 20 points (4t)
6 Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls) – 28 caps, 15 pts (3t)
5 Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls) – 8 caps, 0 pts
4 RG Snyman (Leinster) – 42 caps, 10 points (2t)
3 Thomas du Toit (Bath) – 25 caps, 5 pts (1t)
2 Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) – 79 caps, 115 pts (23t)
1 Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 42 caps, 0 pts
Replacements:
16 Marnus van der Merwe (Scarlets) – 1 cap, 10 points (2t)
17 Boan Venter (Edinburgh) – 2 caps, 5 pts (1t)
18 Wilco Louw (Vodacom Bulls) – 19 caps, 0 pts
19 Eben Etzebeth (Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 134 caps, 35 points (7t)
20 Lood de Jager (Wild Knights) – 68 caps, 25 points (5t)
21 Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs) – 54 caps, 45 points (9t)
22 Cobus Reinach (DHL Stormers) – 41 caps, 70 pts (14t)
23 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers) – 10 caps, 54 points (15c, 8p)