TOKYO, 31 Oct - Cheslin Kolbe has recovered from an ankle injury and will return to the South Africa starting team for Saturday's Rugby World Cup final against England.

The diminutive right-wing, pictured, who celebrated his 26th birthday on Monday, is the only change to the match-day 23 that arm-wrestled their way to a 19-16 win over Wales in the semi-finals.

Naming his team for the final at International Stadium Yokohama, South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus persevered with his tactic of having six forwards on the replacements bench in order to counter the expected physical onslaught from England, who were so dominant in their 19-7 semi-final win over the All Blacks.

Kolbe, who is 1.70m tall, missed the pool match against Canada before being passed fit for the quarter-final against Japan. But he aggravated the ankle injury against the Brave Blossoms and was replaced by S'Busiso Nkosi for the semi-final against Wales.

A cousin of world and Olympic 400m champion Wayde van Niekerk, he will provide the Springboks with an attacking weapon out wide, having scored two tries at RWC 2019 while displaying his fleet-footed counter-attacking abilities against New Zealand, Italy and Japan.

Captain Siya Kolisi will earn his 50th test cap in the final at the age of 28.

Frans Steyn, who retains his place on the bench as backs cover, kicked a penalty in South Africa's 15-6 win over England in the final at RWC 2007. 

South Africa

1. Tendai Mtawarira
2. Mbongeni Mbonambi
3. Frans Malherbe
4. Eben Etzebeth
5. Lood de Jager
6. Siya Kolisi (captain)
7. Pieter-Steph Du Toit
8. Duane Vermeulen
9. Faf de Klerk
10. Handre Pollard
11. Makazole Mapimpi
12. Damian de Allende
13. Lukhanyo Am
14. Cheslin Kolbe
15. Willie Le Roux

16. Malcolm Marx
17. Steven Kitshoff
18. Vincent Koch
19. RG Snyman
20. Franco Mostert
21. Francois Louw
22. Herschel Jantjies
23. Frans Steyn

RNS am/sdg/sw