Coach Peter de Villiers and the selectors have made six changes, including two positional, to the Springbok starting XV that faced Italy last week for Saturday’s final test of 2009 at Croke Park in Dublin against Ireland.
The Official SA Rugby web site says the following:
In the front row, Tendai Mtawarira returns to the starting XV in place of Wian du Preez and BJ Botha starts at tighthead with captain John Smit moving to hooker in the place of Adriaan Strauss.
Victor Matfield returns to the starting XV, replacing Andries Bekker, Schalk Burger is back at flank with Danie Rossouw moving from the side of the scrum to number eight. There is one change to the backline with Wynand Olivier starting at 12 in place of the injured Adi Jacobs.
There are four more changes on the bench – hooker Bismarck du Plessis and prop CJ van der Linde return from injury, whilst Irish-based centre Jean de Villiers is recalled and flank Dewald Potgieter is included in the Test 22 for the first time.
Smit will equal Percy Montgomery’s record as the most capped Springbok against Ireland (six caps), while Jaque Fourie will equal Jean de Villers’ record as the most capped Springbok centre (43 Tests).
The Springbok team is: (test caps in brackets):
15 Zane Kirchner (3)
14 JP Pietersen (32)
13 Jaque Fourie (53)
12 Wynand Olivier (26)
11 Bryan Habana (56)
10 Morne Steyn (11)
9 Fourie du Preez (54)
8 Danie Rossouw (45)
7 Schalk Burger (54)
6 Heinrich Brüssow (12)
5 Victor Matfield (91)
4 Bakkies Botha (65)
3 BJ Botha (18)
2 John Smit (92) – captain
1 Tendai Mtawarira (21)
Reserves:
16 Bismarck du Plessis (31)
17 CJ van der Linde (57)
18 Andries Bekker (2)
19 Jean Deysel (1)
20 Dewald Potgieter (uncapped)
21 Ruan Pienaar (36)
22 Jean de Villiers (54)
Mmmmmm, I’m happy… bloody good show!
Very glad for Wynand Olivier who now gets a run in the Bokke 1st 15… and not in the sub-standard Bokke Teams he’s been included before.
Good combinations all round…
Solid front row, who has all had success together
Best locks in the world who know each other and the front row bloody well
Loosies have balance… Danie is a better No 8 than a blindsider… and suits NH conditions at No 8
The old Bulls partnership of Fourie du Preez, MornéSteyn, Habana, Olivier and Zane.. who are joined by Jacque Fourie and JP Pietersen.
Somebody actually used their brains when they composed the team… oh and I like the whole bloody bench too…. a 5 / 2 split… 5 forwards and 2 backs… I have no problem there!
Very good team this, only possible weak point being fullback.
En baie bly vir Potties, hoop hy kry ten minste 20 min in sy debuut.
Oh yes! That looks better. Pity about Wian and Andries. I am happy that the rubbish that is Kankowski and Jacobs are not in the team. Schalk is lucky to be there above Deysel.
JDC……..Welcome home!
This team is going to smash the Paddies!
En Steyn beter sy skoppe oorklits die naweek. In kak weer kry jy net soveel kanse vir punte, en dit moet gevat word. Daar gaan nie baie driee gedruk word nie, wat soveel meer druk op Morne gaan sit.
3 – LH
Only concern for me is the bloody wether in Ireland. Weather could be a leveler.
5 – Ha ha, Not wether but rather weather.
633 test caps starting and 181 test caps on the bench. That gives us 814 test caps that will face the oirish.
Not to bad.
4@Snoek – Weervoorspelling sê kwaai wind… gaan moeilik wees met die skoppe, maar ons moet net slim speel hoeke toe en in hulle gebied…. die kanse sal kom!
Nou waar is almal vandag?
gbs @ 8 – Dit is juis hier waar Kirchner by bietjie bekommer, hy is ‘n steady speler, maar in sulke weer is steady nie goed genoeg nie.
Hoop maar hy het ‘n cracker Saterdag.
9@Snoek – Hulle werk seker aan hulle Krismisbonusse….
GBS @ 11 – Nou sê jy vir my hier is net ‘n spul speedcops op die blog? Dis gewoonlik hulle wat die tyd van die jaar vir bonnuse werk.
10@ Snoek – Ten minste ken Zane die ouens (Bulls) in die agterlyn goed…. en hy is solid onder die hoë balle….. neewat, hy sal OK wees…. daar’s mossie juis ander wafferse heelagters op toer nie… so wat maak mens….
Bonusse 😆 Aai!, die spelling is maar grof!
12@ Snoek – Speedcops?? Neeeeeeeee, hier’s nie “slegte onsedelike vroue” se kinders op die blog nie…. hehehe
GBS @ 13 – Nee dit is soos jy sê, ek het ongelukkig nog nie baie confidence in hom nie. Maar Pienaar kan maklik daar inskyf as dinge moeilik gaan. Natuurlike “ball players” doen gewoonlik goed in nat weer.
Uiteindelik ‘n goeie span wat deur beserings op PdV afgedwing is!
Die enigste werklik swak speler nog in die span is JPP. Hy was pateties en kak bang hierdie seisoen.
Kirchner behoort ok te wees agter
17 @ SAB – JPP is nie ‘n swak speler nie, net bietjie lui. Hy soek nie vir werk soos Habana nie. Maar stem saam dat hy nie sy beste seisoen belewe nie.
18 Snoek
Hy het al goeie games gehad maar bliksem hy gee my deesdae die horries as sy koppie begin knik en hy sulke sagte handjies uitsteek op die verdediging.
Behalwe vir hom is ek baie happy met die span – al 22 van hulle
Imagine die krag van ‘n Deysel en Bismark in die laaste 20 minute. Dit sal die Iere se spoed breek.
19 @ SAB – Dit is definitief die beste 22 wat gekies is op toer so ver. Hierdie span behoort nie te verloor teen Ierland nie.
Maar nou ja, rugby word nie met ‘n ronde bal gespeel nie, en nat weer maak ‘n wedstryd baie gelyk.
21 Snoek
Die nat winderige weer en natuurlik Nigel Owens is gelykmakende faktore hehehe
22 SAB
Natuurlik, moet nooit van die ref vergeet nie. 😉
So wat sal ek kies vir Superbru?
France met 6
Aus met 5
SA met 6
Mmmmh……. Dit gaan ‘n taai besluit wees die naweek.
very good team
id still like a loose combo of deysel,brussow and spies or alberts, but thats future i am talking of
i can call alberts a sharkie now 😆
btw gbs my friend , please edit the headline , although we say its the springboks , one says the srpingbok team to face etc
remove that S 😆
pity frans steyn isnt at 15 and of course we have one or 2 other injuries like spies and juan , but man this is a very good team
Good to see Wynand Olivier starting he deserves to. He been a better inside-centre than Jean de Intercept this year and should’ve been the first choice from the first game. Glad to see Dewald Potgieter on the bench, Jean Deysel too. Good side.
25@ Tjarkie – What “s”????
27 – Most positive post from you on this site ever. 😉
But agree 100% on all your points.
28 – Jou bliksem 😆
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