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)
so toe gebeur dit die fokkers het vir wiaan gekelder ma nou ja die kota moet mos gehandhaaf word.gelukkig weet die vrystaat voory watter stutte (almal van hulle ) het gekak teen hulle
Good team. Pleased that WO is getting a chance to start even if I think that JdV is a better player than him. WO playing rugby here in SA deserves to get selected ahead of JdV. Damn pleased though that JdV is on the bench, just good to know we have someone of that quality there.
Now would have started with Deysel and left Burger on the bench. Think Burger is a walking yellow card about to happen and may cost us. Pleased Potties made the bench as well.
Our front row looking good too and we covered there on the bench.
So we all covered if Danie has a injury Potties to cover there and Deysel to cover blindside. JdV to cover inside centre, Bekker as usual to cover for Bakkies. Damn pleased Bakkies is fit to play. Ruan to cover for FH and Scrummie. Poor Ruan the all position player just like they used Fransie at one stage. Still pleased Ruan is there.
This is the team to have started against France. We may have won.
Still would have had Deysel ahead of Burger to start.
60 – Sharky, Agree 100%. Fransie our best FB. Sad actually he is playing in France. My feel had he known he was going to get a position of his own in the Bok squad. He just may never have gone over to play for Metro. Also blame the agents. Think they push some players to move.
We will miss him. Especially in the wet conditions. Remember without him we would not have won in NZ with those 3 monster kicks.
Zane is our 2nd best so let us see how he goes in the wet conditions of Ireland. Fransie will be watching from the stands as he will be there because of being selected as one of the players for player of the year. He will feel it being on the outside looking in.
59 – Grootbloebek jy praat a whole load of kak…….hehehehe. 😆
Howzit gbs. I really do think though that Deysel is better suited to blindside than Burger. Deysel and Brussow together awesome. Burger never as good. Never played well this year for Stormers either. Acutally has never played as brilliant as he was since he has hurt that neck.
Hi Puma
I agree on Deysel, but then GBS calls us one eyed and so on. I just think that Burger had a poor year according to his standards. He is not controlled enough, and as you say, he is a walking card (choose a color).
Deysel on the other hand had agreat year so far, and he really deserves to play there in the absence of Juan.
The Irish media were almost spot on with the team. Only difference is Oliver at centre in place of Jacobs – but he is injured so that is the reason. Go check my predictions – loosies Burger, Brussouw and Roussouw. Front row was also spot on. Think I should be a South African selector. Still I don’t think this team will beat the light greens.
I don’t think Kankowski would even make the Tonga starting team. Can’t believe he was the second best 8 in SA.
59 – GBS. Fransie is our best FB boet. No IFS OR BUTS. He is. Zane our 2nd best. So let us see how he does. That will be Zane’s position from now on. Fransie wont get a look in now that Zane is there. PdV will keep Zane at FB. Fransie stupid to have signed for Metro would still have been our FB.
We will miss him boeta. That is a definite.
Evening Puma and Snoek!
Regarding Young Steyn, i am glad he chose to leave SA for a while. He will be back as a better more mature player, and he has time on his side.
Very glad that Oliver is playing rather than Jean. Jean is a class above most.
Howzit Oirish,
@70 Snoek – agree the tough European rugby season will make him a much better player 😉
62
Puma , JdV did become a good center, WO showed all the potential but never had a chance with a star studded Bok team. Hope he takes it because the SA rugby public outside Pretoria wont give him another chance.
If he finally gets a few games he might become as good if not better than Jean.
Guys the weather is getting worse! Suits neither team
66 – Where you spying on the boks? Knowing the team a week before sound dodgy to me.
65 – Snoek, Agree 100% Deysel should have started. Burger just never the same player and will give away a yellow, and please hope not a red. Remember Deysel fetches well for the Sharks too and would have worked well with Brussow. We saw how well he played there last Saturday.
@76 Snoek- supplying the guys food with Suzy! Remember her, she has come across to assist the Boks.
Kankowski had a good year in 2007/2008, and since then he has been a bench warmer, and now he miserably out of form. And with Albert moving to the Sharks, he is not sure of a starting berth in the S14 as well.
@77 Puma – you think this Bok team can beat us?
71 – Irish, Howzit mate, LOL. Yip bet you pleased that Wo is starting ahead of JdV. JdV in the Bok squad is far better player. Not sure how well he is playing for Munster but he knows these players very well. Then WO deserved to start playing all his rugby in SA. He just may take this chance with both hands and who knows have a blinder of a game.
78 – Suzie who? 😉
68
Is Fransie a FB? I asked earlier how many games did he play there?
81 – Started off really bad – BOD made him look like a schoolboy first game – but has got used to the sunshine 😉 and easy playing conditions.
Puma, the Irish does not know Olivier that well. They are going to be surprised, he is better than most think, and he is a better defender than JDV.
Snoek is mos jy wat mos Kalimambo koneksies het?
@83 Superbul – Fransie is that a midget Frenchman
80 – Irish, Yes mate. I do. Just have a bit of a worry with Burger at blindside. Deysel far better there and Burger will give away a few penalties on the way and maybe a yellow.
Zane a bit of a rookie at the back for the Boks. Then he has all his Bull mates around him he should be fine. Fransie would have been far better in the wet conditions.
On the other hand Irish, Ireland are a very, very good team and really want win this one against us. They will up their game to what they played against Oz. Going to be a tight game because of the wet conditions but still will be a thriller.
@85 Snoek – we sure do. We saw a 17 year old from Tigers make him look like a 12 year old 😉
Superbul – Hoe was die naweek weg gewees? Julle plekkie daar in die hitte raak nou seker mooi groen van die reen.
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