South Africa on Thursday in New Zealand named the most experienced team in Springbok history for their Rugby World Cup 2011 quarterfinal against Australia in Wellington on Sunday.
Coach Peter de Villiers made three changes to the team that started against Samoa – one of the changes forced by injury – in a combination featuring 836 caps, surpassing the previous record of 815 posted against Wales in the team’s opening match in the tournament.
Captain John Smit and loosehead prop Gurthrö Steenkamp return to the front row, while Jean de Villiers resumes his place in the No 12 jersey in place of Frans Steyn, who suffered a tournament-ending shoulder injury in the 13-5 victory over Samoa.
The XV includes eight players who started in the 2007 Rugby World Cup final as well as three players who were part of the squad. Only Pat Lambie, Morne Steyn and Heinrich Brüssow of the starting team were not involved in 2007, while Pierre Spies was originally selected but had to withdraw due to illness.
Bismarck du Plessis drops to the bench where he is joined by CJ van der Linde, Willem Alberts and Francois Louw, who were all replacement forwards against Samoa.
The versatile Francois Hougaard retains his place among the back replacements where he is joined by flyhalf Butch James and outside back Gio Aplon.
Bakkies Botha was not considered for selection due to the recurrence of an Achilles Heel injury suffered during training on Wednesday.
Sunday’s match kicks off at 18h00 (07h00 SA time).
South Africa v Australia, 9 October 2011, Wellington Regional Stadium
15 Pat Lambie (KwaZulu-Natal) – 10 caps, 3 RWC caps
14 JP Pietersen (KwaZulu-Natal) – 41, 10
13 Jaque Fourie (Western Province) – 68, 14
12 Jean de Villiers (Western Province) – 71, 3
11 Bryan Habana (Western Province) – 73, 10
10 Morné Steyn (Blue Bulls) – 33, 4
9 Fourie du Preez (Blue Bulls) – 61, 10
8 Pierre Spies (Blue Bulls) – 46, 4
7 Schalk Burger (Western Province) – 67, 12
6 Heinrich Brüssow (Free State) – 19, 4
5 Victor Matfield (Blue Bulls) – 109, 13
4 Danie Rossouw (Blue Bulls) – 62, 14
3 Jannie du Plessis (KwaZulu-Natal) – 29, 5
2 John Smit (captain, KwaZulu-Natal) – 110, 16
1 Gurthrö Steenkamp (Blue Bulls) – 37, 5
Replacements
16 Bismarck du Plessis (KwaZulu-Natal) – 41, 8
17 CJ van der Linde (Golden Lions) – 73, 7
18 Willem Alberts (KwaZulu-Natal) – 8, 4
19 Francois Louw (Bath, England) – 9, 2
20 Francois Hougaard (Blue Bulls) – 14, 4
21 Butch James (Golden Lions) – 42, 7
22 Gio Aplon (Western Province) – 16, 1
Not a bad side… pretty much as expected.
Bakkies not in the running yet, I see.
This is a good team and the reserves are bound to add value when they come on. Just a pity we don’t have a genuine lock as backup. Spies will have to play his part in the lineout and that area of former dominance could be a hassle….but Danie ahs been more than impressive this world cup.
2@ 4man:
Yeah agree in general a good team and also noticed no lock on the bench but from the games I’ve seen think they have used Spies quite a bit in the lineout so he’s ok there. Also note only two front rowers on the bench with no place for The Beast, this makes me think we will see Smit move to prop at some point when Bismarck comes on at hooker. Pity no Beast but of the two looseheads think Gurthro has been playing better so is right to have been picked. When I first heard of Bakkies injury way back at the start I thought he should be on the 1st plane home as thought he would struggle to recover from an achilles injury, that way they could have had the lock replacement there with the team for longer, especially as Muller has not been in much action probably still injured, is it too late now to bring in someone and who would it be, what is the story with Muller? Also interesting to see 3 backs on the bench that is good cover numberwise especially considering the injuries from last game, am just surprised Pienaar is not on the bench as I think he would be better than James at flyhalf and fullback and goal kicker and could also cover scrumhalf if Hougie has to play wing, maybe the main concern is at centre which is the only position I think James would be better.
Pretty much as expected. Bakkies injury means Danie starts and Alberts/Flo will cover lock. Think it’s past time Bakkies was sent home. The man is a legend but he has been carrying an injury the whole tour. Not fair on the team. Pity though that all our best locks are injured. What about Flip?
Think the Aplon and Hougie are needed to cover Habs and JPP as both are carrying injuries and Butch covers JdV. Geez but this Bok team is basically being held together by plaster and vicks!
John the Great leading a formidable side, the best we have at the moment; we are in business, for sure.!!!!!
Go Smittie and the Bokke!!!
John Smit is going to lift that trophy again, mark my words RT’s.
Only worries are is injuries and the locks being a bit thinned out.
But I am happy with our team, thanks PdeV.
John the great pretender, may well lift that trophy, but it wouldn’t be thanks to him and his so-called leadership.
@ The_Young_Turk:
Morning Turk.
Looking back at our Springbok captains of the past- and there were some great ones – not one of them has ever achieved what John has,not even close.
The nearest to JS, in my opinion, would possibly be Gary Teichman and Morne du Plessis.
No bru, we are talking about a legend here, John Smit….
I don’t like the 5 / 3 split. Would have gone for Beast instead and scrummed them off the park. But I suppose that’s what injuries does.
I don’t know anymore about this game. Earlier in the week I felt quite confident but I’m getting worried now. The weather is going to clear and mr Cooper is going to do his tricks, shit, may the SNOR be with us!
I don’t like the fact that beast is not even on the bench and that CJ is, I also don’t understand why Bitch James is on the bench, think Juan would have been a better option, oh and please please please JDV hope you have worked on your defence and have learnt to pass the ball while you were ‘recuperating’!!!! He is a very weak link on defence!!!!
@ Pietman:
The fact that John Smit has been one of or even the most successful Bok skipper is not in debate. His past glories are not in debate as his supporters continue carrying on about ad nauseum. His present form is what his critics are concerned about. Sport is not about what you did 2,3 or 4 years ago. It’s about now and your value to the team now. So talking about the past brings absolutely nothing to the debate. In fact it’s like a little child sticking fingers in their ears and going “nana nana na na”.
TYK, take Bismark out of the equation, then who would pick as hooker? We are so fortunate to have 2 of the best hookers in world rugby at our disposal. I wold rather have JS, play for me than against me. Bismark has the talent and ability to far outstrip JS as a hooker, but his time is not quite yet.
@ The_Young_Turk:
10
i hope you are wrong
and i hope all the experts are right(not that i think you are not a expert , we all are here) and that EXPERIENCE is what you need in WCs.
We are in far a almighty task, winning two no 3 massive games in 3 weeks on foreign soil, in a country were our wins are scarce. I feel more comfortable with these experienced players. Off course i would have felt arrogant and overconfident if we had Juan Smith, Bakkies Botha , Frans Steyn and Andries Bekker there.
PS. i feel for my great favorite Chillieboy Ralepele, shame he is not even mentioned at all anymore, and he was in the form of his life going into the RWC. Eish my man you might come back with a winners medal and Bakkies might miss out if he is replaced but that wont fill that empty feeling. My thoughts are with you.
A likely tournament-ending injury to South Africa second row Bakkies Botha has stunned the Springboks squad as they prepare for Sunday’s quarter-final against Australia at Wellington Regional Stadium.
Coach Peter de Villiers and captain John Smit appeared downbeat at Thursday’s early-morning press conference to announce their team for Sunday, and wing Bryan Habana later admitted the mood was “a little bit emotional” in the team room.
“Bakkies had a talk to the team this morning and it did get a little bit emotional,” Habana said, pausing a couple of times while speaking, apparently to compose his feelings.
“I think it is tough on the team. Whether it was tougher losing (Springbok centre) Frans Steyn, or New Zealand losing Dan Carter, it’s difficult to say, but he’s become a great friend, a great rugby player and the ability he had to lift this team will live in our hearts for quite a while.”
The 2007 World Cup winner aggravated his achilles tendon problem during lineout practice on Wednesday when he landed heavily, ruling him out of Sunday’s match and probably the tournament.
Habana added: “We’ve had a guy that’s really given his heart to this country for the last 10 years and he’s become a good friend to a lot of us.
“He’s a strong character within this team, not only by the way he carries on off the field, but his ability to bring this team together on the field.”
Bakkies Botha has been forced out of the Springboks’ Rugby World Cup campaign because of an Achilles tendon injury.
The announcement was made on Thursday after the 76-Test veteran suffered the injury during training 24 hours earlier.
The lock leaves New Zealand on Friday to become the second Springbok player in a week to be forced out. Centre Frans Steyn departed on Tuesday because of a shoulder injury.
A decision on a replacement has been postponed pending the outcome of Sunday’s quarterfinal against Australia in Wellington.
Botha, 32, said that it had been an emotional decision to admit his World Cup was over, but that he still intended to return to Springbok team.
“I am a person who normally keeps my emotions out of sight but it was emotional to talk to the team this morning and tell them I would be going home,” he said. “I told the team to cherish every moment of their time in the green and gold because you never know when it is going to be your last.
“This is definitely not the end of my Test career as far as I am concerned,” he said. “I’ll be aiming to give 100% to Toulon to help them get into the Heineken Cup and I’ll still be available for South Africa next year.
“I still have the desire to play for my country and that will be there for as long as I play. It’s a special thing to pull on this jersey and that hunger has not left me.”
Right off to work for me , before i get as emotional as Puma did about Frans Steyn.
Bakkies i feel so sad for you , hell this guy is worth a lot more to the Springboks than many will realize. He is like the big brother there , you dont mess with us …. Bakkies is there.
Sad , but thats life , kom rus maar hier ou yster , jy het vir my ure se plesier verskaf en ja ek dink jy sou great gewees het in die laaste stages van die Wereldbeker.
@ superBul:
Yip, I share your thoughts on Chilliboy.
Sad news about Bakkies, but maybe it would have been better to put him on standby, and then call him up should he be needed, because a fully fit Bakkies is awesome
@ Lion4ever:
You can’t take Bissy out of the equation. It’s a silly argument. The whole point is that we have an internationally recognised better hooker. Even the coach feels that Bissy is better as we saw when he moved Smit to prop. Because we have an insecure coach and also someone who is loyal to his players, he feels he has to find a place for John. Will John do the job is also not the point. Sure he is adequate. It’s the principal of the thing. You have a player that doesn’t want to leave the limelight added to a coach that is afraid of not having him around.
First they tried him at prop because we didn’t have clear candidates in this position. When that proved a failure, they moved him back to hooker. As far as hookers go, we have one clearly better player and some good prospects that could have done with the opportunity of getting game time instead of wasting away on the bench or not even getting game time or not even getting into the team.
This Sport we are talking about. Retirement doesn’t mean a death sentence for Smit. It happens to all players. Habs is another one. FdP another. Even bakkies and Victor. A team cannot carry too many players. It’s still understandable when there are no replacements as in the case of Bakkies and Vic. Danie is good enough, but you need 3 locks available and our best lock, Bekker, is injured.
A good comparison is what happened to JdV. Fransie by his performance shut out JdV and if he had not gotten injured, would probably have been preferred. Why does the same thing not apply to Smit.
The debate about John Smit won’t abate… there are the devoutees and the doubters, that’s just the way it is.
This does not alter the fact that Snor thinks John is his man and captain.. and that John will start in the game(s) which the Bokke have left in this World Cup.
What is of more importance, is whether this side, which Snor has selected and which South Africa’s hopes are now pinned on, can do it. It is a bloody strong Springbok team and we must hope they can execute what they need to do to win, to curb the Wallaby flair and unpredictability.
The Wallabies is a tough nut to crack and the game can go either way, but the Wallabies have not exactly set the World Cup alight either.
The Bokke has an Ace kicker to posts, with the best results out of all kickers at the World Cup, and bar one or 2 positions all of us would have chosen much the same side!
So my voice is behind the Bokke all the way! Time for second-guessing is a thing of the past, time for full-hearted support is here.
Goooooooooooo Bokke!
@ grootblousmile:
Expressing an opinion doesn’t mean not supporting the team, Gbs. I fully support the Boks and always will. Smit or any other person is not the team. So there is no question of supporting the team. That’s what tends to make me the moer in about this John Smit story. If you question him as a player, it’s thrown in your face that “he has won so many tropies”, as if he did it single-handedly or that one is not supporting the Boks. No, he is there and that won’t change and I would love to see him or any Bok holding up the trophy as that comes first before my opinion of any player. The fact that I feel that he deserves it is another separate matter.
But the Bok win comes first, i dont care who the fark holds up the trophy as long as it goes in the record books that the Springboks retain the WC in NZ in 2011.
And by the way, I actually feel that having Jonn start may be a better option than bringing him on later. Now that he is there and the coach is determined to play him, he has my full support.
@ grootblousmile:22 – Good post gbs.
Let us just get behind our Boks. I also have reservations about some. But they are there and I will support them. They never selected themselves.
They need our support.
Good luck to our Bokke. Hope the Minister of Sport is there on Sunday morning to tell them what he told them on their send off in Sandton. That will get their adrenaline going……….hehehe.
He is going to be there. I read he was on his way. Hope he does another motivational pep talk to them before the game…..lol.
Go Boks make us proud. Win or lose we must just support them.
22 & 23 @ The_Young_Turk:
I would not have had John Smit in the squad from more than a year ago. I also do not undertand the hype people have about him, and the hero-worship or cult-facination for a waning player like him and his role as captain. He’s been great in the past, he’s OK now… but like for any other player, there comes a time to come and a time to go.
But that is besides the point, I tried to convey that we have just about exhausted, trampled, rehashed, re-rehashed the merits and demerits of his inclusion.
He’s there now… we support him and the team now… that should be about the long and short of the story.
Same with Snor, I don’t think he’s a head-coach’s backside, but he’s there representing South Africa… and that alone makes him have my support… (hy moet net sy bek hou teenoor die media en nie die lippe laat flap met die freegin media nie)
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