Port Elizabeth – Alex Goode and Thomas Waldrom will make their first starts for England in the third and final Test against South Africa after coach Stuart Lancaster named a side containing six changes on Thursday.

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Seeking a consolation victory after two defeats, injuries to flank and captain Chris Robshaw (thumb) and scrumhalf Ben Youngs (shoulder) has forced Lancaster to call up James Haskell and Danny Care respectively.

However, wing David Strettle, lock Mouritz Botha, number eight Ben Morgan and loosehead prop Joe Marler drop out of Saturday’s starting lineup to allow the coach a final chance to weigh up his options on the tour.

Loosehead prop Alex Corbisiero and lock Tom Palmer will join Saracens fullback Goode and Leicester number eight Waldrom on the field, with Ben Foden shifting from fullback to the left wing.

Marler and Botha are relegated to the bench while centre Brad Barritt, who suffered an eye injury in the first Test is also amongst the replacements.

The 24-year-old Goode and New Zealand-born Waldrom both won their first caps when they came off the bench in England’s 36-27 defeat to the Springboks in the second Test in Johannesburg last weekend.

Care has not played for England since last August while Haskell, a member of New Zealand Super Rugby franchise Highlanders, will return to Test action for the first time since last year’s World Cup.

The 25-year-old Care has endured a turbulent start to 2012 and was dropped from the England squad in January after being charged with drunk driving.

Going into the match having already lost the series, Lancaster maintained he was looking forward to what the new faces would bring to the team.

“I am really pleased for Alex (Goode). He has worked hard in training and has been pushing Mike Brown and Ben Foden close, so we are looking forward to him bringing his footballing skills to this Test,” Lancaster said in a statement.

“Danny Care, likewise, has bided his time in a very competitive position, knuckled down and deserves his chance, as has James Haskell, who has played this season for the Highlanders at number seven.

“We felt that the pack got some momentum in the second half last week so we have gone for Alex and Tom, but I am sure Joe Marler and Mo Botha can make an impact from the bench.”

Teams:

South Africa:

15 Gio Aplon, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jean de Villiers (captain), 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morne Steyn, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Jacques Potgieter, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Juandre Kruger, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Tendai Mtwarira

Substitutes: 16 Adriaan Strauss, 17 Werner Kruger, 18 Flip van der Merwe, 19 Ryan Kankowski, 20 Ruan Pienaar, 21 Elton Jantjies, 22 Bjorn Basson

England:

15 Alex Goode, 14 Chris Ashton, 13 Jonathan Joseph, 12 Manu Tuilagi, 11 Ben Foden, 10 Toby Flood, 9 Danny Care, 8 Thomas Waldrom, 7 James Haskell, 6 Tom Johnson, 5 Geoff Parling, 4 Tom Palmer, 3 Dan Cole, 2 Dylan Hartley (captain), 1 Alex Corbisiero

Substitutes: 16 Lee Mears, 17 Joe Marler, 18 Mouritz Botha, 19 Phil Dowson, 20 Lee Dickson, 21 Owen Farrell, 22 Brad Barritt.

5 Responses to England team to face Springboks in Port Elizabeth

  • 1

    Thats Goode for the Sarries man to finally get his chance starting at fullback.

  • 2

    Danny Care is a good ‘nuggety’ kind of scrumhalf, Boks going to have to keep a close eye on him trying breaks from the scrum and close to rucks.

  • 3

    This confirms what had thought when I saw Englands team sheet for game on Tuesday against the Baabaas; that they were going to start with Waldrom instead of Morgan at number 8, Morgan not even in the 22, he seems to have fallen by the wayside after a promising start in 6 nations. Also wondered whether Haskell would do enough from the bench on Tuesday night to make it and it seems as if Lancaster thinks he did.

  • 4

    30 000 tickets sold for the JWC finals so far. Well done Cape Town

  • 5

    Fcuk my head hurts. Damm that lady that “accidentally” added a bottle of branna’s to my shopping yesterday! Very upset….think I will have to phone them and raise a complaint.

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