JP Pietersen will on Sunday become the 28th player to reach 50 Springbok Test caps when he runs out against Scotland at Murrayfield in Edinburgh in the second match of the Castle Lager Outgoing Tour.
The 27-year-old Pietersen, who will return from Japan to Durban to play for The Sharks in Vodacom Super Rugby next season, made his Test debut on 9 September 2006 against Australia in Johannesburg when he was only 20.
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Pietersen, a Rugby World Cup winner in 2007, will become the fifth player this season to earn his 50th Test cap for South Africa. Only two other wingers, Bryan Habana and Breyton Paulse, have reached this milestone for the Springboks.
“This is really a magnificent achievement for one of the many world-class wingers South African rugby has produced,” said Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer.
“For more than seven years, JP has been one of the most consistent players for the Springboks. He always gives everything he has for his country and this is just reward for the hard work and dedication he’s put in over the years. Was it not for injuries, JP would probably have played many more Tests for South Africa”
As anticipated, Meyer made a total of five changes to the starting line-up, while two more are possible because of injury niggles.
In the tight five, Bakkies Botha returns for the first time since the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand in 2011, while Gurthrö Steenkamp and Adriaan Strauss will start at Murrayfield. Eben Etzebeth, Tendai Mtawarira and Bismarck du Plessis are on the bench.
In the backline, Willie le Roux takes over at fullback with Pat Lambie shifting to flyhalf. A final call on the availability of Morné Steyn (back) and Willem Alberts (shoulder) will be made on Saturday.
If Alberts is unfit to start, Siya Kolisi will take his place on the side of the scrum. Marcell Coetzee has been included on the bench in another rotational change with Kolisi, who will sit out if Alberts is passed fit. Steyn has been included on the bench pending a fitness test on Saturday.
“We said from the start of the tour that we were going to make a few changes for this Test,” said Meyer.
“We need to keep players fresh and motivated. Willie and Pat both did well after we lost Morné last weekend and deserve another opportunity on Sunday.
“Gurthrö and Adriaan, who will take over the vice-captaincy as well, have been part of the squad for a long time and will slot in easily. Furthermore, it has been great to have Bakkies back. His enthusiasm has been contagious and the younger guys have already learned a lot from spending time with him.
“We got our tour off to a good start last week against Wales in Cardiff and the focus this week has been on further improvement in a number of key areas of the game, most notably our discipline. In the Castle Lager Rugby Championship, we conceded the fewest penalties, but last week against Wales we were penalised too much. It’s something that is very important to us and we are working very hard on our discipline.”
Springbok team:
15. Willie le Roux (10 caps 15 points)
14. JP Pietersen (49 caps 70 points)
13. Jaque Fourie (70 caps 160 points)
12. Jean de Villiers (Captain – 94 caps 125 points)
11. Bryan Habana (93 caps 265 points)
10. Pat Lambie (30 caps 57 points)
9. Fourie du Preez (66 caps 75 points)
8. Duane Vermeulen (14 caps 5 points)
7. Willem Alberts (28 caps 30 points) / Siya Kolisi (9 caps 0 points)
6. Francois Louw (26 caps 25 points)
5. Flip van der Merwe (32 caps 5 points)
4. Bakkies Botha (76 caps 35 points)
3. Frans Malberhe (1 cap 0 points)
2. Adriaan Strauss (Vice-captain – 31 caps 25 points)
1. Gurthrö Steenkamp (47 caps 30 points)
Replacements:
16. Bismarck du Plessis (55 caps 45 points)
17. Tendai Mtawarira (51 caps 10 points)
18. Coenie Oosthuizen (12 caps 5 points)
19. Eben Etzebeth (22 caps 0 points)
20. Marcell Coetzee (14 caps 5 points)
21. Ruan Pienaar (72 caps 130 points)
22. Morné Steyn (52 caps 627 points) / AN Other
23. JJ Engelbrecht (11 caps 20 points)
Stats and facts:
- The Springbok starting team boasts a total of 667 Test caps (412 in the backline and 255 in the forwards), while there are a further 278 caps worth of experience on the bench.
- South Africa and Scotland last met on 15 June 2013 at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit during the Castle Lager Incoming Series. The Springboks outscored Scotland by 30-17 and three tries to two.
- JP Pietersen will be playing in his 50th Test for South Africa. He played 47 of the previous 49 on the wing and two at fullback.
- Jean de Villiers will extend his record as the most-capped Springbok centre, with 79 Tests in this position. He will be the captain for the 23rd consecutive Test, which will put him in fourth place on the list of SA Captains behind John Smit (83), Gary Teichmann (36) and Francois Pienaar (29). Jean and Jaque Fourie will also extend their SA record of 27 Tests as a centre-pairing.
- Bryan Habana will extend his record as the most-capped Springbok wing, with 92 Tests in this position and if he scores a try, will extend his record of 53 Test tries for South Africa.
- If he takes the field, Morné Steyn will extend his record as the most-capped Springbok flyhalf, with 51 Tests in this position. If he scores a try, he will also extend his record of eight Test tries as a flyhalf for South Africa.
- If he takes the field and scores a try Bismarck du Plessis will extend his record of nine Test tries for South Africa as a hooker.
- If he scores a try, Gurthrö Steenkamp will extend his own record of six tries as a prop for South Africa.
- Bakkies Botha last played for South Africa at the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand against Namibia, on 22 September 2011.
- If Jaque Fourie scores a try he will extend his record of 28 Test tries for South Africa as a centre.
- The referee is Jerôme Garces of France. This will be his second Test involving South Africa – the first was the Castle Lager Rugby Championship match against Australia on 28 September this year at DHL Newlands in Cape Town, which the Springboks won by 28-8.
Springbok Test match records at Murrayfield:
- Most points – 26 (2t, 8c) by Percy Montgomery on 6 December 1997 against Scotland.
- Most tries – two, by six players, the last was by Adriaan Strauss on 17 November 2012 against Scotland.
- Most conversions – eight by Percy Montgomery on 6 December 1997 against Scotland.
- Most penalty goals – four by Morné Steyn on 20 November 2010 against Scotland.
- Most drop goals – three by Jaco van der Westhuyzen 27 November 2004 against Scotland.
Eish… Pieter-Steph du Toit not even on the bench!
@ grootblousmile:
Why waste the lad’s time?
Ja nee dan weet ek nie. Hoekom hammer op ou gade soos bakkies as ons jong ouens goed genoeg is. Met Eben, Flip en Pieter is ons fine op slot.
Dis nou deiselfde soos met die bok kontrakte. Kan hulle bakkies se insluiting JUSTIFY. Nee hulle kan nie. Bakkies het sy groen en goue dae gehad en hy was goed en almal gaan hom onthou vir daai dae. Maar dis nou tyd om aan te beweeg.
Ons kan nie vorentoe beweeg en jong speler ontwikkel as hulle aanhou hammer op die ou spelers. hoekom gaan roep hulle dan nie maar sommer vir Kobus Wiese en Mark Andrews op om Bok te kom speel nie.
Ons verloor rreds soveel jong spelers as gevolg van hierdie uiterse k@k span besluite dat nie eers snaaks is nie, maar tog gaan ons aan en ons hou aan om ou spelers te kies en jong talente weg te dryf. So kom ons kies dan ons span so siende dat ou spelers mos soveel beter is.
15. Andre Joubert
14. Breyton Paulse
13. Andre Snyman
12. Hennie Le Roux
11. Chester Williams
10. Naas Botha
9. Joost van der Westhuizen
8. Gary Teichman
7. Ruben Kruger
6. Fancois Pienaar
5. Mark Andrews
4. Kobus Wiese
3. Cobus Visagie
2. James Dalton
1. Os Du Randt.
Hierdie sou my begin span gewees het teen Scotland. Sien ek kies lekker ou toppies. Dis mos hoe ons rugby werk. Sorry Eben En Pieter. Ek sal julle kies vir die 2027 WORLD CUP. Julle sal dan eers oud genoeg wees.
@ Timothy Bornman:
Os oefen glo weer moet nou nie daai saadtjie plant in HM se kop nie. Percy is ons beste skopper ooit wat van hom. Ons beter stop HM lees RT more is daai manne op kontrak, onthou HM wou graag nog met hulle werk.
Op n serious note, waarom word n speler 20 games gegee en waneer hy begin wys hy is after all goed genoeg vir die groen en goud dan los jy hom? Wie van daai agterste drie is “high ball specialists?” Zane was op top vorm , sy aansluitings met WleR was puik, nou is daardie kombinasie opgevok. Verby gone. Flip en ek het so gewens ons kon n agterste 3 he wat toor soos die All Blacks.
Kyk, ek het al lankal vrede gemaak met die feit dat gee nie om wat HM aanvang nie, daar uit die kaap en durbs gaan hul aanhou _ak en kerm tot in lengte van dae. Selfs al kies hy die span van hul drome, die hele wp of sharks span, is ek seker die klomp sal nog steeds iets kry om oor tantrums te vang.
Geen probleem met Bakkies en Flip as slotpaar nie, ek is eerder verbaas dat PSDT nie op die bank is nie, en wel Eben wat ek meen ‘n goeie ruskans nodig het.
Sou ook graag vir Jan en JJE as senterpaar wou sien, of Jan saam met JF. Maar weereens, ek dink HM het besluit om JF nog ‘n kans te gee om sy voete te vind in die boktrui, en hy het vir JDV behou langs Lambie wat so bietjie gewankel het laasweek, so die besluit maak sin.
Skotland is lankal nie meer ‘n walkover nie, hulle gaan kom met ‘n groot poging.
@ Timothy Bornman:
3
Bryan Habana says the return of Bakkies Botha has had a profound impact on the rest of the Springboks.
4: dink ook Willie/Aplon kan werk teen Skotland, maar teen beter spanne sal ek vir Lambie of Zane op heelagter wil sien. ‘n Fikse -100kg Frans Steyn sal ook die ding kan doen op heelagter.
@ supeBul: Stem saam oor Monty. Maar hy is nog nie oud genoeg nie, sal hom eers in 2019 se WC gebruik. hahahahahahaha.
@Ben_die_Bul: Ek verstaan nie werklik jou comment oor WP en Sharks ondersteuners nie. Want die insluting of uitsluiting van Bakkies het werklik niks daarmee te doen nie. Die probleem in SA rugby in GEHEEL is dat daar te veel op ou spelers staat gemaak word en sodoende ontwikkeling traag. Kyk bv in die Bulle se scenario. Daar was nooit onwikkel nie en jou sit die Bulle met ‘n baie jong onervare span wat aan die diepkant ingegooi gaan word. Daar was bv nooit werklik ‘n loskakel onder Morne Steyn ontwikkel nie, daar was nooit ‘n heelagter as Kirchner se opvolger ontwikkel nie en ek dink Visser gaan nog vir die Bul ondersteuners baie tandpyn gee.
Die punt wat ek probeer maak is nie dat daar nie fout was met die 3 slotte reeds by die bokke nie, hoekom vir Bakkies insluit. Hoekom hom dan nie eerder net as ‘n mentor gebruik vir jonger spelers nie.
@ Timothy Bornman:
I think HM missed a trick or 2 here. The best way to mentor a player is during a game. Would have been great to have Eben play at 5 and then PSDT come on a bit later.
8: meer ‘n algemene opmerking van my soos ek ook die ander rugby blogs gelees het en dit by verre die groot meerderheid van wp en sharks ondersteuners is wat weer ongelukkig is met HM.
Ekself is ‘n groter voorstander vir ‘n goeie mengsel van ervaring en jeug, as om net al die goeie jongspelers te vinnig in die diepkant in te gooi. Die CB seisoen het juis geleer dat die jeug van die Bulle nie reggekom het nie, en dat hul juis meer ervaring gekort het. So dit lyk my HM wil die balans probeer handhaaf.
Ek het wel gehoop om Bakkies en PSDT saam te sien begin of PSDT te minste op die bank.
Laat ons maar kyk wat Saterdag gebeur, of Bakkies te oud geword het om nog vir die bokke te speel.
@ Lion4ever: That could also have worked. This would have been the perfect match to give Eben a Pieter a start together. Scotland is a smaller nation so it would give us a bit of an indication as to whether they can play together. Now what can happen in future and this is part of the point I was trying to make. Come next years rugby Championship and Bakkies and Flip gets injured before our game vs the All Blacks, at this rate Pieter will have played about 30 minutes of international rugby. Now he has to start vs the AB’s. Not a good scenario to picture. Where is used correctly Pieter, Eben and Flip could have cemented a partnership of +-4 international caps as a lock pairing and that integration in my scenario would have been more seamless.
But this is only my opinion and there are more players that I can name that I feel the same about where there is a clear lack of development. Just to give you some player numbers where I feel development of younger players is still going to bite us in the arse sooner rather than later, 3, 9, 10, 11, 15.
Now a lot of people will say we have Willie that can play at 15 and Lambie ext. But let me tell the problem I have with this. Willie plays 14 for both the Griquas and the Cheetahs. How can he be chosen as a specialist 15 for the Boks, Lambie plays mostly at number 10……How can he be chosen as a specialist 15 for the Boks. Heaven only knows who will follow up Habana as that bar has been set pretty high……..the problem is that there is no planning regarding this.
Or are they just hoping that the current team will stay fit and injury free and decide not to retire before the 2015 WC. And then build from there.
@Ben_die_Bul: Ek sien. Ek glo dat Bakkies sal goed doen. En dink net jonger onervare spelers moet in sulke wedstryde waar ons teen sub par spaane speel meer speel kans kry. Dis hoe hulle daai vertroue op bou en ondervinding.
Maar ja wat. As mens na die groot prent kyk, maak dit nie saak wie in die span is nie. Solank die bokke wen.
I see there is absolute panic stations over Heyneke picking some very experienced players… but look at the young crowd mixed in between as well!
A good blend of sheer experience and exhuberent youth.
I guess ALL of us would have approached it differently… but we know Heyneke would rather err on the side of caution… and that has made his players on tour feel safe, under a good solid hand… and ultimately very bloody happy. The Bok camp is a positive experience, a light which shines out for the world to see and take notice of… I LIKE THAT!
Let’s look at some of the youth in the side, Malherbe, Kolisi (if he plays), Lambie, Willie le Roux, Marcell Coetzee, Coenie Oosthuizen, JJ Engelbrecht, Eben Etzebeth.. that is 8 out of 23. Is’nt THAT enough youngsters?
Folks, don’t shout and scream for the sole reason to just make noise… if you shout and scream, do it for a valid reason!
There will always be disagreement on teams selected for whatever reason, an example is that there are some picks in the Scotland team for the game that I would prefer weren’t made but as long as we see a really good game of rugby, GO BOKS GO SCOTLAND!
The Little Maestro was on 38 not out at close of play on day 1 in the 2nd test against West Indies in Mumbai, this is Sachin Tendulkar’s 200th test and his final outing. I know this is not related to the thread but think it worthy of mention at a ‘top of the page slot’ and wish had time to put up a thread for this game and keep it up to date. I know its not even a South African game but from all over the world you just can’t do anything but admire Tendulkar and what he has achieved over a long and very successful career – 328 test innings 15 847 runs at average of 53.71 add to that one day internationals runs total of 18 246. Interesting he only played one T20 international, can just imagine what his record would have been like in that version of the game if it got the profile it now does 20 years ago.
West Indies were all out for 182 in their first innings with India on 157/2 at close on day 1, at this rate this may well be Tendulkar’s last innings.
Read this and say what you think
“But I don’t understand why his legend has soared in the manner it has. He is consistent from the perspective that he very rarely has a bad Test. However, as a Test winger for one of the planet’s pre-eminent sides, this isn’t and shouldn’t ever be the standard he is held to.
His try-scoring record – 14 in 49 Tests – is modest for a player of his calibre. Traditionally, right wingers haven’t been nearly as prolific as those on the left flank, but even with this in mind, Pietersen’s return remains disappointing. Furthermore, he has regularly gone long periods without scoring. Reflecting on his Test career, in six matches between 16 August 2008 and 20 June 2009, he went tryless. It gets worse and hints at unnerving impotency. In eight Tests between 25 July and 21 August 2010 he failed to cross the chalk, and in a further eight outings between 4 September 2010 and 9 June 2012 Pietersen’s name didn’t appear on the scorers’ list. Notably, he is on a four-Test drought going into Sunday’s Test in Edinburgh.
His struggle has been felt more deeply when Bryan Habana has lost form, but the latter’s recent resurgence, as well as Willie le Roux’s emergence as an attacking force, has covered for their team-mate’s deficiencies. It would be remiss not to note that for the bulk of Pietersen’s career the Springboks had relied heavily on a territory-based approach that featured plenty of tactical kicking. In addition to that, Habana has consistently been the go-to player when they needed to get the ball in the hands of a player with game-breaking skills. Pietersen’s ability to create tries for others is also a plus point”
16
It all depends who you compare with.
Steve Hansen in his career at the top(HM started the same time) scored 95 tries in 26 games, almost 4 per game
HM record says 65 in 22 games almost 3 per game
PdeV was 125/48 about 2,5 tries per game
Jake 194/54 but both Jake and PDEV had runaway games against smaller Nations
The fact is JPP will never have the same opportunities that any All Black wing had, we simply do not play like them.
But i have seen him creating tries for other team mates.
on the uddar hand
he is and will never be in the claas of the big legandary AB wingers, guys who scored at least 3 tries for every 4 tests they played
@ Bullscot:
15
Devine: “You know, when Sachin was going up the steps and walking along the balcony to the dressing room, I was somehow expecting that he would look back again. Hold up his bat, stand at the balcony for a while and maybe give a final wave so everyone could get one last glimpse…but he didnt. Reminding us that he is probably the only person in the stadium who doesnt think he is god. #divinitypersonified!”
“It was a big decision not to include Pieter-Steph because I’d like to give him as much playing time as possible,” Meyer told Die Burger’s website.
But Meyer said that with Botha being out of the Bok fold for so long it would have been risky to start with him and Du Toit.
“If I picked Pieter-Steph alongside Bakkies then we would effectively have two newcomers. I also felt I needed an experienced player who could replace Bakkies later in the game.
“Flip recently started as No 5 lock and is playing with a lot of confidence. It was therefore an easy decision to pick these three (Botha, Van der Merwe and Etzebeth),” said Meyer.
Meyer said he was impressed with the physical state of the 34-year-old Botha.
“I’ve coached Bakkies for years now and have seldom seen him look this good. He’s lost a lot of weight, is fit and movable, and wins lineout balls. But he has to show that he’s good enough.”
19 @ superBul:It’s nice to see that HM is taking heed of what is being said in the public domain, and coming back with an honest, and forthright reason as to why he has taken a certain action. Not too many coaches do that. Now we know exactly what was going through his mind in the choice of not playing PSDT, a reason we can all understand, and moreover, means that he is prepared to stand by his decision and take the fall if it goes wrong. I like that, and respect him for it – even if I don’t always respect his decisions.
16 @ superBul:
JP Pietersen is heavily overrated but to his credit, he has been solid on defence in his career.
@ Just For Kicks:
I alsowould like to see Bakkies form, If his form is great and he can stay calm i would make him and Bismarck the first names on my tick sheet for next weeks game against france, If they come up with a effort like that one against the ABs we will pray to have these experienced hard men.
20 @ Just For Kicks:
Yip, a perfectly logical explanation and sound reasoning by Heyneke in this case… and like you say it is refreshing to have that explanation by Heyneke.
Goooooooooooooooo Bokke!
Cant wait for the weekend to start!
@ Bullscot:
15
lots to say on Cricinfo about Sachin, just picked up this comment.
92.5
Gabriel to Mohammed Shami, no run
Ribhav Bansal: “@ Nick, more than the total no of Test runs, it is the centuries which Kallis can overtake, Sachin – 51, Kallis – 44, but Kallis is 38 and last scored a century last year in November. In terms of runs, he is behind Sachin by almost 3000 runs which would require Kallis to at least play a minimum of 3 more years.”
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