Matt Giteau

Wallaby wizard Matt Giteau will lead a powerful World XV against South African at Newlands on Saturday.

The non-cap international fixture is the first of the Springboks’ June outings.

The World selection includes five Springboks and two other South Africans.

Giteau will play at flyhalf and will partner one of the two South Africans who are not Springboks, scrumhalf Rory Kockott, at halfback.

rugby365

Replacement prop Schalk Ferreira is the other non-Bok in the World selection.

Centre Wynand Olivier, locks Alistair Hargreaves and Juandré Kruger, as well as hooker Craig Burden are the Boks in the starting XV.

Replacement prop Pat Cilliers is the other Bok.

“This is a very good team, they are all very good rugby players,” World XV coach Nick Mallett said.

“It is a fantastic backline as well, I think there is a lot of talent in the side.”

“There are nice combinations because there is Carl Hayman, who has played a lot with Craig Burden at Toulon.”

“We have got two South African locks who are good in the line-outs and in South Africa you have to make sure you win your own ball.”

“Steffon Armitage is a fantastic player, the European Player of the Year, great over the ball, good defensive player and a great attacking player.”

“It is a very exciting team and it is just a question of how quickly they can gel.”

World XV: 15 James O’Connor, 14 Drew Mitchell, 13 Rene Ranger, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Hosea Gear, 10 Matt Giteau (Captain), 9 Rory Kockott, 8 Roger Wilson, 7 Steffon Armitage, 6 Mamuka Gorgodze, 5 Alistair Hargreaves, 4 Juandré Kruger, 3 Carl Hayman, 2 Craig Burden, 1 Sona Taumalolo
Replacements: 16 Andrew Hore, 17 Schalk Ferreira, 18 Pat Cilliers, 19 Joe Tekori, 20 Alexandre Lapandry, 21 Jimmy Cowan, 22 François Trinh-Duc, 23 Stanley Benson.

Date: Saturday 7 June
Venue: Newlands, Cape Town
Kick-Off: 17:05 SA Time (15:05 GMT)
Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)
Assistant Referees: Lourens van der Merwe (South Africa), Quinton Immelman (South Africa)
TMO: Deon van Blommestein (South Africa)