Johan Goosen
Trevor Nyakane
Teboho Mahoje
Coenie Oosthuizen
The Springbok starting team to face Italy in Padova on Saturday shows four changes from the side which beat England at Twickenham last week, with three new faces amongst the pack and one in the backline.
There are also five changes on the bench, with Nizaam Carr and Julian Redelinghuys included in a Test match-23 for the first time.
Trevor Nyakane will start his first Test for South Africa at loosehead prop, while Coenie Oosthuizen moves up from the bench to replace the injured Jannie du Plessis at tighthead. Teboho ‘Oupa’ Mohoje returns to the starting line-up while Johan Goosen has been selected at fullback.
Joining Carr and Redelinghuys on the bench, are Gurthrö Steenkamp, Lood de Jager and Willie le Roux. Tendai Mtawarira has been given a break after carrying a heavy workload recently.
“I’m excited to see what these guys can do on Saturday in what will be a stern Test against a fired-up Italy,” said Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer.
“We planned to make a few shifts for this Test as I’d like to see if these players can make the step up. The guys coming in deserve their opportunities and seeing that we won’t have our overseas-based players available next week against Wales, it made sense to bring a few of them in this week.”
Meyer said he was impressed by the commitment shown by all the uncapped players at training on the tour and that Carr and Redelinghuys are ready for selection.
Julian Redelinghuys
Nizaam Carr
“Nizaam can cover all the positions in the back-row and his call-up is just-reward after a very good season for the DHL Stormers and Western Province,” said the Springbok coach.
“Julian has been superb for the Lions this season and he’s shown that he can scrum. Both of them are now familiar with our plays and structures and I’m looking forward to see what they can bring on Saturday.
“It will also be a good test for Johan, who I’ve always regarded as a possibility at fullback. He has a great skill-set and a massive boot which will come in handy on Saturday if we have to play in wet weather again.”
Meyer said the Test against Italy will pose different challenges to what the Springboks had faced thus far on the tour.
“They are a passionate nation with a very experienced coach in Jacques Brunel and a world-class captain in Sergio Parisse,” said Meyer.
“The Italian pack is always formidable and their backs are not scared of taking chances. Our focus is to show improvements from our performance at Twickenham and we know it will be a big challenge on Saturday.”
Springbok team:
15 Johan Goosen (5 caps, 8 points)
14 JP Pietersen (58 caps, 90 points)
13 Jan Serfontein (18 caps,10 points)
12 Jean de Villiers (Captain – 104 caps, 135 points)
11 Bryan Habana (105 caps, 280 points)
10 Pat Lambie (38 caps, 97 points)
9 Cobus Reinach (4 caps, 5 points)
8 Duane Vermeulen (27 caps, 10 points)
7 Teboho “Oupa” Mohoje (5 caps, 0 points)
6 Marcell Coetzee (24 caps, 30 points)
5 Victor Matfield (Vice-captain – 119 caps, 35 points)
4 Eben Etzebeth (31 caps, 0 points)
3 Coenie Oosthuizen (19 caps, 10 points)
2 Adriaan Strauss (42 caps, 25 points)
1 Trevor Nyakane (11 caps, 5 points)
Replacements:
16 Bismarck du Plessis (68 caps, 45 points)
17 Gurthrö Steenkamp (52 caps, 30 points)
18 Julian Redelinghuys (0 caps, 0 points)
19 Lood de Jager (7 caps, 10 points)
20 Nizaam Carr (0 caps, 0 points)
21 Francois Hougaard (33 caps, 25 points)
22 Handré Pollard (7 caps, 61 points)
23 Willie le Roux (23 caps, 35 points)
Stats and facts:
- The Springbok starting team boasts a total of 610 Test caps (332 in the backline and 278 in the forwards), while there are a further 190 caps worth of experience on the bench.
- South Africa and Italy have played each other 11 times since 1995, with the Springboks winning all 11 Tests. The Springboks have scored 577 points and 79 tries and conceded 139 points and 12 tries for an average score of 52-13.
- South Africa and Italy last met on 8 June 2013 at Growthpoint Kings Park in Durban. The Springboks won 44-10 and outscored Italy by five tries to one. •Jean de Villiers will extend his record as the most-capped Springbok centre, with 89 Tests in this position and will captain South Africa for the 33rd time, placing him third behind John Smit (83) and Gary Teichmann (36).
- Victor Matfield will extend his record as the most capped Springbok in history (119 Tests). He will also extend his record of 119 Tests as a lock and will also extend his record as the oldest Springbok ever at 37 years & 188 days.
- Bryan Habana will extend his record as the most-capped Springbok wing, with 104 Tests in this position. If he scores a try, he will extend his record of 56 Test tries for South Africa.
- Matfield and Habana will share the record for the most Tests against Italy when they play the Azzurri for the sixth time – they previously shared this record with Ruan Pienaar and Andre Venter.
- If he goes on and scores a try Bismarck du Plessis will extend his record of nine Test tries for South Africa as a hooker.
- If he goes on and scores a try, Gurthro Steenkamp will extend his record of six tries for South Africa as a prop.
- Willie le Roux, Duane Vermeulen, Jannie du Plessis and Bismarck du Plessis have played in all eleven Tests for the Springboks in 2014. Bryan Habana, Cornal Hendricks and Tendai Mtawarira have both missed only one Test in 2014.
- Johan Goosen will start at fullback for the first time in a Test. Trevor Nyakane will be in the starting line-up for the first time after 11 appearances from the bench. Coenie Oosthuizen will start at tight-head for the first time since France in November 2013. Oosthuizen started at loose-head against Scotland earlier this year.
- Julian Redelinghuys and Nizaam Carr will both make their debuts for South Africa if they come off the bench, becoming Springboks No 865 and 866. Ten new Springboks have been created to date in 2014.
- It will be the fifth time that a Springbok team has three centurions in the starting line-up. The four previous times were against Australia and New Zealand in the Rugby Championship and against Ireland and England.
- It will be Heyneke Meyer’s 36th Test in charge of the Springboks since he took over in 2012. Of the previous 35 Tests South Africa have won 25, lost eight and drawn twice.
- The referee is Jerome Garces of France. It will be his fourth Test involving South Africa. Of the previous three Tests the Springboks have won two and lost one. His last Test involving South Africa was in September this year against New Zealand in Wellington in the Rugby Championship – a game that the Springboks lost narrowly by 10-14.
- This will be the Springbok’s first ever Test match at Stadio Euganio, Padova.
29 @ MacroBok:
Ek sien myself as n onderwyser wat vir die spesiale klas moet lesse gee…..mens probeer maar goed herhaal en hoop maar die les sink iewers in
MacroBok wrote:
Ha ha, norties opinions are being critized to much in my opinion on this site.
He can say what he wants as much as he wants I reckon. (Except about the Sharks)
nortie wrote:
30 @ MacroBok:
Yes, and with reason, but Louw isn’t there at the moment, so he could have maybe shared time with Coetzee.
Coetzee deserves every cap he can start now, and would be first choice, but Kriel could have gotten maybe 20-30 minutes at least
@ Snoek:
Hmmm I disagree with Nortie opinions being critized, if he or even you feel like that it is unfortunate. We may not always agree on things… but that’s okay to me. We all blog because we want our opinion heard and not to be sheep.
30: daar is ‘n baie makliker manier vir Kriel om heel bo in die pecking order te wees …. word ‘n Bul !
@ nortie:
Kriel has been better, but Carr looks like he can be back up to Duane, and like I said a few times, that’s where we should concentrate on for now. The main goal remaining to have two quality players in each position.
MacroBok wrote:
Yes it is unfortunate.
But such is life, one day you are the prefect and the next the janitor……
@ Ben-die-Bok:
En as hy dalk aspirasies het om darem n ou bekertjie te wen, moet hy maar WP toe kom 😉
@ Ben-die-Bok:
haha Kriel gaan gereeld in die span wees na volgende jaar se wereld beker… sy tyd sal nog kom.
@ Snoek:
And one day your coaching the sharks and tomorrow your an analyst to Tonga.
MacroBok wrote:
Ek stem, hy is kwaliteit. En hopelik gaan hy nog baie wedstryde vir die bokke speel.
MacroBok wrote:
Ek wonder nog steeds of hy vrywillig weggeloop het en of hy weggejaag is……
39: ja, CB = WP, die een wat nie met volsterkte spanne gespeel word nie.
Superbekers … dit is nou die groot ene … dan moet hy Bulle toe.
😀
@ Snoek:
Nee wat, hy was heel vriendelik, skoon in sy moer in gestuur.
Wat dink jy van Gold, is hy beter?
Ben-die-Bok wrote:
Liewe Krismis, het julle n time machine ontwerp daar in Pretoria…..dis ook al manier wat die arme outjie kan terug gaan na 2007 tot 2010 toe
@ Ben-die-Bok:
Hy kan dalk nog die conference cup by die PW wen
nortie wrote:
A legacy that stood the test of time
MacroBok wrote:
Ek dink nie hy is ‘n beter coach nie, maar definitief ‘n beter mens.
Tyd sal leer, ek hoop net Venter is baie meer betrokke.
46: as ek moet kies oor die verlede, dan kies ek vir 3 superbekers 5 jaar gelede, as ‘n CB ‘n maand terug in die verlede.
Ja, Bulle het nou vir 4 jaar niks gewen nie, maar as ek laas reg gekyk het, het sekere spanne in daardie vier jaar nog nie naby ‘n superbeker gekom nie.
Bulle is besig om deur hul dip te gaan, julle beter julle kanse gebruik, anders gaan ons al ‘n vierde een wen terwyl julle nog in die wegspringblokke is.
💡
SA 1-0 Hillbrow H/T
Afcon qualifier…..
@ Ben-die-Bok:
En tot hulle by daai 3 kom sal ons hulle altyd laat onthou 😀
@ Snoek:
Ek dink nogsteeds julle het uitgelose om nie P.Divvy aan te stel nie.
Dink ook Senatla en Kriel moes ten minste op die reserwe bank gewees het, beteken dit hul gaan glad nie op die toer speel nie, of dalk in diepkant ingegooi word teen Wallis.
Hoop net Wallis wen die AB, anders gaan hul so desperaat teen ons wees ‘n week later.
Wallis op papier het ‘n baie goeie span, maar kan net nie click nie.
Dink ook hulle is lus vir groot wraak wedstryd teen ons, na hul in die laaste minuut teen ons verloor het in Nelspruit.
50 @ Ben-die-Bok:
As n Stormer ondersteuner het ek al lankal vrede gemaak dat ons nie goed genoeg is om die SR te wen nie, so gelukkig worry ek nie meer daaroor nie.
Die NZ se spanne is beter as ons en tot die Aussie span het die jaar al vir ons verbygesteek.
Ek kan nie sien dat enige SA span sommer weer gou n span bymekaar sal kry soos die Bulle gehad het toe hulle dit gewen het nie….die spelers tans in SA bly nie lank genoeg of bymekaar of in die land om dit te kan doen nie
@ Ben-die-Bok:
Ja ek stem oor Senatla, dit is n waste om nou Habana te speel.
Dis nou 2-0 vir SA
52: alles feite wat pynlik is in sekere gebiede in ons land. Dit maak hul
van jaloesie.
Ons het darem ten minste tot 2018 bragging rights, en dalk nog heelwat langer, gaan nie maklik wees om 3 in ‘n ry te wen nie.
Wanneer laas het Saders die beker gewen, 2008, en hulle het eintlik elke jaar ‘n kampioenspan in die veld ?
Nigeria have only lost 1 competitive match in Nigeria in 33 years.
@ Ben-die-Bok:
Die Crusaders het biejite afgechop die laaste tyd omdat hul ster spelers so gereeld ruskans kry… dit kan wel volgende jaar weer gebeur.
Ek dink in die Toekoms met die Kwotas gaan die Stormers die enigste SA span wees wat kan kompeteer… teensy al die beter gekleurde spelers in die Wes Kaap suksevol gewerf word (wat al klaar besig is om te gebeur)
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