Springbok captain Jean de Villiers will be given until Friday to prove that he has fully recovered from a sternum injury, which has kept him off the training field thus far this week.
The Springboks face Samoa in the final match of the Castle Lager Incoming Series at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday. The team shows three changes – all of them in the pack – from the side which beat Scotland by 30-17 in Nelspruit last weekend.
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The backline is unchanged from last weekend, apart from the doubt over De Villiers’ fitness.
If De Villiers can’t play, Jan Serfontein will start at inside centre, with Juan de Jongh coming onto the bench. Adriaan Strauss will then lead the Springboks to become South Africa’s 55th Test captain and Bryan Habana will take over the vice-captaincy.
“Jean is an integral member of our squad and we will give him all the time he needs to get back to full fitness,” said Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer.
“Luckily we have a strong group of leaders in the squad and if Jean doesn’t make it, Adriaan will take over the captaincy, with support provided by Francois Louw, Pierre Spies, Bryan Habana and Bismarck du Plessis.”
Upfront, the injured Arno Botha is replaced at flank by Willem Alberts, who has been struggling with a side strain.
Alberts, who has been training with the team this week, will have to pass a fitness test on Friday to prove that he has recovered fully from his injury. If he is not passed fit to play Samoa, Siya Kolisi will start in his place and Marcell Coetzee will be included on the bench.
Francois Louw returns on the other flank after missing last weekend’s match because of his wedding. The third and final change to the starting line-up is at lock, where Flip van der Merwe comes in for Juandré Kruger.
“Francois was always going to be back this week and Willem has been our first-choice ball carrier, so it’s been good to have them back on the training field,” said Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer.
“Because Willem is returning from an injury, we decided to start with him. Siya played very well last weekend and it is great to have someone of his versatility on the bench. We saw last week how valuable it is to have replacement players who can make a real impact late in the match.
“I’m happy that we’ve been able to keep some form of continuity during these Tests, especially in the backline, where a number of exciting new players have come in and put up their hands during Vodacom Super Rugby and in the last two weeks.”
Meyer said the match against Samoa will be a proper test for his squad.
“They have a strong squad and have benefited from having their best players compete in Vodacom Super Rugby and at the top club level in Europe, but our focus is on putting in an improved performance from last week,” said Meyer.
The Springbok team to face Samoa in Pretoria is:
15 Willie le Roux (GWK Griquas, 2 caps)
14 Bryan Habana (DHL Western Province, 85)
13 JJ Engelbrecht (Vodacom Blue Bulls, 3 caps)
12 Jean de Villiers (captain, DHL Western Province, 86 caps) / Jan Serfontein (Vodacom Blue Bulls, 2 caps)
11 Bjorn Basson (Vodacom Blue Bulls, 8 caps)
10 Morné Steyn (Vodacom Blue Bulls, 44 caps)
9 Ruan Pienaar (Ulster, N-Ireland, 65 caps)
8 Pierre Spies (Vodacom Blue Bulls, 52 caps)
7 Willem Alberts (The Sharks, 20 caps) / Siya Kolisi (DHL Western Province, 1 cap)
6 Francois Louw (Bath, England, 18 caps)
5 Flip van der Merwe (Vodacom Blue Bulls, 25 caps)
4 Eben Etzebeth (DHL Western Province, 13 caps)
3 Jannie du Plessis (The Sharks, 44 caps)
2 Adriaan Strauss (Toyota FS Cheetahs, 23 caps)
1 Tendai Mtawarira (The Sharks, 43 caps)
Replacements:
16 Bismarck du Plessis (The Sharks, 47 caps)
17 Trevor Nyakane (Toyota FS Cheetahs, 2 caps)
18 Coenie Oosthuizen (Toyota FS Cheetahs, 3 caps)
19 Juandré Kruger (Vodacom Blue Bulls, 10 caps)
20 Siya Kolisi (DHL Western Province, 1 cap) / Marcell Coetzee (The Sharks, 14 caps)
21 Piet van Zyl (Toyota FS Cheetahs, 1 cap)
22 Pat Lambie (The Sharks, 22 caps)
23 Jan Serfontein (Vodacom Blue Bulls, 2 caps) / Juan de Jongh (DHL Western Province, 14 caps)
I like the Flip / Eben combo at lock, should have been done 2 Tests ago already.
Eish, Ruan still there…. flokkie toggie
Should have rested Jean totally and not have gambled whether he will be ready.
Alberts at 7… ai man… when will he injure himself again, by minute 10 or 20?
My front row would have been Coenie, Adriaan Strauss, Lourens Adriaanse (Samoa does not have the BEST scrum, so would have been ideal to see how the Cheetahs front row goes here, at the same time resting Doc Jannie).
1 @ grootblousmile:I find myself agreeing with you. Should I be worried about this?
2 @ Loosehead:
No, seems you are coming to, finally!
3 @ grootblousmile:
Bloody hell, next I [might] have something good to say about Spies and his muscular legs, powerfull thighs and ripped torso.
Only good change is Flip starting ahead of Kruger who has been awful.
Meyer should have had the guts to start the youngsters. They the ones that made the difference on Saturday. Spies too should have been dropped to the bench and start Kolisi at 8.
Anyhow no surprise Meyer was never gonna go with plenty changes after this team almost lost to Scotlands C team. Just hope we play better and no injuries either.
You know, I like Alberts, I just don’t see the point of playing a player who has just come off [yet another] injury. He should be following the same path as Bismark and playing club games and then sitting on the bench. Having said that I would rather have him than Coetzee playing.
4 @ Loosehead:
Bwahaha. Spies is something akin to Superman with super powers.
He’s nearly as well built as the man from Krypton, but his particular super power is that he can disappear from view at the drop of a hat. Or even at the sight of his scrum retreating.
Didn’t you see him disappear last Saterday?
@ Scrumdown:
No, was he there when the scrum went backwards?
Why is it that SA scrums can’t scrum against European opposition, ie 6 Nations sides?
GBS @1, ek stem oor Eben/Flip combo, hulle moes net die nommers omgeruil het, Eben is n atleet, nie n ‘basher’ nie, ten spyte van sy familienaam…
Morne en Jean moes oppie bank gewees het. Weet ook nie van Dok Jan nie, hy lyk maar vir my papperig deesdae. Beast se skrumtegniek bekommer ook, weet nie Van Graan iets daaraan kan doen nie.
Van Graan is nog n ou wat my laat frons, terloops. Ons Bokke se voorries is uiters kukkus skielik, agterspelers sukkel om vorentoe te gaan; faaark, en dan het ons nog vir “Two Steps” Pienaar as skrummie agter daai pak!
9 @ Pietman:
Ja, ek stem, Eben op Nr 5 sou soveel meer sin gemaak het.
Maar die 2 spelers se natuurlike temperament behoort dit uit te sort, Flip is maar ‘n enforcer en klaar en Eben is ‘n atleet en klaar.
Miskien is dit maar net omdat Flip die lynstane moet roep, maar in algemene spel dat hulle wel hulle natuurlike rolle sal vervul.
Ons sal maar moet sien!
Janee, Van Graan is ‘n skuins donkie man… hemeltjie, vergelyk hom met Gert Smal en die ander grotes in wêreld rugby wat op voorspelers konsentreer, hulle issie naasteby in die selfde ball park nie, Van Graan issie eers in dieselfde stad of dorpie waar die ball park is nie!
@ Pietman:
@ grootblousmile:
Sounds like there is some unhappiness around the Bok forward play and a lot of the blame being put at the door of Mr Van Graan with the thoughts that he is out of his depth assisting the coaching of the national team. Just a question on his credentials, think he must have had some success at the Bulls, was he coaching there in any of the seasons that the Bulls won Super rugby? It was also interesting to see the Argentines – famed for their scrumming – being pushed back time after time by England (minus some of their top front rowers) on Saturday night.
@ Bullscot:
HelloBully, don’t what this Van Graan’s ‘claim to fame’ is, except that he is the son of the Blue Bulls head honcho.
Smacks of nepotism to me, but why HM clings onto this laaitie heaven only knows.
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