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Julian Savea
JP Pietersen
South African Springboks wing JP Pietersen insisted on Monday he is looking forward to confronting New Zealand All Blacks flyer Julian Savea, arguably the most potent attacking threat in rugby, in Saturday’s Rugby World Cup semifinal.
Savea was in supreme form with a hat-trick out of 9 New Zealand tries as the reigning world champions thrashed France 62 / 13 in the quarterfinals.
There were times at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday when the 1.93m, 103kg Savea simply bounced off would-be French tacklers.
His blistering pace and strength has brought the 25-year-old wing 38 tries in just 39 Tests, including 8 in 4 matches at this Rugby World Cup, has seen Savea compared to All Blacks star Jonah Lomu.
Pietersen, no shrinking violet himself at 1.9m and 102kg, was well aware of the task confronting him this weekend.
Heyneke Meyer
Steve Hansen
South Africa’s Springboks and New Zealand’s All Blacks will renew one of the greatest and most bitter rivalries in rugby in their Rugby World Cup semifinal at Twickenham on Saturday… but off the field, the coaches and players remain firm friends.
For both nations, the game provides the ultimate challenge on a rugby pitch and in the adrenalin-pumping atmosphere of a high stakes showdown at such a prestigious venue, it promises to be another bruising battle.
However, behind the intensity and bone-crunching tackles is a mutual respect between the teams on the pitch that has in more recent years extended to solid friendships off it.
None more so than between the 2 coaches – New Zealand’s Steve Hansen and South Africa’s Heyneke Meyer.
The Highlanders have confirmed 2 exciting new midfield signings for the 2016 season, Canterbury’s Rob Thompson and Otago’s Matt Faddes.
Thompson, is an exciting player who debuted for Canterbury in 2013 and after a solid year earned a wider training group contract with the Crusaders leading to his Super Rugby debut against the Blues in 2014.
A powerful runner, who has the strength to play in the midfield and the speed to play in the outside backs, Thompson will provide versatility and depth to the Highlanders midfield stocks.
Thompson commented that “the Highlanders play an attractive style of rugby that appeals to me, they look to be a quality outfit and I’m looking forward to getting down there and doing my bit to continue the success they are enjoying.”
Faddes, like backs coach Tony Brown, grew up in South Otago and has been playing for Otago since 2011, debuting against North Harbour.
Mils Muliaina
British prosecutors have dropped a charge of sexual assault against former All Black Mils Muliaina for allegedly groping a woman in a nightclub, his New Zealand-based agent said Tuesday.
The 35-year-old was dramatically arrested in April, when police swooped at Gloucester Rugby’s Kingsholm Stadium after his Irish side Connacht had played an away game at the ground.
He was charged over a supposed incident in Cardiff city centre on 7 March, when a woman said he had “touched her bottom while she was dancing”.
Muliaina said it had been an ordeal, not only for himself but also his 7-year-old son, declaring he intended to “put this behind us and carry on with life”.
“I always knew I had nothing to hide, I had done nothing wrong. However, being unable to comment publicly has been incredibly frustrating,” he said in a statement.
“While I understand the police have a job to do, the manner of my arrest and the subsequent outcome of their investigation remains difficult to understand.
“It has been an extremely tough 7 months.”
The Top 4 spots on the current world rankings are all taken up by Southern Hemisphere teams, with Argentina moving up to 4th.
The Pumas and South Africa were the biggest climbers after their wins over Ireland and Wales respectively in the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals.
Los Pumas moved up 2 places on the rankings – overtaking Ireland and Wales. South Africa improved their position from 5th to 3rd after a tough 23 / 19 win over Wales.
Ireland plummeted from 3rd to 6th on the rankings, while Wales also fell from 4th to 5th.
Israel Folau
David Pocock
Israel Folau and David Pocock are on course to return to Australia’s start line-up for the Rugby World Cup semifinal against Argentina on Sunday, coach Michael Cheika said Monday.
However, 1st choice prop Scott Sio is a doubt and is to undergo a scan on his elbow which forced him to leave the fray early in the thrilling 35 / 34 win over Scotland on Sunday.
Pocock – who in a stroke of genius has been switched from flanker to No 8 by Cheika and was instrumental in the pool game win over humiliated hosts England – missed the quarterfinal because of a calf injury he suffered in the 15 / 6 win over Wales.
Fullback Folau has been struggling with an ankle problem since the 33 / 13 win over the English and the game against Scotland was the 1st Test he had missed since making his debut in 2013.
Drew Mitchell
Australia’s Drew Mitchell entered the race for the Rugby World Cup try-scoring record with a brace against Scotland in their 35 / 34 quarterfinal victory at Twickenham on Sunday.
Mitchell dotted down twice to bring his tally in World Cups to 14 – a single try shy of current joint leaders, New Zealand great Jonah Lomu and Springbok Bryan Habana.
Nehe Milner-Skudder
New Zealand will join forces with World Cup semifinal opponents South Africa for the Barbarians next month.
Nehe Milner-Skudder – whose brilliant try opened the scoring in the weekend’s 62 / 13 win over France – tops the list of All Blacks invited to feature in games against Argentina and Gloucester.
The rookie wing now has 7 tries in his 1st 6 Tests for New Zealand and will be joined by scrumhalf Tewera Kerr-Barlow, wing Waisake Naholo and prop Charlie Faumuina from the current Rugby World Cup squad, and reinforced by centre Ryan Crotty, flyhalf Lima Sopoaga and uncapped flanker Ardie Savea.
The Barbarians, who beat Samoa at the former Olympic Stadium in August, take on Gloucester on 17 November at Kingsholm before facing the Argentinian Pumas at Twickenham Stadium on 21 November.
The famous invitation club was founded 125 years ago and the Killik Cup match against Rugby World Cup semifinalists Argentina is the centrepiece of the celebrations.
The New Zealand All Blacks broke their own Rugby World Cup quarterfinal victory margin with their demolition of France at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday.
The All Blacks scored 9 tries in their 62 / 13 romp in a one-sided repeat of the 2011 World Cup final.
Their 49-point margin of victory bettered their previous record of 27 points when they accounted for Scotland 30 / 3 at the 1987 tournament.
A lot has been made about Scotland’s early exit from the Rugby World Cup under a cloud of anger about the way referee Craig Joubert refereed the match… specially that last penalty, which when converted ultimately sunk a very, very brave and deserving Scotland.
We raked the web for an article which takes all the emotion and anger out of the equation and gives probably the best clinical and sensible discussion on the matter.
At the time the game was played, I thought the penalty was justly awarded, whereas many thought it was’nt the case!
Well, let’s first off say, that last penalty and everything around it happened so quickly, that anybody who can now unequivocally say that they saw everything clear as day at the time it happened, is bullshitting everybody. Of course now all of us have had the luxury of hindsight and have had repeated and even more repeated replays of that insident at hand… and still the judgment call is not easy.
But, I digress… let’s have a look at the ARTICLE I dug up… Paul Dobson the Author…
Then after that, have a good look at World Rugby’s Statement on the Match official’s performance review (Australia vs Scotland), it is right at the end of the article!
Steve Hansen
New Zealand coach Steve Hansen believes Northern Hemisphere rugby could be on the road to nowhere unless attitudes change.
England are still the only non-Southern Hemisphere nation to have won the Rugby World Cup since the competition was launched in 1987. And with New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina and Australia at the top of the betting for this year’s competition, the Webb Ellis Cup will stay in the Southern Hemisphere.
Hansen spent 2 years in charge of Wales in the early 90’s and experienced the difficulties that still exist between the owner-led regions and the Welsh Rugby Union. It is the same story in England, and in France too.
On the back of Saturday’s resounding quarterfinal victory over the French, and with England and Wales already out, Hansen seized his moment to speak out.
When asked about the situation in France and the ongoing problems between the Top 14 clubs and the Fédération Française de Rugby (FFR), he said: “It’s difficult if you’re not on the same page and I’m not sure whether in France the 2 organisations are on the same page.
“You need to have the same goals and the same vision. There are a lot of foreign players in the Top 14 and that means there are a lot of French players who are not getting the chance to grow and develop.
Stephen Betham
Samoa coach Stephen Betham has resigned after the Pacific islanders’ disappointing Rugby World Cup performance, chief executive Vincent Fepuleai said Monday.
Samoa Rugby Union’s Fepuleai said more was expected from the team, who exited in the pool stage after losses to Japan, South Africa and Scotland.
He said that a review into the campaign was underway but Betham had already decided to leave after 3-and-a-half years in the job.
“Stephen has called it a day, I guess, and there will be opportunities there and I think we will go through the proper process in recruitment of a new head coach and so forth,” Fepuleai said.
Pascal Pape
Frederic Michalak
France flyhalf Frederic Michalak has ended his international career after Les Bleus’ 13 / 62 defeat by New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals on Saturday.
Michalak left the pitch with a thigh injury after 11 minutes at the Millennium Stadium.
He said: “It’s quite sad to finish like that. I truly thought I’d be able to raise the Cup, and I didn’t imagine that I would finish like that, with an injury, which makes it even worse. Of course I’ll recover from this injury, but I’ll take care of my body and play fewer games per year.”
The Toulon player, 33, won 77 international caps and played in 3 Rugby World Cups, in 2003, 2007 and this year. He is under contract with Toulon until 2016.
France lock Pascal Pape, 35, is also retiring from internationals after 65 tests.
Stuart Lancaster
Ian McGeechan, Ben Kay and Rugby Football Union CEO Ian Ritchie have been included on a 5-man panel that will review England’s performance at the Rugby World Cup.
“The panel will review the preparations and performances in the Rugby World Cup, the effectiveness of the coaching, management and support team and consider feedback from all relevant stakeholders,” the Rugby Football Union (RFU) said in a statement on Monday.
England went out at the pool stage for the 1st time after home defeats by Wales and Australia and the panel will look at the future of coach Stuart Lancaster, who has a contract until 2020, and his assistants.
McGeechan, the hugely respected former British and Irish Lions coach and player, has been a vocal supporter of Lancaster during the tournament.
Rasta Rasivhenge
Rasta Rasivhenge will referee his 1st ABSA Currie Cup Final between the Xerox Golden Lions and DHL Western Province on Saturday in Johannesburg, the South African Rugby Union (SARU) confirmed on Monday.
Kick-Off time at Emirates Airline Park, the home of the Golden Lions, is at 13:45 SA Time. The match will be televised live on SuperSport 1, while the broadcaster will also show the finals of the Under 19A and Under 21A competitions live on SuperSport 2.
Sindile Ngcese will be in charge of the Under 19A final between Eastern Province and the Blue Bulls (09:30 SA Time), while his SARU colleague Cwengile Jadezweni will officiate the Under 21A decider between Western Province and the Free State Cheetahs (11:15 SA Time).
Rasivhenge will be assisted by Stuart Berry and Jason Jaftha on the sidelines, while Marius Jonker will perform the TMO duties.
Robert du Preez snr
The Sharks (Pty) Ltd today confirmed the appointment of former Springbok scrumhalf, Robert du Preez (snr), who will join the Cell C Sharks coaching team. He will be an assistant coach during Super Rugby and will head up next year’s Currie Cup tournament.
Du Preez, coach of the Leopards who recently won the ABSA Currie Cup First Division trophy, joins the Cell C Sharks in November 2015.
Confirming his appointment, The Sharks Director of Rugby Gary Gold said: “We are immensely happy to confirm the appointment of Robert du Preez. It was an appointment that we thought long and hard about. We identified that we wanted to bring in a coach who fitted a particular profile, someone who was South African and someone that understands our unique culture and who also has a strong belief in a disciplined environment.
“We believe that Robert ticks every single box. The route that his coaching career has gone has been absolutely textbook in terms of the success he enjoyed at College Rovers, where he won 67 out of the 70 games he coached there, then with NWU-Pukke as well as the knowledge he has of unearthing the potential of young players coming through the ranks and obviously his recent success with the Leopards. He has certainly shown that there is a consistency to what he does.
Wallabies (15) 35 / 34 (16) Scotland (Final Score)
The Australian Wallabies and Scotland did battle in the 2015 Rugby World Cup at
Twickenham Stadium, London, England at 17:00 SA Time (16:00 BST, 15:00 GMT, Monday 02:00 AEDT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
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Ireland (10) 20 / 43 (20) Los Pumas (Final Score)
Ireland and the Argentinian Los Pumas did battle in the 2015 Rugby World Cup at
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff at 14:00 SA Time (13:00 BST, 12:00 GMT, 09:00 ARG Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
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All Blacks (29) 62 / 13 (13) France (Final Score)
The New Zealand All Blacks and France did battle in the 2015 Rugby World Cup at
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff at 21:00 SA Time (20:00 BST, 19:00 GMT, 21:00 France Time, Sunday 08:00 NZ Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
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Springboks (12) 23 / 19 (13) Wales (Final Score)
The South African Springboks and Wales did battle in the 2015 Rugby World Cup at
Twickenham Stadium, London, England at 17:00 SA Time (16:00 BST, 15:00 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & M-Net on TV in SA.
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Jonny Gray
Ross Ford
Ross Ford and Jonny Gray (Scotland) are free to resume playing with immediate effect after successfully appealing against their 3-week suspension for acts of foul play contrary to Law 10.4(j) (dangerous tackles).
The appeal took place today at the London offices of the official law firm for Rugby World Cup 2015 Clifford Chance and was heard by an Appeal Committee, chaired by the Honourable Justice Lex Mpati (South Africa), sitting with Justice Graeme Mew (Canada) and Robbie Deans (New Zealand).
Having conducted a detailed review of all the evidence, including new submissions from the players and their representatives, along with all available camera angles, the Appeal Committee dismissed the finding that the players had committed an act of foul play as the player had not been dropped or driven and therefore the tackle was not dangerous.
Golden Lions (13) 43 / 33 (16) FS Cheetahs (Final Score)
The Xerox Golden Lions and Toyota Free State Cheetahs did battle in a semifinal of the ABSA Currie Cup at
Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg at 13:45 SA Time (11:45 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
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David Pocock
Israel Folau
Key players David Pocock and Israel Folau handed Australia a double blow on Friday.
Both failed to prove their fitness and will miss the Rugby World Cup quarterfinal with Scotland on Sunday.
David Pocock, whose conversion to No 8, from openside flank, has been a roaring success, has been struggling with a calf injury suffered during the 15 / 6 Pool A victory over Wales last Saturday.
Fullback Israel Folau struggled through the Wales game with a painful ankle, a knock he had picked up in the 33 / 13 whipping of hosts England a fortnight ago, and the injury sees him miss his 1st Test for the Wallabies since he made his debut in 2013.
Pocock has been replaced by Ben McCalman, with Kurtley Beale coming in at fullback for Folau.
Meanwhile Stephen Moore and Matt Giteau will become the newest Wallabies centurions.
Greig Laidlaw
Scotland have made 4 changes to the starting line-up that defeated Samoa in their last Pool B match at the Rugby World Cup.
This is the smallest number of changes Scotland have made in successive Rugby World Cup matches since the 2007 Rugby World Cup, when they made no changes to the team that beat Italy in the pool phase and then faced Argentina in the quarterfinals.
Ross Ford and Jonny Gray will both be unavailable due to bans, with Fraser Brown and Tim Swinson taking their respective places in the starting 15.
Greig Laidlaw will captain the side, as he has done over the course of this tournament, for the 21st time in a Test match for Scotland – joint-2nd most, along with Bryan Redpath. Only David Sole has captained Scotland more (25 times) in Tests.
Jonathan Sexton
UPDATE: Ireland flyhalf Jonathan Sexton was supposed to start in the Rugby World Cup quarterfinal against Argentina in Cardiff on Sunday, after recovering from a groin problem, but the groin injury has flared up again and Ian Madigan takes his place in the run-on side, with Paddy Jackson coming onto the bench.
The 30-year-old Sexton, who went off in the 1st half of the 24 / 9 win over France, initially provided a rare bit of good news for the Irish this week when he was included in the side, but the good news did not last.
Iconic captain and lock Paul O’Connell and flank Peter O’Mahony were ruled out of the rest of the tournament with injuries, while Sean O’Brien was handed a 1 week ban for punching French lock Pascal Pape in the stomach.
Iain Henderson, who has had an outstanding tournament, comes into the locks to partner Devin Toner, with Jordi Murphy and Chris Henry filling the flank vacancies left by O’Mahony and O’Brien.
The Irish, who will be captained by No 8 Jamie Heaslip, are bidding to reach the semifinals for the 1st time.
Daniel Hourcade
Argentina have reverted to their strongest side for their quarterfinal match against Ireland on Sunday.
Argentina’s starting 15 at the Millennium Stadium on Sunday will contain 496 caps worth of experience, their 2nd most experienced of this tournament after the 54 / 9 win over Georgia in their 2nd Pool C match.
Head coach Daniel Hourcade has made 10 changes from the team that beat Namibia. This is the largest amount of changes made to an Argentina side, except for the 11 made between the Tonga and Namibia matches, since the opening 2 games of the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
The whole front row changes, with the replacements from the Namibia game starting against Ireland and the Namibia game starters dropping to the bench. Tomas Lavinini comes in for Matias Alemanno in the locks, with the latter dropping to the bench.
There are also 2 changes in the loose forwards, with Javier Ortega Desio out of the matchday-23 and Facundo Isa dropping to the bench, as Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe and Leonardo Senatore return.
In the backs, Juan Martin Hernandez reverts to inside centre to allow for the return of Nicolas Sanchez. Scrumhalf Martin Landajo and Matias Moroni retain their places, though Moroni moves to outside centre. Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino drops to the bench.
Thierry Dusautoir
France captain Thierry Dusautoir has rubbished reports there had been a split between coach Philippe Saint-Andre and his players.
“Since the start of the World Cup, the players and staff have been together and they will work together until the end of the World Cup,” Dusautoir insisted.
The 33-year-old skipper said he had “total confidence” in Saint-Andre, a former France captain who will step down after the Rugby World Cup.
French newspaper Le Nouvel Observateur published an article Thursday citing a “source close to the players” who said there had been a players’ uprising against Saint-Andre.
“I don’t know where that’s come from, but you need to ask the person who wrote the article to tell us more,” he said.
Blue Bulls (9) 18 / 23 (9) WP (Final Score)
The Vodacom Blue Bulls and DHL Western Province did battle in a ABSA Currie Cup semifinal at
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria at 19:00 SA Time (17:00 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 on TV in SA.
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With just 2 knockout Rounds left until the 2015 ABSA Currie Cup champions are crowned this year, the 4 remaining teams in the country’s oldest and most prestigious domestic rugby competition have it all to play for in the 2 Semifinals this weekend.
DHL Western Province, the 2014 champions, travel to Pretoria for their clash on Friday evening against the Vodacom Blue Bulls. The Blue Bulls, who finished 2nd on the Log, will host their 1st ABSA Currie Cup Semifinal since 2008, with the match starting at 19:00 SA Time (17:00 GMT).
The in-form Xerox Golden Lions, meanwhile, have so far swept aside every challenge before them this season and they are currently on a 10-match unbeaten run in the competition. They are playing in the 2nd Semifinal at home in Johannesburg at Emirates Airline Park against the Toyota Free State Cheetahs. This Saturday fixture kick-off is at 13:45 SA Time (11:45 GMT).
The clash in Pretoria will mark the 3rd time that the 2 great North vs South rivals meet this season, and they currently share the spoils between them with a home victory each. Last year, the Cape side defeated their rivals 31 / 23 in the Semifinal at Newlands.
Western Province eventually went on to lift the coveted ABSA Currie Cup trophy in front of their home crowd, after former coach Allister Coetzee’s charges edged the Golden Lions 19 / 16 in the 2014 final.
The Xerox Golden Lions scored a runaway 73 / 31 victory over the Toyota Free State Cheetahs in their round-robin meeting last month in Bloemfontein and they should be fresh and rejuvenated after fielding a new-look side for last weekend’s last league fixture against the ORC Griquas.
However, the Free State Cheetahs will approach the meeting with the Golden Lions knowing that previous form will count for nothing in the knockout phase. They managed to escape defeat against the Cell C Sharks last Saturday thanks to a gritty fightback in Bloemfontein and this week they will have to show that fighting spirit from the start against the team that have so far have thrived on their high-tempo, fast attacking style of play.
Philippe Saint-Andre
France coach Phillippe Saint-Andre has dropped some last weekends under-performers against Ireland, for their quarterfinal meeting against New Zealand on Saturday.
Saint-Andre has made 3 changes in total to his side. Morgan Parra takes the place of discarded scrumhalf Sebastien Tillous-Borde and Mathieu Bastareaud and Damien Chouly also drops to the bench.
Centre Alexandre Dumoulin takes Bastareaud’s place in the backline while South Africa-born flanker Bernard le Roux is preferred to Chouly in the loose forwards for the crunch match at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.
Scrumhalf Tillous-Borde misses out on the matchday-23 altogether as South African-born Rory Kockott has been named on the replacement bench as backup scrumhalf.
Joe Moody
All Black coach Steve Hansen wasted no time in drafting in recently arriving prop Joe Moody into the side to play France in their Rugby World Cup quarterfinal in Cardiff on Saturday.
Moody, a specialist loosehead prop, has had a whirlwind few days. He has been named on the bench for the encounter at the Millennium Stadium just 4 days after arriving in the United Kingdom as a replacement for the injured Tony Woodcock.
Moody will play his 9th Test off the bench, after playing 8 Tests in the black jersey in 2014.
With Moody on the bench, Wyatt Crockett takes over the starting loosehead duties from the injured Tony Woodcock.
Meanwhile, All Blacks skipper Richie McCaw returns to the starting 15 along with lock Brodie Retallick and wing Julian Savea.
Dan Lydiate
Tyler Morgan
Gethin Jenkins
Wales star flank, Dan Lydiate, returns to the starting 15 for their massive quarterfinal clash against South Africa’s Springboks at Twickenham Stadium in London on Saturday.
Lydiate’s inclusion in the team is 1 of 3 changes to the team that lost 6 / 15 to Australia’s Wallabies last weekend.
Prop Gethin Jenkins also comes back into the starting line-up to feature in his 18th Rugby World Cup match and he packs down alongside Scott Baldwin and Samson Lee.
Tyler Morgan’s return to the team is the only change in the backline – he partners Jamie Roberts in midfield. Alex Cuthbert will make his 40th Wales appearance in a back 3, alongside George North and fullback Gareth Anscombe.
Luke Charteris and Alun Wyn Jones continue in the locks with the latter making his 100th international appearance (94th for Wales, plus 6 British & Irish Lions appearances).
Jaco Kriel
Xerox Golden Lions head coach Johan Ackermann has brought back his rested stars for their semifinal clash against the Toyota Free State Cheetahs on Saturday.
Jaco Kriel will again lead the team, which has a strong leadership group with Warren Whiteley, Ross Cronjé and Howard Mnisi all back on duty.
Prop Jacques van Rooyen and flank Steph de Wit are back in the starting 15 after playing off the bench last weekend against ORC Griquas.
A number of players who started against Griquas will be on the bench this Saturday. They include centre Rohan Janse van Rensburg, hooker Robbie Coetzee, flyhalf Jaco van der Walt, wing Sampie Mastriet, lock Fabian Booysen and the impact specialist Kwagga Smith.
Niel Marais
Niel Marais will start at flyhalf for the Toyota Free State Cheetahs in their semifinal clash against the unbeaten Xerox Golden Lions in Johannesburg on Saturday.
The 23-year-old replaces Sias Ebersohn, who drops down to the bench. The swop at flyhalf is the only change to the starting 15 that drew 34 / 34 with the Cell C Sharks in Bloemfontein last week.
Hoooker Torsten van Jaarsveld is back after doing duty for Namibia in the Rugby World Cup and will be replacing Neil Rautenbach on the bench. Prop Maks van Dyk was declared fit and will be replacing Teunis Nieuwoudt on the bench.
In the other change to the bench, forward Freddy Ngoza will be making space for back Adriaan Coertzen.
JP Pietersen double-tackled in the Scotland game
The experienced JP Pietersen is back in the Springboks’s starting line-up for their Rugby World Cup quarterfinal against Wales at Twickenham Stadium in London on Saturday afternoon.
JP Pietersen, who scored a hat-trick against Samoa in the 2nd pool match, is included in the only change to the starting team that beat the USA by 64 / 0 in the Springboks’ final Pool B match, last Wednesday at the Olympic Stadium.
The 63-capped wing, who has recovered from a knee injury which kept him out of the USA Test, will wear the No 14 jersey and Bryan Habana will revert to the left wing for this encounter. It will be the 42nd time they play together as a wing-combination in the Springboks’ starting team.
Habana currently leads the try-scoring stakes at Rugby World Cup 2015 with 5, while Pietersen is joint 2nd with 4, a position he shares with 5 other players.