Springbok coach Peter de Villiers made two changes, including naming Ruan Pienaar at fullback, to tackle the Wallabies in Saturday’s Mandela Trophy/Tri-Nations Test in Perth.
As expected Pienaar moves from the bench, where he started the previous Test against Australia at Newlands on August 8, to fullback in the place of Frans Steyn, who is amongst the replacements.
The other change sees Schalk Burger returning to the bench in the place of Danie Rossouw, who is recovering from an injury.
Scrumhalf Fourie du Preez will earn his 50th Test cap for South Africa on Saturday.
South Africa: 15 Ruan Pienaar, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Juan Smith, 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 John Smit (captain), 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 Jannie du Plessis, 18 Andries Bekker, 19 Schalk Burger, 20 Ricky Januarie, 21 Adi Jacobs, 22 Frans Steyn.
Date: Saturday, August 29
Venue: Subiaco Oval, Perth
Kick-off: 18.05 (10.05 GMT)
Referee: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Chris Pollock (New Zealand), Vinny Munro (New Zealand)
TMO: Keith Brown (New Zealand)
Stupid move PienaarJan!
@K9-MonsterLeeu – it’s not like he picked himself…
Koos, I’m just going to change the Title slightly…. there are TWO Pienaar Articles and it becomes confusing.
Eish- Ek weet nie van Pienaar op heelagter nie. Sal dalk werk as hulle Morne en Ruan afwissel…maak nie saak nie…ons behoort nog die Aussies te klap.
I dont like the Pienaar move neccessarily, but we need another option. Steyn is leaving. PDV doenst like Ludik or Terblance for some reason. And Im not convinced by Kirchner yet. Jantjes is average when fit.
@robdylan – thats not what I was saying.
Ruan should pack his bags…go and play overseas where they play him flyhalf….and come back after 2 or 3 years. Cause in SA he is being wasted.
@K9-MonsterLeeu – then what were you saying? 🙂
Glad incredible Schalk is back!
This is an injustice to Pienaar and the Bokke Team…
Pienaar will most probably perform well there this Saturday, but damn man….. let the boy settle in ONE position !!
… and for goodness sakes, play a specialist Full Back in that position, it’s not as if we do not have good Full Backs in SA, forcing playing a make-shift player there !!
@K9-MonsterLeeu –
Dont think Pienaar knows wether he is a scrummie, flyhalf or fullback anymore.
@robdylan – check comment #7. I meant its a stupid move to play him at fullback.
@grootblousmile –
Morning. Who would you suggest? (Cant pick Ludik or Terblanche as Snorre wont pick them)
@K9-MonsterLeeu – but the Sharks are quite prepared to play him at flyhalf… if the Boks don’t want to use him there cos they’re addicted to their new kicking automaton, why not let Ruan play flyhalf in the Currie Cup?
@Supa Die Bloubul – imo…he should be played at flyhalf.
Is Fransie Steyn injured…. or just being dropped ??
@robdylan –
I hear Butch is coming back? Thats Pienaar, Butch, Hernandez and Dumond . Who will play 10?
10. Pienaar
12. Butch
15. Hernandez? But what about Stephan?
That’s what happens when you are TOO talented, like Ruan and Frans.
I can se Dick Muir’s hand in this move, he has a thing about playing people out of position.
Hope Ruan can pull this one off big time though..
@K9-MonsterLeeu – ah – ok. In that case, I agree.
@Supa Die Bloubul – you wouldn’t want to pick Ludik right now – trust me 🙂
@robdylan – sure the Sharks will play him there? Hernandez and then I also heard a rumour that Butch may be coming back to the sharks.
@Pokkel –
Welkom Toktokkel!
Hoop jy kuier lekker saam hier.
@grootblousmile – he is being dropped.
@K9-MonsterLeeu –
Agree. SA hasnt got a lot of quality flyhalves. So any depth there would help. But then he needs to STAY there for a year for which ever teams he plays. Not fullback, or scrummie. But we still dont have a fullback the if Stephan or Ludik is not chosen
@Supa Die Bloubul – no – Butch isn’t coming back. His Bath contract has two more years to run… anyway, his knee is so stuffed now, I don’t think he’d cope with SH rugby.
I reckon Pienaar at 10 and Hernandez at 12 next year. Stefan and Louis Ludik to play fullback, if the latter manages to get out of his Lions contract.
@grootblousmile –
@16.
No, frans is fine.
On the bench, as an impact player, for this one.
@grootblousmile –
Dropped.
20@robdylan –
hehe…I know his injured. But he has been playing well for a couple of years and has always been overlooked.
13@Supa Die Bloubul – Whether Snorrie or Muir likes them or not…. we have 4 bloody good Full Backs in SA, Fransie Steyn included….. Oupa Stefan Terblanche, Ludik (injured) and Zane Kirchner…. no need to force Ruan into that berth…
@Supa Die Bloubul – He should stay in Europe…….and play no10 there. Come back as a complete flyhalf.
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