South Africa, who travelled to Australia without 21 Test regulars, have included three uncapped players in their team for Saturday’s Tri-Nations opener against the Wallabies.
The Springboks will award Test debuts to props Dean Greyling and Werner Kruger as well as number eight Ashley Johnson on Saturday at Sydney’s Olympic stadium.
While both sides will hope to avoid injuries on Saturday, they also recognise the importance of building momentum ahead of the September 9 to October 23 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.
“The new caps had outstanding Super rugby seasons and this is an exciting opportunity for them,” coach Peter de Villiers said in a news release.
“We have got some new combinations, but there is a lot of potential in this side and the players are hungry for this chance.”
Captain John Smit will win his 103rd cap at hooker alongside four other members of the squad that won the last World Cup – centre Wynand Olivier, scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar, flank Danie Rossouw and lock Johan Muller.
Morne Steyn has been selected at flyhalf in preference to young gun Patrick Lambie, who starts on the bench, while the Wallabies will have to be on the alert for flying wingers Bjorn Basson and Lwazi Mvovo. Openside flank Heinrich Brussow was unavailable because of a knee injury but he is at least part of the travelling squad.
Key players like scrumhalf Fourie du Preez, centres Jaque Fourie and Jean de Villiers, flank Juan Smith, locks Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha, and props Gurthro Steenkamp and Tendai Mtawariria all missed the tour through injury.
“Those guys back home would love to be here and if these guys do well, it will put more pressure on them,” De Villiers told a news conference.
Teams:
Springboks: 15 Gio Aplon, 14 Bjorn Basson, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Morne Steyn, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Ashley Johnson, 7 Danie Rossouw, 6 Deon Stegmann, 5 Johann Muller, 4 Flip van der Merwe, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 John Smit, 1 Dean Greyling.
Replacements: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 CJ van der Linde, 18 Alistair Hargreaves, 19 Jean Deysel, 20 Charl McLeod, 21 Adrian Jacobs, 22 Patrick Lambie.
Wallabies: 15 Kurtley Beale, 14 James O’Connor, 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12 Pat McCabe, 11 Digby Ioane, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Will Genia, 8 Ben McCalman, 7 David Pocock, 6 Rocky Elsom, 5 James Horwill, 4 Rob Simmons, 3 Ben Alexander, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Sekope Kepu.
Replacements: 16 Saia Fainga’a, 17 Pek Cowan, 18 Nathan Sharpe, 19 Matt Hodgson, 20 Scott Higginbotham, 21 Nick Phipps, 22 Anthony Fainga’a.
This frontrow can play them into the Boks permanently and back into our hearts.
If Dean and Werner play a blinder they will help JS a lot to regain his status. Hope they hunt toghether and make a big intro to many more Tests. Good luck .
Ashley deserves his place and if he can play his normal good hardworking game we might see him in many , many more Tests. Go Ash just do it, for the State and SA.
If the hunger is there, this team could just put one over the Wallabies.
Despite al the critisism revolving arouund this team, there are some players who I would have as first choices anyway (or at least on the bench).
Pienaar and Steyn is potentially a World Class and first rate combo (just depends on if they click)
Mvovo and Basson, basically the wings of the future.
Aplon, well perhaps the best in SA, beside Riaan Viljoen. Either way, has been part of the Bok squad for almost 2 years now.
Johann Muller, more than enough Bok/Super Rugby experience. Also dont forhet that he captained both the Sharks and Boks, and that makes him a leader.
De Jongh will be in the WC Squad, and he will be SA’s next nr. 13, once Mossie retires.
Danie Russouw. Most underrated player in the country.
All round, I am only worried if Steggman and Olivier can make the step up to Bok rugby. This is probably their last chance.
Otherwise, pretty happy with the team, considering…
@ Scrumdown:
I dont think its a question of hunger, but more a question of sustained 80 minutes of focus.
@ Greenpoint-Gunner:
or perhaps a well balanced combo of the two…
3@ Greenpoint-Gunner:
Steggman may still have a couple of chances to prove himself, but surely Meisiekind must be just about at the end of the rope?
One half decent performance in 5 is just not good enough, and yet at Super Rugby level the man performs ok week in and week out.
Strange how some people just can’t make that step up.
Does anyone know what’s going on with WTR?
They’ve been offline for a while now as “site under construction”.
I got some very nasty cyber attacks from their site the last few times I went on there, so maybe it has something to do with that.
Fair enough team. 6 and 12 problem areas for me. Pity the outside backs won’t see the ball with Stain and WO on the inside.
@ Pam Anderson:
I couldn’t have said it better. My biggest concerns as well.
What time is kick off?
@ Loosehead:
12h00
Scrumdown, you hit the nail on the head. Ed is busy rewriting the code.
Not a bad team this, but the Aussies are also looking good.Hard one to pick on Superbru.
Hello,
Not a bad squad… and not too far off from what I would have done.
I would have had Lambie at Fullback, Gio on the right wing (where he regularly plays next to De Jongh), Bjorn on the left wing (where he regularly plays) and Mvovo on the bench.
Where is Hougie, why is he not on the bench in place of McLeod… I would have had Hougie start at No 9, with Ruan on the bench for his versatility.
The changes I would have done, just mentioned, would have resulted in quite a bit more of the regular Franchise combinations in the backline playing next to each other, meaning they would have had a natural feel, instinct and anticipation for each other’s play…. built up over at least the whole Super Rugby series.
Looks like Brussow is not totally over his injury otherwise he would have been on the bench for sure!
I like the loosie combo… nice balance to it… Classic fetcher (No 6), Robust opensider (No 7) and a No 8 with good hands and who’s in form!
Now the Bokke must just employ a solid game plan, play it territorially and defend like their lives depend on it. Set pieces NEED to be good.
For this Aussie backline, you need to cut their space and time completely….
12@ Lion4ever:
A Week to re-write the code??
Oh dear, I guess you never had Database backups on WTR…
I am happy with the team. If you look at the squad that Snor chose, this is about the strongest team.
15@ grootblousmile:
Hehehe. No comment needed!
superBul wrote:
Just worried about the locks behind them. Their debut would have been much easier if they had Bakkies and Victor behind them. I dont think that Muller is a good scrum lock.
Ashley Johnson for president!!
waarom die tweede beste slot in die land op sewe speel as deysel daar is, danie is beslis n baie beter roep saam met flip op slot en dan kankrokski op bank
@ smallies72:20 – Smallies think I understand your post.
Agree Deysel should have played 7 we would have had a better loose trio had he. Deysel does fetch a bit too. I prefer Danie at 4 than Flip. Flip was good last year not so much this year. Danie never lets the team down.
Now read that S_L said something similar on sw. Said he would have had Danie at 4 and Deysel at 7. Makes plenty sense.
Everyone here knows I don’t rate Stegmann much so said on another blog would have had Deysel at 6 instead. But if Deysel could have played 7 with Stegmann at 6 then it would work well.
Pleased to see A. Johnson getting a start. He has been outstanding this year.
@ smallies72:20 – Think with Muller there he will be our vice captain.
I really feel for Keegan not getting a call up though. He really deserved to be on this tour.
Anyhow it is Sharks gain that he is here. But what does it take to get a call up to play for the Boks? Keegan was outstanding this year.
@ Puma:
what purpose does is serve to have both captain and vc in the pack smit and matfield for instance,me personaly woeld have picked ruan or steyn for vc
@ Puma:
If ever i am called watching the game through my blue tinted glasses then you must be watching it through your Shark glasses. Just look back how you find the Shark player always better. ex now Stegman vs Keegan.
I read a article yesterday about Keegan by Rob Houwing on News24 sport. The comments that followed was quite damadging to the view Rob tried to paint
@ superBul:25 – Look Super, I just don’t rate Stegmann. Have never hidden the fact I don’t. He is NOT in the class of Brussow, McCaw or Pocock.
Keegan and Stegman are different players, but really I have read that PdV has REWARDED players for their good form this year. Now you tell me why Keegan never got a call up? He has been outstanding for the Sharks.
Anyhow it is not only me that don’t rate Stegmann. Go read blogland. More than not don’t rate him boeta.
For that matter you know well that I don’t rate Morne Steyn either. He is a brilliant kicker at posts but that is about it. If his kicking game is how it was last year we not gonna do well either. Cause all he done was kick it straight back into the oppositions hands. Not into space or even way out. Morne will have to prove on this tour that he is our back up fh. Cause for me I would have tried out Lambie to see what we have. Leave Morne on the bench. We know damn well what we have in him.
Now pleased we have Butch there just hope his knees hold out. Cause I still rate Butch plenty.
There you have it straight through my Sharks Glasses…..hehehehe.
Jokes aside. I am being honest. Have never hid my feelings for those players here. Whether they are Bulls players or not. I don’t rate Spies either. But pleased to see we have Johnson on this tour. He just might sneak that spot for himself if this team does well.
Imagine if this young team wins even one of the games on tour and the top players back home lose both games? Then PdV has a bit of thinking to do.
Anyhow my full support is behind our team. They never selected themselves. I will support them even if I don’t rate some.
Good Luck Bokke.
@ superBul:25 – Stegmann also gives away far too many penalties. We can’t afford that.
@ smallies72:24 – Not sure Smallies. But I know that Muller is a good captain. If he can’t be then I would have had Danie Rossouw as our vice captain. Not Ruan or Steyn.
@ superBul:25 – Super for what it is worth. I don’t rate Olivier either. JdJ not gonna see any ball boeta. Olivier hardly passes.
Anyhow hope this young side can do it. If we play the right game plan we just might. Play that stupid kick and chase and we will have our backsides slapped bloody hard this weekend.
Users Online
Total 115 users including 0 member, 115 guests, 0 bot online
Most users ever online were 3735, on 31 August 2022 @ 6:23 pm
No Counter as from 31 October 2009: 39,608,866 Page Impressions
_