Patrick Lambie
Cobus Reinach
Rugby World Cup winners JP Pietersen and Schalk Burger will start Saturday’s second Test in the Castle Lager Outgoing Tour against England at Twickenham as the Springbok match-23 is retained from last weekend.
The five changes to the team are straight swaps between the starting line-up and the bench. Along with Pietersen and Burger, Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer has handed starts to hooker Adriaan Strauss and the halfback pair of Cobus Reinach and Pat Lambie.
Cornal Hendricks, Handré Pollard, Francois Hougaard, Teboho Mohoje and Bismarck du Plessis will start on the bench.
“We’ve accepted our performance against Ireland last weekend was not up to scratch and everyone in the touring squad has put up their hands and dug deep this week,” said Meyer. “We’ve really worked hard at fixing the mistakes we made and the challenge is now to put that into action on Saturday.”
Meyer said the changes were not a knee-jerk reaction following the result in Dublin, but rather in line with rotational changes that he had in mind before the start of the tour.
Strauss, Lambie and Pietersen all started in the Springboks’ last Test at Twickenham, two years ago, while Saturday’s match will be Reinach’s first in the starting team.
“Pat started at Twickenham for us two years ago and did very well,” said Meyer. “He’s playing well at the moment and I wanted to give him the opportunity to start. Pat is tactically very astute and even though he’s still pretty young, he’s got a lot of experience.
“Adriaan, Schalk and JP have all started a number of Tests this year and they will slot in easily – we decided beforehand that we wanted to start all of these players in one of the first two Tests on tour.
“It’s a big occasion for Cobus but he would not have been here if we didn’t believe he could deliver the goods, and he’ll be next to his provincial team-mate in Pat.
“As usual, we’re also expecting our replacements to raise the intensity when they’re sent on and Bismarck, who had a very good game in Dublin especially in the set-pieces, ‘Oupa’, Francois, Cornal and Handré will provide important cover off the bench.”
Springbok team:
15 Willie le Roux (22 caps, 35 points)
14 JP Pietersen (57 caps, 90 points)
13 Jan Serfontein (17 caps, 5 points)
12 Jean de Villiers (Captain – 103 caps, 135 points)
11 Bryan Habana (104 caps, 280 points)
10 Pat Lambie (37 caps, 81 points)
9 Cobus Reinach (3 caps, 0 points)
8 Duane Vermeulen (26 caps, 10 points)
7 Schalk Burger (74 caps, 65 points)
6 Marcell Coetzee (23 caps, 30 points)
5 Victor Matfield (Vice-captain – 118 caps, 35 points)
4 Eben Etzebeth (30 caps, 0 points)
3 Jannie du Plessis (61 caps, 5 points)
2 Adriaan Strauss (41 caps, 25 points)
1 Tendai Mtawarira (62 caps, 10 points)
Replacements:
16 Bismarck du Plessis (67 caps, 45 points)
17 Trevor Nyakane (10 caps, 5 points)
18 Coenie Oosthuizen (18 caps, 10 points)
19 Bakkies Botha (84 caps, 35 points)
20 Teboho “Oupa” Mohoje (4 caps, 0 points)
21 Francois Hougaard (33 caps, 25 points)
22 Handré Pollard (7 caps, 61 points)
23 Cornal Hendricks (10 caps, 25 points)
Date: Saturday 15 November
Venue: Twickenham, London
Kick-Off: 16:30 SA Time (14:30 BST & GMT)
Referee: Steve Walsh (Australia)
Assistant Referees: Jérôme Garcès (France), Nick Briant (New Zealand)
TMO: Eric Gauzins (France)
Stats and facts:
- The Springbok starting team boasts a total of 778 Test caps (343 in the backline and 435 in the forwards), while there are a further 233 caps worth of experience on the bench.
- South Africa and England have played each other 36 times since 1906, with the Springboks winning 22 Tests, losing 12 and two were drawn. The Springboks have scored 749 points and 69 tries and conceded 564 points and 39 tries for an average score of 21-16.
- South Africa and England last met on 24 November 2012 at Twickenham in London. The Springboks won by 16-15 thanks to a try by Willem Alberts and 11 points from the boot of Patrick Lambie (one conversion and three penalty goals). England kicked five penalties, three by Owen Farrell and two by Toby Flood.
- Jean de Villiers will extend his record as the most-capped Springbok centre, with 88 Tests in this position and will captain South Africa for the 32nd 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 (118 Tests). He will also extend his record of 118 Tests as a lock and will also extend his record as the oldest Springbok ever at 37 years 181 days.
- Bryan Habana will extend his record as the most-capped Springbok wing, with 103 Tests in this position. If he scores a try, he will extend his record of 56 Test tries for South Africa.
- 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.
- Schalk Burger will extend his record as the most capped Springbok flanker in history (72 caps). If he scores a try, he will become the sole record-holder for most Test tries as a flanker (11), a record he currently shares with Juan Smith.
- Willie le Roux, Cornal Hendricks, Duane Vermeulen, Jannie du Plessis and Bismarck du Plessis have played in all 10 Tests for the Springboks in 2014. Bryan Habana and Tendai Mtawarira have both missed only one Test in 2014.
- Schalk Burger (Jnr) and Cobus Reinach are sons of Springboks. Schalk Burger (Snr) played six Tests for South Africa (1984-1986) and Jaco Reinach four Tests for South Africa in 1986. They played together in all four Tests against the New Zealand Cavaliers in 1986.
- It will be the fourth time in history that a Springbok team will have three centurions in the starting line-up. The three previous times were against Australia and New Zealand in the Rugby Championship and against Ireland last week.
- It will be Heyneke Meyer’s 35th Test in charge of the Springboks since he took over in 2012. Of the previous 34 Tests South Africa have won 24, lost eight and drew twice.
- The referee is Steve Walsh of Australia. It will be his 18th Test involving South Africa. This is a new record for a referee in Tests involving SA, breaking the record of himself and Alain Rolland. Of the previous 17 Tests the Springboks have won 13, lost one and three were drawn. His last Test involving South Africa was in August this year against Argentina in Salta in the Rugby Championship – a game that the Springboks won 33-31.
Springbok Test match records at Twickenham:
- Most points – 21 by Jannie de Beer (6p, 1d) against Australia on 30 October, 1999.
- Most tries – two by Chester Williams against England on 18 November, 1995.
- Most conversions – three by Ruan Pienaar against England on 22 November, 2008.
- Most penalty goals – six by Jannie de Beer against Australia on 30 October, 1999.
- Most drop goals – four by Andre Pretorius against England on 25 November, 2006.
- The Springboks have played 18 times at Twickenham, winning ten and losing eight. They have scored 283 points and 27 tries and conceded 296 points and 26 tries for an average score of 16-17.
60 @ Victoriabok:
I am not happy with our performance, but also Ireland were brilliant.
Attitude is everything……
Attachment:
@ Victoriabok:
Perspective is one way of sanitising a loss.
Reality is that the Boks lost. And 29 -15 is a hiding at this level, particularly when you are ranked at no.2 in the world.
The only way to rectify matters on Saturday is to win. Nothing else matters.
@ nortie:
Looks like you’re a “glass half full” kind of guy.
What changed? 😆
IAAS wrote:
If we kicked our penalties we would have been level at halftime
The Irish coach said he knew they had a shot when we didn’t take the points
You can play the ball on the ground a lot more if you know it’s not going to cost you
Even more if you have a French Tunc refereeing without his white cane or his Labrador
@ IAAS:
Ha ha, the glass has always been “half” 😉
I’m just much more chilled at the moment….not even worried about the rugby to be honest, flipped through the different games last weekend, but didn’t really watch any of the games for the full duration.
I think I’ve seen enough rugby for 2014 ,lol.
This weekend you will find me watching Dumb and Dumber 2 on Saturday, and if I miss the games, so be it.
IAAS wrote:
The fat kid reminds me of the tight head prop that played with me in our U13 team many years ago
We called him “Stoomie”, he ran with the ball like a steam locomotive, unstoppable if he got up to speed
@ Victoriabok:
Fully agree. These NH matches are about winning. If you go into their 22, you must come away with points. Be it 3 or 7. They all add up.
I wonder whose decision it was to kick for the lineouts. Was it JDV himself or HM screaming into his mouthpiece?
Was between Vermaak/ Pollard or Lambie/ Reinach.
I guess the Sharkie combo was the safer bet.
Oupa has a promising future ahead but Schalky’s work rate and style of play is taylormade for the conditions.
And JPP is a safer bet on defence with those big English wings.
But I would’ve dropped Willie and played Goosen.
Jano and Pollard, with Lambie at 15
68 @ IAAS:
I think it was more Vic making the decision to go for the line outs, at one stage I don’t even think JdV was in the picture and the decision had already been taken
@ nortie:
Boks v England at Twickers? And you’re all rugbybed out? Cry me a f…g river. Go sit in the corner.
OR
Just stock up the fridge with some beers. Coals. Lamb tjoppies.
Don’t be dumb. 😆
@ IAAS:
Don’t be dumb.
No, Dumb and Dumber 2 😆
I was so looking forward to the NZ v Eng game as well, turned out to be a bore fest in the end
@ Jeraldjay:
Not even JHM would take a risk with Goosen starting at 15. Off the bench maybe. But definitely not starting.
@ nortie:
Would never happen. Not as a starting position. Lambie is being groomed as a 10. Correctly so. IMHO.
They must stop messing with the guy’s head. He’s a 10. Who can fill in at 15. In an emergency.
@ IAAS:
JHM = HM – sorry for that 😳
74 @ IAAS:
After losing to Ireland with Willie not in good form the last few games, and now facing a very good England side who will be hurting and pissed off at Twickenham…..I sort of consider that an emergency 😆
Looks like the Cobras vs Knights game is rained out in Paarl.
Even if the rain stopped, they couldn’t start, cause the supper sopper it flippen is broken.
IAAS wrote:
I think it was Victor
Or the ghost of Dewald Potgieter whispering in his ear 👿
@ nortie:
Looks like Goosen will be his chosen succession plan at 15. And not Lambie.
When last did Lambie start at 15 in a test? My point remains that they must let guys settle in a chosen position. Versatility ruins careers at international level.
“Meyer said the changes were not a knee-jerk reaction following the result in Dublin, but rather in line with rotational changes that he had in mind before the start of the tour.”
Really HM? You really want me to believe that you have decided before the tour started that you will swap Pollard for Lambie against England? The 2nd game of the tour? That after Pollard destroyed the AB in the last match at home?
Pull the other one, mister.
Lambie won 4/4 as a starter in the NH. Let’s hope he continues in this vein.
@ IAAS:
Yes, but in this case we don’t have a decent safe option at 15, Pollard might play better with decent service from a more experienced 9 like Vermaak, and Lambie can slot in at 15 and provide stability.
It’s not the perfect scenario, but I would rather have a safe 10 and 15 than just a safe 10 but an erratic 15
@ nortie:
The thing is this. It all started at 9. Hougaard had a shocker.
If he were to ease Reinach into a starting position, rather let him do it with his provincial team mate Lambie.
Just hope Reinach has a storming game. And that both Pienaar and Hougie are on the outside looking in. I would love to see this kid grab his opportunity with both hands.
nortie wrote:
Willie was k@k and Bismarck was playing at 50% of his normal work rate and probably 20% as motivated
We were nowhere to be seen at the rucks, the tight five didn’t clear them effectively and there was no fire in the pack at all
We need the pack to fire, we need someone like Bakkies at his abrasive best to make life hard for the Poms
@ IAAS:
The danger with the 3rd and 4th choice players getting a shot, is that they might try and do too much to impress in what could be their one shot.
Even if Reinach plays the game of his life and scores 10 tries, FdP will still remain the nr 1 and Pienaar the nr 2.
I hope he plays well and he and Lambie do great, but even though they are team mates at the Sharks, it’s not as if they have been a combination for such a long time….Lambie missed most of the SR this year and McCloud was the 9 with Lambie more often than Reinach was
Wonder what will happen if Lambie has a blinder. Will he return to SA as the no. 1 FH?
Where will that leave Pollard the because I can’t see HM going to the RWC without Morne. Even if only for his experience and kicking at poles.
@ Nama:
80
I watch SR, it’s has been in evidence that Pollard’s & Hougaard’s Halfback Combo is a sub par Super 15 standards
And
Pollard didn’t ” destroyed the AB in the last match at home”, credit went to Lambie Wayne Barnes 😉
Amoment of truth for HM?
😆
IAAS wrote:
Hougie had a few good games but that’s it, most of his performances at 9 for the Boks were average or worse
I think he lacks the intelligence to be a Test level scrumhalf
I hope the BMT Lambie shows up, not the one suffering with a bout of Wayne Ferreira-itis
IAAS wrote:
Why are only south african players bothered by “messing with their heads” Ben Smith regularly plays about everywhere in the backline because he is a classy footballer something we assume many “talented” springboks to be as well.
@ nortie:
81
Pitching a job security for Pollard?
😆 😆
It seemed to me that HM is aware of the situation coming Sat.!
(the RFU outbid SARU)
Nama wrote:
Wasnt Meyer criticized for planning out the starting teams for the RC last year? He would not do it again?
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