Johan Goosen
Trevor Nyakane
Teboho Mahoje
Coenie Oosthuizen
The Springbok starting team to face Italy in Padova on Saturday shows four changes from the side which beat England at Twickenham last week, with three new faces amongst the pack and one in the backline.
There are also five changes on the bench, with Nizaam Carr and Julian Redelinghuys included in a Test match-23 for the first time.
Trevor Nyakane will start his first Test for South Africa at loosehead prop, while Coenie Oosthuizen moves up from the bench to replace the injured Jannie du Plessis at tighthead. Teboho ‘Oupa’ Mohoje returns to the starting line-up while Johan Goosen has been selected at fullback.
Joining Carr and Redelinghuys on the bench, are Gurthrö Steenkamp, Lood de Jager and Willie le Roux. Tendai Mtawarira has been given a break after carrying a heavy workload recently.
“I’m excited to see what these guys can do on Saturday in what will be a stern Test against a fired-up Italy,” said Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer.
“We planned to make a few shifts for this Test as I’d like to see if these players can make the step up. The guys coming in deserve their opportunities and seeing that we won’t have our overseas-based players available next week against Wales, it made sense to bring a few of them in this week.”
Meyer said he was impressed by the commitment shown by all the uncapped players at training on the tour and that Carr and Redelinghuys are ready for selection.
Julian Redelinghuys
Nizaam Carr
“Nizaam can cover all the positions in the back-row and his call-up is just-reward after a very good season for the DHL Stormers and Western Province,” said the Springbok coach.
“Julian has been superb for the Lions this season and he’s shown that he can scrum. Both of them are now familiar with our plays and structures and I’m looking forward to see what they can bring on Saturday.
“It will also be a good test for Johan, who I’ve always regarded as a possibility at fullback. He has a great skill-set and a massive boot which will come in handy on Saturday if we have to play in wet weather again.”
Meyer said the Test against Italy will pose different challenges to what the Springboks had faced thus far on the tour.
“They are a passionate nation with a very experienced coach in Jacques Brunel and a world-class captain in Sergio Parisse,” said Meyer.
“The Italian pack is always formidable and their backs are not scared of taking chances. Our focus is to show improvements from our performance at Twickenham and we know it will be a big challenge on Saturday.”
Springbok team:
15 Johan Goosen (5 caps, 8 points)
14 JP Pietersen (58 caps, 90 points)
13 Jan Serfontein (18 caps,10 points)
12 Jean de Villiers (Captain – 104 caps, 135 points)
11 Bryan Habana (105 caps, 280 points)
10 Pat Lambie (38 caps, 97 points)
9 Cobus Reinach (4 caps, 5 points)
8 Duane Vermeulen (27 caps, 10 points)
7 Teboho “Oupa” Mohoje (5 caps, 0 points)
6 Marcell Coetzee (24 caps, 30 points)
5 Victor Matfield (Vice-captain – 119 caps, 35 points)
4 Eben Etzebeth (31 caps, 0 points)
3 Coenie Oosthuizen (19 caps, 10 points)
2 Adriaan Strauss (42 caps, 25 points)
1 Trevor Nyakane (11 caps, 5 points)
Replacements:
16 Bismarck du Plessis (68 caps, 45 points)
17 Gurthrö Steenkamp (52 caps, 30 points)
18 Julian Redelinghuys (0 caps, 0 points)
19 Lood de Jager (7 caps, 10 points)
20 Nizaam Carr (0 caps, 0 points)
21 Francois Hougaard (33 caps, 25 points)
22 Handré Pollard (7 caps, 61 points)
23 Willie le Roux (23 caps, 35 points)
Stats and facts:
- The Springbok starting team boasts a total of 610 Test caps (332 in the backline and 278 in the forwards), while there are a further 190 caps worth of experience on the bench.
- South Africa and Italy have played each other 11 times since 1995, with the Springboks winning all 11 Tests. The Springboks have scored 577 points and 79 tries and conceded 139 points and 12 tries for an average score of 52-13.
- South Africa and Italy last met on 8 June 2013 at Growthpoint Kings Park in Durban. The Springboks won 44-10 and outscored Italy by five tries to one. •Jean de Villiers will extend his record as the most-capped Springbok centre, with 89 Tests in this position and will captain South Africa for the 33rd 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 (119 Tests). He will also extend his record of 119 Tests as a lock and will also extend his record as the oldest Springbok ever at 37 years & 188 days.
- Bryan Habana will extend his record as the most-capped Springbok wing, with 104 Tests in this position. If he scores a try, he will extend his record of 56 Test tries for South Africa.
- Matfield and Habana will share the record for the most Tests against Italy when they play the Azzurri for the sixth time – they previously shared this record with Ruan Pienaar and Andre Venter.
- 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.
- If he goes on and scores a try, Gurthro Steenkamp will extend his record of six tries for South Africa as a prop.
- Willie le Roux, Duane Vermeulen, Jannie du Plessis and Bismarck du Plessis have played in all eleven Tests for the Springboks in 2014. Bryan Habana, Cornal Hendricks and Tendai Mtawarira have both missed only one Test in 2014.
- Johan Goosen will start at fullback for the first time in a Test. Trevor Nyakane will be in the starting line-up for the first time after 11 appearances from the bench. Coenie Oosthuizen will start at tight-head for the first time since France in November 2013. Oosthuizen started at loose-head against Scotland earlier this year.
- Julian Redelinghuys and Nizaam Carr will both make their debuts for South Africa if they come off the bench, becoming Springboks No 865 and 866. Ten new Springboks have been created to date in 2014.
- It will be the fifth time that a Springbok team has three centurions in the starting line-up. The four previous times were against Australia and New Zealand in the Rugby Championship and against Ireland and England.
- It will be Heyneke Meyer’s 36th Test in charge of the Springboks since he took over in 2012. Of the previous 35 Tests South Africa have won 25, lost eight and drawn twice.
- The referee is Jerome Garces of France. It will be his fourth Test involving South Africa. Of the previous three Tests the Springboks have won two and lost one. His last Test involving South Africa was in September this year against New Zealand in Wellington in the Rugby Championship – a game that the Springboks lost narrowly by 10-14.
- This will be the Springbok’s first ever Test match at Stadio Euganio, Padova.
89: Nou bars jy my bubble voor 2015 seisoen al begin het !
Ludeke se hardkoppigheid laat my dink aan die storie van die ou tannie wat haar kind se polisie parade gaan bywoon het, en toe ewe trots opmerk,
Ai, net my seun masjeer reg !
@ robzim:
Nigeria were All over Bafana in that last 20 minutes. This is what happens when you defend a lead.
91 @ Ben-die-Bok:
😆
MacroBok wrote:
Eureka
You’ve finally seen the light!
The Bok newbie loose forward pecking order should be: 1. Carr; 2. ….; 3. Whiteley & Kriel.
Pity the SA Management didn’t accept the opportunity to test their squad’s true test depth against a relative minnow.
I guess we may just have to find out how good some of our 3rd and 4th choice players are in a crunch quarter final at RWC 2015. Probably against either England, Wales or Australia.
“Failing to plan is planning to fail!”
nortie wrote:
De Allende last played a rugby game on 23 August 2014!
Seriously, did anyone expect him to now play in a Test without any match exposure for 3 months?
This type of poor player management happens year after year, especially on the EOYTs, & it applies to virtually all Bok coaches.
On the EOYTs the Bok coaches have a history of being wasteful with their human (players) & financial (excessive costs) resources.
hmmmm … OR perhaps they use it as an extended, uninterrupted training camp for those players they call up, but have absolutely no intention of playing on the EOYT, except in the case of dire injury situations. Could be …
@ Angostura:
Haha I have been saying that for weeks now 😛
@ MacroBok:
Well, then you’ve changed your mind …
but,
Nothing wrong with that:
“When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, Sir?”
John Maynard Keynes
🙂
96 @ Angostura:
“De Allende last played a rugby game on 23 August 2014!
Seriously, did anyone expect him to now play in a Test without any match exposure for 3 months?”
Didn’t realize it was that long ago.
Plus point is he should be the most well rested player in SR next year
Some call him the greatest cheat in rugby
Others rate him the best player of all time
Love him or hate him, either way, Richie McCaw will captain the All Blacks in a test match for the 100th time this weekend – amazing achievement!
@ nortie:
100 Without a doubt the best player (in that position) that
the world has seen.He and Flou Joe van NIekerk were rated
as equally good when they started SR.
En kyk hoe hulle met mekaar nou meet.
Go well pal.
Rye
@ Angostura:
I honestly have no idea what you are talking about, did I say we don’t need backup for Duane? or that we don’t need 2 quality players in each position?
France flyer Teddy Thomas has been dropped by France for missing training and will not feature against Argentina on Saturday.
MacroBok wrote:
**
Nope, you didn’t say that: And that’s not what I am inferring.
Rather, some months ago, when Whiteley was 1st selected to the Bok squad, you & I had a discussion about that, after I mentioned that Nizaam Carr was very unlucky to not be selected after an outstanding season, & seeing that imo his play is more suited to the Bok style of play than Whiteley’s. At the time you indicated that you preferred Whiteley to Carr, but that the loosie that was really unlucky to not be selected was Jaco Kriel. You seemed to favour the loosies in this order: 1. Kriel, 2. Whiteley, 3. ….? …. & in fact, I can’t even say, that you favoured Carr as 3rd choice in that rookie loosie pecking order …
(Just to say, ne.)
This thing you’re big about – that there should be a #1 & a quality #2 for each position is not disputed & is kinda trite, mon – I reckon one would be hard pressed to find anyone (except maybe HM?) who doesn’t believe that that is just common sense, not even worth mentioning.
A more valid point of discussion could be: Who should be the backups (the 2nd choice) for tight head prop, for outside centre, for fullback, for eigthman, for #5 lock, etc.
I’m happy to see (& I expressed pleasure) that you’ve come around to seeing Carr as the backup to Vermeulen at #8.
(& that’s it, really)
@ ryecatcher:
I rate him as the best player ever to have played.
Stay well
nortie wrote:
HM will obviously have some or other “justification” for derailing Damian’s career and wasting SARU’s money in the process.
Sometimes I wonder whether he is not confused and think Damian does in fact help to “balance the transformation score-sheet”
Boshoff and Paige called up as cover for the Wales test
@ robzim:
FARK but you whine like a pregnant schoolgirl.
Once you’ve dried your legs why don’t you ask the guy whether he would rather be touring with the Boks or be chased by Gwanties Rottie on fourth beach.
Derailed his career crises but that’s rich.
😆
nortie wrote:
I thought you were talking about Andries “Vry in die park” Bekker 🙂
Victoriabok wrote:
He would have been “The tallest cheat in rugby” 😛
The Damien de Allende thing has a sense of dejavu about it if you remember oupa early in the season, people complained because Meyer “dragged” him along… but now he has played in the last 5 games?
Only difference is Damien had a chance early season but the feeling was he was played out of his insidecenterwingfullback position.
He will get his chance… He has a huge season ahead of him next year
MacroBok wrote:
Ek sien Keo huil ook lang trane daaroor
http://www.sarugbymag.co.za/blog/details/fringe-players-needed-exposure
As hy nie sedert Augustus eers Curriebeker gespeel het nie is hy miskien nie wedstrydfiks genoeg nie?
Dit sal hom baat om nogsteeds in die oefengroep te wees sodat hy die taktiek en geoefende bewegings kan leer vir die toekoms
@ gunther:
De Allende was the number one SA centre during superrugby 2014 with a number of MOM performances. For his reward he was selected to start in 2 tests out of position and since then he has been a contracted but non playing member of springbok squads not being allowed to play even club rugby.
A sportsman thrives on playing and not on supporting the touring industries of foreign countries. It does nothing for their careers or future earning potential.
At this stage I am sure he would prefer a game of touch rugby at Clifton to strolling around in icy Europe wearing a green blazer.
Maybe even at godforsaken Milnerton Beach …
100 @ nortie:
Took a run on Sea Point Promenade the other day and a guy had a t shirt that read “I’m not an alcoholic but I take a pint everything Richie MaBay is offside.
100 @ nortie:
Took a run on Sea Point promenade the other day and a guy had a t shirt that read …
“I’m not an alcoholic but I have a drink everytime Richie McCaw is offside”.
😆
robzim wrote:
Seriously?
@ Victoriabok:
Ek stem hy moes currie beker gespeel het, maar ek stem glad nie saam dat hulle die ou se loopbaan ontspoor nie, hy is maar net 22 jaar oud en het nou saam die beste in die land geoefen vir n paar maande asook ander spesialis analise wat hom verseker meer sal bied vir sy toekoms.
robzim wrote:
Or running for his life while being chased by a visibly excited Gwantie in his red Speedo sporting a pink feather boa and his Rottie Marmiteminer?
Jeraldjay wrote:
Take two eh?
Where did you buy the tshirt? 🙂
MacroBok wrote:
Ek dink partykeer dis baie goed dat hulle ‘n ruskans kry, die ouens speel aanmekaar rugby en dit verkort hulle loopbane
Jy sal sien volgende jaar, hy gaan beseringsvry en honger wees in die S15
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