Victor Matfield will captain the Boks for the 11th time against Italy in Witbank on Saturday.
Matfield takes over the captaincy from John Smit, who is resting this week after injuring his hamstring during the warm-up before the French Test at Newlands in Cape Town last Saturday.
Springbok coach Peter de Villiers has made 11 changes to the squad of 22 for the first Test against Italy.
In the pack, Dewald Potgieter replaces Francois Louw. Bakkies Botha is back at lock in the place of Danie Rossouw, while Jannie du Plessis and Chiliboy Ralepelle take over from BJ Botha and Smit in the front row.
At the back, Butch James and Jean de Villiers are the new centres, with Wynand Olivier and Jaque Fourie granted a break.
On the bench, Bandise Maku, CJ van der Linde, Alistair Hargreaves, Ryan Kankowski and Bjorn Basson are included. None of them featured in the 42-17 victory over France.
The Springbok team to face Italy in Witbank is:
15 – Zane Kirchner
14 – Gio Aplon
13 – Jean de Villiers
12 – Butch James
11 – Bryan Habana
10 – Morné Steyn
9 – Ricky Januarie
8 – Pierre Spies
7 – Dewald Potgieter
6 – Schalk Burger
5 – Victor Matfield (captain)
4 – Bakkies Botha
3 – Jannie du Plessis
2 – Chiliboy Ralepelle
1 – Gurthrö Steenkamp
Replacements:
16 – Bandise Maku
17 – CJ van der Linde
18 – Alistair Hargreaves
19 – Ryan Kankowski
20 – Ruan Pienaar
21 – Juan de Jongh
22 – Bjorn Basson
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Weird
not a bad team, though… will still give Italy a klap.
Can’t work out the logic behind a lot of these selections, though…
Bring on the round ball, vuvuzellas and all.
🙁 Flouw
@Salmonoid (Comment 3) : lol
@molly (Comment 4) : Actually heard the boykie was carrying an injury in the last test, this just seems to confirm it.
So who will eventually miss out once Juan Smith returns??
Potgieter or Flouw?? 🙄
@wpw (Comment 7) : Smith will have to prove he is better when he gets back. The way Flo and Pottie have been playing, he is going to have his work cut out for him.
Is Bandise really a better hooker than Tiaan Liebenburg or Gary Botha or Adrian Strauss? Isn’t he the 4th choice hooker at the Bulls?
@lostfish (Comment 9) : 🙄 Who knows how PvD thinks ❓
Got Januarie AGAIN!!! No wonder Ruan is on his way 👿
@lostfish (Comment 9) :
He is actually 2nd choice at the Bulls and Chilli is 3rd choice. 😆
@Me2 aka Mama Shark (Comment 11) :
Hey Mama.
Mechanic was actually decent in his last two outings and is much more experienced than Ruan.
@wpw (Comment 13) : Besides, hadn’t Ruan signed away his Bok ambitions before Januarie got picked?
Don’t see why PdV should cater for player who’s not here for the WC.
i would have gone with 9. Ruan. 10. Butch. 12. Jean. 13. Jdj. Would have made more sense. But thats prob y snor is coach and im not.
@wpw (Comment 13) : I guess they need a really experienced scrummy against Italy 🙄 No he is just PdV’s “love child” eversince he scored that rather opportunist try to beat the ABs 😀
@molly (Comment 14) : Who says he won’t be here for the WC??? Nobody knows what is going on with OSB players.
Anyway..Ruan isn’t playing over there, yet.
Aaai! I need to remember this is a Sharks site and most of the regulars lack objectivity!! 😈
@wpw (Comment 18) : 😛
@wpw (Comment 18) : indeed – especially those lurking in the mountain’s shadow 😈
@Me2 aka Mama Shark (Comment 17) : Pienaar knew the stance on OSB players before it signed, sure it may seem a bit more relaxed now, but I still maintain that the Wales game was a once off. Most players still featuring for the Boks have either returned or REALLY want to. Hence why Francois is back over there and BJ and Butch are here, they’ve already made it clear they’d come back if they can get out their contracts.
Saw the other day someone said Ricky should change. His surname to November..coz that’s how much backwards his game has gone. 😆
OBS = Old Brown Sherry?? 😈
😳
OSB = Overseas based… 🙄
@wpw (Comment 18) : You have to admit that Ricky getting picked has more to do with him being Puff Divvy’s lovechild than his form this year. If he was picked only on form he would not be there.
While he hasn’t had an awful game for the Boks he hasn’t exactly set the world on fire. His kicking is still lazy and his decision making is too slow, he allows the defence to reorganise and his distribution isn’t up to scratch. He needs to improve a hell of a lot before he can be considered better than the top performing scrummies in the S14.
@Ice (Comment 22) : you could argue that one the other way as well, though 🙂
@wpw (Comment 24) : waas djou gedagtes?? Ek dog jy’s ‘n non-drinker? 😈
@molly (Comment 21) : So why is BUTCH there ❓ He has just extended is contract with Bath 😕
@lostfish (Comment 25) : it’s all because his tiger fallen out of favour 😆
@wpw (Comment 24) : We must share a bottle when you cook that beer chicken on the Weber for me 😉
Finally Slovakia’s goal 😛
@robdylan (Comment 26) : true that, but chose not to! 😆
@lostfish (Comment 25) : losing weight might also be an option!
I would’ve thought that giving de Jongh another go at 12 with an experienced Bok like DeVilliers outside him would,ve made more sense since clearly he seems to be one for the future …
Meisiekind’s not getting a break, he’s terminated… 👿
Don’t like the centres, Juan De Jongh needs to be there… 😉
GO RICKY !!! Show Dem !!! 😈
@Charlie (Comment 34) :Ricky IS showing dem! And making da circle bigga….the circle around his waist! 😈
@Dalz (Comment 33) : Nah, move Jean inside and let de Jongh play in his regular pozzie. Which is probably what’ll happen on the 60min mark. Pienaar to 9, Butch to 10, Jean to 12 and de Jongh to 13. Wicked.
@Dalz (Comment 33) : de Jongh definitely deserves another chance, he impressed on Saturday and his defence is good.
Can’t believe that people can still be shocked by Januarie’s selection… be shocked the day he isn’t in the 22 (when he’s not injured).
@Ice (Comment 35) : Aunty hoe praat jy da nou 👿
@molly (Comment 38) : speaking of which, when last was he injured?
@molly (Comment 40) : So if he has not been injured (as you imply)…why was he playing 2nd & 3rd choice for Stormers
@Charlie (Comment 39) : is true!
@molly (Comment 40) : i think stormers were saving him 😆
Cheers all…have a great break tomorrow..amd don’t forget to be glued to the TV tomorrow night….GO BAFANA!!!!
@Me2 aka Mama Shark (Comment 44) : cheerioo 😛
@Me2 aka Mama Shark (Comment 41) : I’m not saying he’s the best scrummie in the world, he definitely plays a better game at international level than super14. But he’s ALWAYS picked for the Boks, and should hardly be a surprise.
@rekinek (Comment 43) : saving him/hiding him…
@molly (Comment 14) : Then why is Butch in the side?
@molly (Comment 36) : PDV wont sub Ricky – going to give him as much game time as possible…Morne will be subbed again.
@molly (Comment 46) :
I agree.
Ricky has certainly silenced his critics over the last two weeks.
He is not the first Bok player to have lost form during the S14 and won’t be the last.
@wpw (Comment 50) :presies! But they get the boot and he does not… 😈
@Ice (Comment 51) : I can live with January, Crusty is the big problem for me. After Frans did so well for us against Wales I notice every little mistake Crusty makes!
@Ice (Comment 51) :
Who are you referring to??
We are talking about players who are either experienced or regulars.
Players who have WON games FOR THE BOKS, not players who have one good season at S14 or CC level and then all of a sudden they are great.
Guys like Deysel, Kanko and Ruan spring to mind. 🙄
15, 12, 8, 7,6
WTF?
Look, I have to be honest, there are no real backup scrummies that I’m excited about. With Pienaar leaving I can’t see anyone else worthy of the cap. Rather let Ricky hold onto it until there is someone who earns it by skill/talent and not by default.
@Just a Fan (Comment 49) : I dunno, hopefully Morne and Ricky’ll get subbed.
@wpw (Comment 53) :Frans Steyn, …geez it was one GAME and he was dropped. And it was not even so bad!
@Ice (Comment 57) :
If you read Divvie’s statements recently, especially after the Wales test he gives his reasons for omitting Frans.
Dude, Frans is good and I think he should start at fullback for the Boks but he has a crap attitude.
We’ve been through this already so I am not going to repeat myself, capish?? 😈
@wpw (Comment 58) :Dudette FYI… 🙄 😆
@wpw (Comment 58) :BTW – u have crap attitude and I don’t drop u off the blog (or Rob for that nmatter) ?? 😈
@Ice (Comment 60) : There is a reason I don’t have that kind of power..I would be JUST like PDV and wield for my personal agenda. 😈
@Ice (Comment 60) : you’re saying I don’t have a good attitude?
@robdylan (Comment 62) : meant u don’t drop wes!
@Ice (Comment 63) : I bet he’s thought about it.
Hey!! 👿
Wow molly, I thought you got my back?? 🙁
PDV have no personal agenda, he is the most fairest Bok coach and nobody can say that they are treated unfairly 😈
I think about it every day… But every site needs a wes
😯
I’m glad hargreaves is in there. He has a good chance of being a almost fulltime Bok starter after the WC next year, get him going now.
He played under PdV in 2006 in the U/21 World Champs.
He also played u/19 World champs in ’04 & ’05
He was captain of one of those side. Was it the u/21s or u/19s?
@KSA Shark © (Comment 69) :
Okay he was SA Schools capt in ’04.
SA u/19 in ’04 (3rd at World Champs)
SA u/19 Capt in ’05 (They were the World Champs)
SA u/21 in ’06 (Losing Finalists at World Champs)
The Boy has been in the system for a while. 😎
@KSA Shark © (Comment 70) : So he should be a definite future Bok captain it seems.
Actually quite rare for a lock at his age to be in the Springbok mix, they normally only get picked at a ripe age.
pdv is losing his mind slowly but surely why are the big names playing how does this make sense ,even if pdv gets close to winning the world cup he needs to get fired he won,t build a dynasty to save his life ,It myt seem like I,m hating on pdv I,m not his just doing stupid things
And makes silly comments. Why move the furniture around? This team is’nt a house that he took over….its a caravan which got hitch onto the new towing vehicle/coach. And a caravans furniture is fixed. What do you want to learn by playing Jean at 13, Butch at 12 and continue with Ruan at 10? Its been done in the past by other coaches.
BTW, Frans Steyn played a whole season at R-METRO at 10/12 and had to ‘prove’ himself at 15 in a single game?!!
I say look at the scoreboard!!
Look at his record as coach…
No coach in the history of rugby in this country was perfect and neither is Divvie but he does have a very good record as Bok coach and that in my opinion is all that matters!!
Well thats great we can see old Butchie play again
GO BUTCH GO 
eeeaaahhhhhhhh
@Salmonoid (Comment 3) : oh my and must say this even if its for the 2nd round that yellow cap looks just great behind the Sharks Revenge name WC 2010
eeeeeaaaahhhh one for you Chaz 
@molly (Comment 14) : that so true he wants to go why play him 😕
@Me2 aka Mama Shark (Comment 17) : well thats true he is going but not yet if we need him to win then use him he is still a SB until he is gone 😥
@wpw (Comment 18) : 😯 👿 😈 😉
@Me2 aka Mama Shark (Comment 30) : am i invited
now thats with the OBS in this cold weather it will go down very warm and cook this cold blood of mine 
😉
@Ice (Comment 35) : it looks like only Adri and Molly like old Januarie
🙄 😉
@Just a Fan (Comment 48) : its great to see he is playing now he must come back to our team Sharks
@Ice (Comment 60) : eeeeee tell him or not
@robdylan (Comment 67) : @wpw (Comment 68) : true now what will we do with out you 😉
@KSA Shark © (Comment 70) : the stats are great so lets give him a chance for the WC2011 😉
@FireTheLooser (Comment 71) : Well looking at all the stats somebody has to take over Smit when he goes to the Snoils i think he’ll be a great Captain for the Sharks to
@wpw (Comment 74) : And Jack White was a great coach was he not
Chaz – you bored?
@robdylan (Comment 88) : yep and was sick yesterday had things to do so had to Catch up 😳 😉
but how about that name on the other thread 😆
@chaz (For you Bro) (Comment 89) : you’re kidding, right?
@robdylan (Comment 90) : 😳 about the name no found it 🙄 sick no can’t even speak 😥 😉