Coach Heyneke Meyer has made the changes he spoke about earlier in the week, shuffling the back three around and making two changes to the tight five.
As everybody suspected, Bismarck du Plessis will start in the place of Adriaan Strauss, as well as taking over the vice captaincy. Flip van der Merwe will start in the second row alongside Eben Etzebeth, Juandre Kruger dropping down to the bench.
In the backline, Zane Kirchner is called into the fullback jersey, with Willie le Roux replacing Bjorn Basson on the left wing. The last change is positional as Bryan Habana shifts across to left wing, bringing Willie le Roux onto the right wing.
South Africa: 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Willie le Roux, 13 JJ Engelbrecht, 12 Jean de Villiers (captain), 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Francois Louw, 5 Flip van der Merwe, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Tendai Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Adriaan Strauss, 17 Gurthrö Steenkamp, 18 Coenie Oosthuizen, 19 Juandre Kruger, 20 Siya Kolisi, 21 Jano Vermaak, 22 Pat Lambie, 23 Jan Serfontein.
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HM’s theme song must be: “I’m an idiot and I don’t care!”
I think a picnic on Saturday sounds like a great idea!
Silence isn’t golden when I’m holding it inside…
With Lambie bracketed in at 22 does this mean he will get a shot at flyhalf?
@R Hayward (Comment 3) : 😆 😆
Let me just state that I don’t have anything against Zane Kirchner, he doesn’t select himself for the team.
My gripe is with HM who is a bit pig headed and refuses to back a more dangerous player.
Raymond Rhule should have been in the Springbok squad and replaced Basson in a straight swop leaving WLR at fullback.
It is ludicrous that Willie is moved because he had one poor match. HM’s beloved Bulle have an entire career of poor matches and the only time they are shifted is when they’re injured. Case in point – Pierre Spies.
@Butchie34 (Comment 6) :
I don’t think Willie was moved as a result of a bad match. The entire Bok squad had a bad game in Argentina.
My personal opinion is that Willie was moved purely because Kirchner is fit.
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 7) : The reasons given by HM are that being the reason, but I seem to recall a journalist on SA Rugby Mag’s site saying that Willie would be moved due to the lackluster performance.
Either way, I don’t think Sideshow Bob should have been brought into the team at all, but that’s basically been my gripe from day 1 with HM.
I can almost see what Heyneke was thinking when he made the change:
He is scared that Quade Cooper and Israel Folau in particular run havoc and he wants to select his best fullback. Kirchner may not be anything special, but he is the only actual fullback in the squad.
@durbsguy (Comment 4) :
I think he is there to cover both flyhalf and fullback..
Look, Krusty has never let the Boks down but he also rarely creates and is very predictable.
I’m actually more upset that Ruan is still being picked above Jano who I think deserves a chance.
Ruan is a confidence player and after being slammed all over after the Argies game I think it’s just stupid to pick him again.
I actually think that Krusty is a better overall player than Basson at this stage. Guess we will have to wait and see.
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 9) : I can see where he’s coming from, but it is his own fault that Kirchner is the only fullback in the squad he selected him.
I still think that he should have taken up either Ludick or SP Marais – both are specialised/experienced fullbacks, even if Ludick has been moved to centre the past few games. Both of them would offer a little more variation than ZK and together with BH and WLR we’d have a stable, threatening back three.
I try to remain supportive of Meyer because he has the potential to build something lasting for the Boks like he did at the Bulls. It is however becoming more apparent in his second year as coach that players he’s worked with before at union level are his blind-spot. He has to start realising where each player’s capabilities end. ‘Reliable’ should never be enough to earn you a spot in the Bok squad, especially in playmaking positions.
I’ll be watching regardless. Good luck Boks!
And I dont think Ruan is our answer at 9, I’d rather let Vermaak start.
Afrikaans box!! 👿
battling to stifle a yawn this side
@robdylan (Comment 17) : Have to agree.
My run continues… I just realised I made plans to do something else this Saturday so that I can’t watch the Boks. It’s become ingrained in my subconscious!
@robdylan (Comment 17) : @Butchie34 (Comment 18) : We really could select a more exciting side from overseas!!
Jannie is being played into the ground and won’t make 2015 unless he’s managed properly. If Coenie’s the great saviour at tighthead then start him! Goodness only knows what BJ Botha has done wrong to be shunned for so many years!
@ChrisS (Comment 19) : Easy answer:
1. He never played for the Bulls
2. He never played for the Bulls under Heyneke
3. He was never approached to play for the Bulls; and the least important point on the list
4. He plays overseas
So Zane is going to kick onto Israel Falau the whole game. That’s a recipe for disaster!
Amazing to think that, considering all the money poured into professional rugby academies in SA, we cannot produce anything better than Zane Kirchner to wear the Bok 15 jersey.
@PTAShark (Comment 21) : The smart thing to do would be to keep the ball away from the Aussies devastating ball runners.
They would never suspect that we were just going to pump the ball high into the air and pray for a miracle when it comes down!
It’s genius from the back end 👿
👿
@robdylan (Comment 22) : Well, if all the money is being poured into our “traditional” strengths it’s all focused on the forwards and very little to the backs outside of flyhalf.
@Butchie34 (Comment 20) : Hahaha!! You made me laugh so hard that I choked on my droewors!! 😆
Rob I agree its simply pathetic that this chap is Boks last line of defence,what a joke
@ChrisS (Comment 25) : Sometimes the truth can be funny 😉 😆 😆
@Butchie34 (Comment 24) : we’re not bringing through a huge bunch of exciting young forwards either… where are our locks? Our tightheads?
@robdylan (Comment 28) :
If the Sharks hadn’t played a certain young lock into the ground, I suspect he may well be in the mix, along with the other exciting lock Mr Eben himself..
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 29) : my point is more that 1 injury in the second row leaves us with no option but to stick with the average (and overseas-based) Juandre Kruger – and the never-more-than-barely-adequate Flip van der Merwe.
Producing 2 players is not a great return for all the money we’ve invested. Not blaming Meyer – I’m blaming SA rugby as a whole (and you can put Plumtree’s name high on that list)
@robdylan (Comment 28) : Well the one Marais brother left at the end of Super Rugby. And PSDT is injured. 😉
Think sometimes we need to back the guys and they’ll stay.
@robdylan (Comment 31) :
See your point, there isn’t much depth..
It’s a big picture problem!
@Butchie34 (Comment 27) : If we don’t laugh about it then we’ll cry!!
@Butchie34 (Comment 13) :
Dude, as much as we would love to see more attacking flair from fullback, HM prefers a safer/solid player at the back.
I would have loved to see Lambie at 15 but would he or le Roux suit HM’s game plan?? I don’t think so. 😕
@wpw (Comment 34) : Maybe we need a new gameplan!
@ChrisS (Comment 35) :
Nah, we need a new coach! 😉 😈
@wpw (Comment 37) :
Interesting you say that.. Who?
@wpw (Comment 34) : @ChrisS (Comment 35) : @wpw (Comment 36) : I agree on all points, especially those regarding a new gameplan and coach.
WLR or Lambie aren’t the sort of fullback that HM would want, but I think the important thing that is being missed is that the best players should be selected and the gameplan cut according to the cloth that you have. Think HM has it a bit backwards.
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 37) : Good question…
If you’d asked that question in May I would have said Brendan Venter, but I’m selfish and would rather keep him for the Sharks.
None of the previous Bok coaches would accept the position and many coaches are under contract at the moment.
So my answer would have to be the coach Plum replaced in the Irish setup… Gert Smal.
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 37) :
Allister Coetzee??
Brendan Venter?
@Butchie34 (Comment 40) :
Venter is an interesting choice, but I am not sure he is actually a coach. He seems to be more of a background organiser with little to no people skills.
It may be interesting to know who people would want, if they could choose any coach currently in World Rugby?
@wpw (Comment 40) :
AC really? Most WP fans want to show him the door.
@wpw (Comment 41) :
Plumtree has a better win record and has more trophies than AC..
Really Wes?
Wait, let’s do this properly, on a new thread..
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 41) : Would definitely make for an interesting poll.
@Pokkel (Comment 42) : I have to agree… it would be like getting rid of HM and hiring his identical but less successful twin brother
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 41) :
I know he doesn’t want to but I still think Nick Mallet could repeat what he managed with the Boks previously.
@Pokkel (Comment 47) : Think of how he ran to the media at an innocent question by JS and got Plum all hot and bothered?
Don’t know if he would be in a positive position to coach. Seems to like breaking down other people’s coaching.
Okay, new thread up..
And go!
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 43) :
AC has performed better at SR level with an inferior squad.
Come on Rich, up your game boyeeee! 😈 😆
@robdylan (Comment 28) : David Campese had a good point in terms of looking after the youth on Ballz rugby when he said that the Bulls are now going to suffer for a while because they haven’t looked after their yout.
I seriously hope HM gets over his he’ruan’ addiction soon. What makes it even worse is that he has relapsed and gone back on crack co’zane’ after almost 10 months clean.