Pierre Spies will play in his 50th Test for South Africa when they take on England at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.
Spies was included in a starting 15 that shows three changes from the one that beat England in the second Test of the Castle Incoming Tour. Willem Alberts (flank) and Pat Lambie (fullback) were not declared fit for the Test.
Jacques Potgieter will make his Springbok debut at flank in the place of Alberts, Gio Aplon has been selected at fullback for Lambie and Wynand Olivier comes in at inside centre for Frans Steyn, who is getting married.
There are two changes on the bench. Flyhalf Elton Jantjies has been selected in a Test squad for the first time and will earn his Bok debut if he gets game time, while Ryan Kankowski takes over from Keegan Daniel.
“Injuries have forced us to make a number of changes, which is never ideal, but this provides an opportunity for players like Gio, Wynand and Jacques to put up their hands,” said Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer.
“Gio is our third fullback of the series, but he’s experienced and has been part of our planning. Wynand came on as a replacement in both of the first two Tests and knows our game plan, while Jacques has impressed this year as a very strong ball carrier – hopefully he can continue with the good work Willem has done in the last fortnight.”
Meyer explained the changes on the bench as follows: “Jacques has not played for a while and we felt Ryan is the right option for this game if he needs to take over from Jacques, with his explosive running. Keegan did very well in the first two Tests, but for this match we felt that Ryan is a better option.
“Elton comes in to provide cover at flyhalf and is a very good goal kicking option, something we will miss with Frans not available.
“Bjorn Basson still covers all three positions in the back trio, JP Pietersen or Bryan Habana can play outside centre and Jean will move to inside centre if needed, so we are covered in all positions in the backline.”
The starting XV boast a combined total of 464 Test caps – 299 for the backs and 165 for the forwards.
Record watch:
The Springboks have won the last nine consecutive Tests against England. This is a new record for South Africa against England. New Zealand is the only other country that had nine consecutive wins against England.
This Test will only be the second to be played at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. The Springboks beat New Zealand here last year in the Castle Tri-Nations by 18-5. Morné Steyn scored all points on that occasion with five penalty goals and one drop goal.
South Africa and England have only met once before in Port Elizabeth – in 1984, when the Springboks won 33-15 in the first of two Tests against John Scott’s England side.
Bryan Habana is South Africa’s most capped Springbok wing with 75 Tests and also most experienced player in the squad with 76 Test caps. He is the Springboks’ top try scorer with 40 career tries in Tests (all scored as a wing). He also holds the Springbok record for most career tries in Tests against England, with six. Bryan has played in 10 Tests against England.
Morné Steyn is South Africa’s top try scorer as a flyhalf with seven career tries. Morné will equal Butch James’ record for most capped Springbok flyhalf – 37. This Test will be Morné’s 25th consecutive Test of which only one appearance was not at flyhalf. Only five Springboks have played in more than 25 consecutive Test matches before.
In the only Test at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Morné Steyn scored all points against the All Black in last year’s Castle Tri-Nations Test – 18. He needs 13 points in this Test to replace Braam van Straaten in second place for most points in Tests against England.
Bismarck du Plessis is South Africa’s top try scorer in Tests as a hooker with six Test tries.
Pierre Spies will play in his 50th test for South Africa. He is South Africa’s most capped No. 8 with 44 Tests in this position. Pierre holds the record for most Test tries as a No 8, with seven.
Jean de Villiers will play in his 75th Test for South Africa. It will also be his 60th cap as centre. Jean scored his 20th Test try for the Springboks in Durban two weeks ago against England.
Bismarck and Jannie du Plessis will play together in their record 23rd Test as brothers.
Jacques Potgieter will be South Africa’s 834th Springbok. It is appropriate that he will make his Test debut in Port Elizabeth, his place of birth.
Teams:
South Africa:
15 Gio Aplon, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Jean de Villiers (captain), 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morne Steyn, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Jacques Potgieter, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Juandre Kruger, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Tendai Mtwarira
Substitutes: 16 Adriaan Strauss, 17 Werner Kruger, 18 Flip van der Merwe, 19 Ryan Kankowski, 20 Ruan Pienaar, 21 Elton Jantjies, 22 Bjorn Basson
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June 20th, 2012 at 1:11 pm
Wow Jantjies over Joe Pietersen is a bit of a surprise considering I’m not buying that Basson is a 15 and Joe is ‘the’ form 15 in RSA…
Both Ruan and Joe are goal-kickers…
Good on Elton all the same…
Back to the front-row and pack it was clear a lot of momentum was lost with bench replacements and starters tiring in that brutal first half…
For that reason I’d have gone with a 5/2 split and RP and Joe P on the bench covering everything bar centre (which they don’t do as it now stands either)…
Hoping the new caps have a blinder… particularly hoping that Jacque has a blinder (and hoping he’s fit!
No centre/15 cover my only real concern on top of the split…
June 20th, 2012 at 1:43 pm
SA vs England 3rd test: Build up, announcements and match thread.
by biltongbek Today at 12:08 pm
.South Africa
Gio Aplon, JP Pietersen, Jean de Villiers, Wynand Olivier, Bryan Habana, Morne Steyn, Francois Hougaard; Tendai Mtawarira, Bismarck du Plessis, Jannie du Plessis, Eben Etzebeth, Juandre Kruger, Marcell Coetzee, Jaques Potgieter, Pierre Spies
Replacements: Adriaan Strauss, Werner Kruger, Flip van der Merwe, Ryan Kankowski, Ruan Pienaar, Elton Jantjies, Bjorn Basson
Looking at this team it loses a lot of physicality.
Comparing a first choice backrow of Schalk Burger, Juan smith and Willem Alberts to Jaque Potgieter, Marcell Coetzee and Pierre Spies it is clear that South Africa will have to play wider and take less contact in the ruck situation, if not England will easily be able to dominate the contest at the breakdown.
Looking at the midfield combination of Frans Steyn and Jean de Villiers compared to Wynand Olivier and Jean de Villiers it will be far inferior due to no creativity at all between the two midfielders, but also no kicking out of hand and defensively Olivier is weak.
Aplon at the back does add some creativity at 15, yet even though he is as gutsy as hell at 75 kg, he will be targeted by big runners.
All in all this will be a litmus test for this Bok team. One I sincerely hope they pass.
Problem is looking at the players out of this match be it injuries weddings etc. not having Coenie Oosthuizen, Andries Bekker, Willem Alberts, Schalk Burger, Juan Smith, Frans Steyn and Patrick Lambie makes this a decidedly easier test for England.
June 20th, 2012 at 2:15 pm
Reply to biltongbek @ 1:43 pm:
Where else do you post mate?
What makes you think that Burger, Smith, Alberts would have been the first choice back-row? I think it’d be too slow albeit a wrecking machine… (this is also harsh but let’s face it Juan smith isn’t coming back IMO)…
Jacque Coetzee has had a far better season than Alberts has and he’s just as physical in both stature and play… IMO he’s closer to a Smith style player…
On Frans not being there… what can one do… there are no real other options for the pairing against Tuilagi and co (other than switching back to the Stormers 12/13 and you said you wanted creativity)…
As for the bench… Strauss needs a better game than last, so too Kruger, Flip was good and I can see why he has Kanko over Daniel… the gamble is no centre/15 back-up on the bench despite having a 4/3 split…
I guess that’s injuries and the mistake of no mid-week games to test potential back-up combo’s… but don’t forget the Poms have now lost just as many players this series (they were smart enough to have dirt-trackers though)…
Going to be another cracker IMO and close too… another hedge-bet coming up here as will I do the same with Aus/Wales…
June 20th, 2012 at 2:24 pm
Reply to bryce_in_oz @ 2:15 pm:
Potgieter not Coetzee… don’t know why I keep calling him that …
June 20th, 2012 at 2:32 pm
Good test match coming up.
But as Bryce once said… one does not counter an opensider by selecting your own opensider as opensiders’ job is NOT “counter opposition opensider”
Aside from Brussouw whom I would have started ahead of Potgieter the side is good.
June 20th, 2012 at 2:38 pm
Reply to bryce_in_oz @ 2:15 pm: I post mainly on 606v2 and then recently on TheRoar.
I like to see opinions about us on other websites, as it provides some criticism we might not look at.
I am just using the comparison for the purpose of the physicality that is lost, and I don’t think it is unlikely that those three could be in a starting lineup in future.
As for Werner Kruger, he has now played three tests in the front row and has been shown up big time, hope he doesn’t ever start for the Boks.
Hopefully Aplon will be given free reign to run from the back.
June 20th, 2012 at 2:48 pm
Reply to biltongbek @ 2:38 pm:
Always though WP Nell (who can also play both) was unlikely to not get a run… Tah’s scrum never suffered despite having converted locks and he’s more busy around the paddock…
June 20th, 2012 at 2:50 pm
The fact is we don’t have depth at tighhead prop. And to be honest I don’t know why.
June 20th, 2012 at 2:55 pm
Weak bench.
June 20th, 2012 at 3:20 pm
Reply to biltongbek @ 2:50 pm:
Yep particularly as this is nothing new…
Boks simply have to play more mid-week games… or send a ‘real’ emerging side to play in the Pac Nations Cup (which was great viewing this year) or the Nations Cup like they used to… and guys like Nel, Cilliers, Coenie, Malherbe (who is in the current squad) etc etc could be getting game-time under Bok structures…
The Aussies have made a concerted effort to sort their props out and noticeably have their props able to play both sides… Kepu, Palmer, Alexander there right now on the TH…
JW recently said in an article that when asked by Deans why Alexander was getting so much game-time at LH (being the Wallaby TH) White answered he wanted all his props to be able to be bench options and play both sides but particularly with Ben wanted to make him into a 100 test prop rather than simply a specialist…
Hope Pieter De Villiers can do the same…
June 20th, 2012 at 4:22 pm
Oh And from a bench perspective if he wanted a 4-3 split I would have started with Piietersen instead of Basson
June 20th, 2012 at 4:33 pm
Reply to Morné @ 2:55 pm:
All of it?
Flip, and Pienaar are good enough to be there and Strauss is the second best hooker.
So of the rest with Kankowski – is there a difference between him and whoever else? He has at least played for the Boks before.
Jantjes I am okay with.
The only difference I would have made is to change Basson for Pietersen.
June 20th, 2012 at 4:41 pm
I disagree that Straus is 2nd best hooker – Ralaphele is better in my opinion. Th eformer never had a good match on test level, while the latter always looked home on that level. Strauss will always be good S15 player at best (like The Spear).
First look at the bench seems to suggest we are already scraping the barrel – but major concern is just that we do not have much else….
June 21st, 2012 at 12:36 am
Pottie is a good player but when last did he play? He has gone for bulk over Daniels, setting up a player to fail. tsk tsk tsk Bulls again
The Bassson over Pietersen???? Bulls again
WO over any backline player Bulls again
Elton Jantjies, good for him, good player.
Reply to Bekke @ 4:41 pm: I agree and disagree. Struass is good enough but I think Chilli, considering his young age and work ethic, will become a Bok more often.
Plenty of rugby action this weekend
June 21st, 2012 at 2:49 am
Reply to Kevin_rack @ 12:36 am:
Strauss and Ralepelle are exactly the same age… HM has said he values Strauss’ leadership… and he has been one of the form hookers this S15…
As for Jacque… Heneke also stated he was going to play on the bench as Alberts’ back-up this weekend… injury means he steps up… and Kanko more suited to being his back-up… he clearly has a succession plan…
Bulls selections are obvious with all the injuries to Stormers and Sharks players… it’s keeping combinations together…
June 21st, 2012 at 3:03 am
Reply to bryce_in_oz @ 2:49 am:
And HM has also said he wants an ‘impact’ bench… ball-in-hand and driving tackles Strauss is far more valuable than Ralepelle who is simply ‘solid’…
June 21st, 2012 at 6:07 am
Reply to bryce_in_oz @ 3:03 am: Do the Bulls get paid by SARU when their players are contracted to play for the Boks.
June 21st, 2012 at 6:54 am
Hopefully the promotion will inspire him to ditch the horror-show hair-do for a more appropriate one.
June 21st, 2012 at 8:22 am
Reply to Americano @ 6:54 am:
Yeah and he can take Eben to the same hair-dresser too
Reply to Kevin_rack @ 6:07 am:
As far as I know test pay and contracts are totally different entity’s are on top of their Super contracts…
June 21st, 2012 at 8:33 am
Reply to Kevin_rack @ 6:07 am:
In one breath you’re bemoaning a Bull replacing an injured Shark member as some kind of Blue conspiracy by HM… and then the very next you’re bemoaning he’s left out a Bull’s player for a Cheetah’s player…
Which is it?
June 21st, 2012 at 8:43 am
From 4N onwards SARU will compensate unions for test players in the Bok squad, so the union will no longer be out of pocket to pay player salaries for players on national duty. That will be paid by SARU to the union and then onwards to the player. It’s quite a revolutionary concept for rugby worldwide and was announced earlier this year by SARU, SARPA and the unions collectively.
June 21st, 2012 at 8:44 am
ps. SARU already pays most of the Super Rugby salaries via the television income generated from selling televising rights… so Murdoch Money.
June 21st, 2012 at 9:15 am
Reply to DavidS @ 8:43 am:
They must mean for CC players in the Bok squad?
June 21st, 2012 at 11:17 am
Heyneke Meyer het nog senterprobleme. Wynand Olivier is Saterdag strooimeisie op Frans Steyn se troue!
