Meyer surprises with Bok selection
Experienced Bok side to take on Japan on Saturday.
SPRINGBOK coach Heyneke Meyer ‘pulled a rabbit out of the hat’ when making his team announcement to take on Japan in the Boks opening game of the World Cup on Saturday.
Kick-off is at 5:45pm South African time.
Despite a couple of players missing out completely and others coming off the bench, the biggest surprise is the fact that the starting team boasts a combined total of 880 Test caps, eclipsing the previous most experienced side (836 caps), which played in the Springboks’ last Rugby World Cup match against Australia in Wellington in 2011.
This selection shows six changes from the side that beat Argentina in Buenos Aires a month ago.
De Villiers’ inclusion at inside centre is the only change to the backline, while Francois Louw returns at the side of the scrum.
The tight five has been reshuffled, with Lood de Jager coming in for Eben Etzebeth and Jannie du Plessis returning from injury, while Bismarck du Plessis and Tendai Mtawarira will start yet again.
The bench sees Coenie Oosthuizen, Fourie du Preez and JP Pietersen return from injury, while Adriaan Strauss, Trevor Nyakane and Siya Kolisi have also been included amongst the substitutes.
The Boks will have to be aware of the different challenges that Eddie Jones’ team throws at them and will therefore have to look to stop momentum in a team that are the underdogs and are known for their high tempo play.
Starting XV 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Bryan Habana, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Jean de Villiers (captain), 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Pat Lambie, 9 Ruan Pienaar, 8 Schalk Burger, 7 Willem Alberts, 6 Francois Louw, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Lood de Jager, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Tendai Mtawarira
Substitutes: 16 Adriaan Strauss, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Coenie Oosthuizen, 19 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 20 Siya Kolisi, 21 Fourie du Preez, 22 Handre Pollard, 23 JP Pietersen
