Match details

Date: Saturday 21 August 2010
Kick-off: 17.00 RSA (15.00 GMT)
Venue: FNB Soccer City, Soweto
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant referees: Alain Rolland (Ire), Simon McDowell (Ire)
TMO: Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)

Teamsheets

Springboks – 15 Gio Aplon, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Morne Steyn, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Juan Smith, 6 Schalk Burger, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Flip van der Merwe, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 John Smit, 1 Gurthro Steenkamp.
Subs: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 CJ van der Linde, 18 Danie Rossouw, 19 Francois Louw, 20 Ricky Januarie, 21 Butch James, 22 Wynand Olivier.

All Blacks – 15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Cory Jane, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma’a Nonu, 11 Joe Rokocoko, 10 Daniel Carter, 9 Jimmy Cowan, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Richie McCaw (c), 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Tom Donnelly, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Ben Franks, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Subs: 16 Corey Flynn, 17 John Afoa, 18 Sam Whitelock, 19 Victor Vito, 20 Piri Weepu, 21 Aaron Cruden, 22 Israel Dagg.

Springbok coach Peter de Villiers is undergoing his most difficult year in charge, with the world champions having lost all three of their Tri-Nations games. He spoke to SIMNIKIWE XABANISA this week about his plan to turn things around. (more…)

Lions 30 – 26 Cheetahs
Xerox Lions – Tries: Deon van Rensburg, Elton Jantjies, Jannie Boshoff; Conversions: Jantjies (3); Penalties: Jantjies (3).
Free State Cheetahs – Tries: Ashley Johnson, Cobus Kaldo; Conversions: Louis Strydom (1), Meyer Bosman (1); Penalties: Strydom (4).

WP 15 – 12 Blue Bulls
Western Province – Penalties: Willem de Waal (5).
Blue Bulls – Penalties: Jacques-Louis Potgieter (4).

Griquas 58 – 25 Pumas
GWK Griquas – Tries: Riaan Viljoen (2), Sarel Pretorius (2), Cecil Kemp, Frikkie Spies, Rocco Jansen, Rudi Vogt; Conversions: Naas Olivier (6); Penalties: Olivier (2).
Pumas – Tries: Elgar Watts, Shaun Venter, Junior Bester; Conversions: Watts (2); Penalties: Watts (2).

Leopards 6 – 51 Sharks
The Sharks – Tries: Stefan Terblanche (2), Lwazi Mvovo, Patric Cilliers, Willem Alberts, Louis Ludik, Rory Kockott; Conversions: Patrick Lambie (3), Kockott (2);
Penalties: Patrick Lambie (2).
Platinum Leopards – Penalties: Neill Jacobs (2).

The Springbok squad for the home leg of the Trinations has been announced.

Forwards:

BJ Botha (Ulster)
– A regular in the side contradicting PDV’s claims that he would not pick overseas-based players and that they’re off the pace.

Schalk Burger (Stormers)
– Back to his headless chicken days without a plan from Gary Gold.

Jannie du Plessis (Sharks)
– Solid, not spectacular.

Ryan Kankowski (Sharks)
– Where does he fit in to the current Bok gameplan? Definitely not at flank hey Gary?

Francois Louw (Stormers)
– Back after being dropped for the Aussie game in what is widely regarded as the worst selection blunder in years (Gary take a bow).

Victor Matfield (Bulls)
– Out on his feet and needs a serious rest.

Tendai Mtawarira (Sharks)
– Back in the mix.

Dewald Potgieter (Bulls)
– Playing a holding role while Brussouw recovers.

Chiliboy Ralepelle (Bulls)
– Still no faith in his abilities from the coaches – so must be a token appointment at best.

Danie Rossouw (Bulls)
– Out on his feet and needs a serious rest.

John Smit (Sharks, captain)
– Out on his feet and needs a serious rest and fitness regime. Being rolled out for his 100th test despite his poor form.

Juan Smith (Cheetahs)
– Great to see him back.

Pierre Spies (Bulls)
– Out on his feet and needs a serious rest. Been exposed as the most overhyped No.8 in world rugby. Still goes missing.

Gurthro Steenkamp (Bulls)
– In the form of his life, but must surely need a rest.

CJ van der Linde (Cheetahs)
– Solid not spectacular.

Flip van der Merwe (Bulls)
– Still learning the ropes.

Backs:

Gio Aplon (Stormers)
– Will hopefully inject some attacking spark into our backs.

Juan de Jongh (Stormers)
– Should start at 13 with Fourie banned for the Soweto test.

Jean de Villiers (Stormers)
– Play him at 12 and 12 only.

Jaque Fourie (Stormers)
– Misses the first home game.

Bryan Habana (Stormers)
– Out on his feet and needs a serious rest.

Francois Hougaard (Bulls)
– Should start ahead of McJanuarie with Ruan Pienaar out injured and then overseas. Has Pienaar played his last test?

Ricky Januarie (Stormers)
– Ruan Pienaar’s injury gives him a place on the bench – hoepfully not starting.

Butch James (Bath)
– Another strange selection contradicting PDV’s claims that he would not pick overseas-based players and that they’re off the pace.

Zane Kirchner (Bulls)
– Not international quality – holding Steyn’s place for him in the team.

Wynand Olivier (Bulls)
– Been given plenty of chances but a Super14 player at best.

JP Pietersen (Sharks)
– Hopefully he is building back up to his form from the last RWC. He is the opposite of New Zealand – he only peaks in RWC years!

Frans Steyn (Racing Metro)
– Injured two days before the squad was announced so will probably play no part in the Trinations campaign.
LATEST: Has been cleared of injury and will join the Springbok squad on Thursday. Scan results were positive and he will return from France to train with the Boks. He is likely to play fullback against the All Blacks.
LATEST LATEST: Out of the All Blacks test because injured and SARU didn’t arrange with his club. PDV questioning his commitment to the Boks…

Morné Steyn (Bulls).
– Out on his feet and needs a serious rest. Needs Fourie Du Preez on his inside to take the pressure off.

“I was always saying the greeting ‘even the bad days are good’ and there have been some bad days just now, that we can’t deny. But I keep myself motivated because I believe in this team and what we are doing and know that we have the answers within ourselves to the problems that we had overseas.

“It’s not like other years where we were bad and had no solutions in sight – we definitely know we can beat anyone in the world when we fix the small things that add up to a bad defeat.

“As for the criticism, I have had it since before day one! But it goes with the territory – a winning Bok coach is a superman; a losing Bok coach is a ‘clown’, I’ve learnt to take both with a pinch of salt.”