Thomas Rooney | Ahead of their final Rugby Championship match against New Zealand this weekend, South Africa have announced an unchanged side. (more…)
Category: Springboks
News and discussion about the Springboks
Steyn axed for Goosen as Bok team named
Heyneke Meyer has dropped out-of-form Morné Steyn from the matchday 22 to face Australia at Loftus on Saturday. He is replaced by Johan Goosen, while Elton Jantjies provides flyhalf cover off the bench.
Frans Steyn is named with Jaco Taute at inside centre, but his participation depends on a full recovery from the ankle injury picked up during training. Taute will make his Bok debut at outside centre if Steyn fails to recover, with Jean de Villiers moving to number 12.
Eben Etzebeth returns from suspension to join Andries Bekker in the second-row, while Coenie Oosthuizen returns from a neck injury to replace the suspended Dean Greyling.
Zane Kirchner is retained at fullback giving Pat Lambie another potential 75 minutes on the bench.
Boks by 15
Springbok team
15. Zane Kirchner (Blue Bulls)
14. Bryan Habana (Western Province)
13. Jean de Villiers (captain, Western Province)
12. Frans Steyn (Sharks) / Jaco Taute (Lions)
11. Francois Hougaard (Blue Bulls)
10. Johan Goosen (Cheetahs)
09. Ruan Pienaar (Ulster, N Ireland)
08. Duane Vermeulen (Stormers)
07. Willem Alberts (Sharks)
06. Francois Louw (Bath)
05. Andries Bekker (Stormers)
04. Eben Etzebeth (Stormers)
03. Jannie du Plessis (Sharks)
02. Adriaan Strauss (vice-captain, FS Cheetahs)
01. Tendai Mtawarira (Sharks)
Replacements
16. Tiaan Liebenberg (Western Province)
17. Coenie Oosthuizen
18. Flip van der Merwe (Bulls)
19. Marcell Coetzee (Sharks)
20. Elton Jantjies (Lions)
21. Juan de Jongh (Stormers) / Jaco Taute (Lions)
22. Pat Lambie (Sharks)
I find Cricinfo to be a rather interesting website. Preaching to a sub-continental power base that is obsessed with betting and stats has pushed cricket’s leading website towards the cool, cold and brilliant world of sport statistics. Cricket is far more susceptible to mathematical dissemination than rugby, but South African rugby and South African rugby fans would do well to take a peek behind the curtain of numbers – sadly they will not like what they find.
Flippie van der Merwe and Hennie Bekker were part of the Springbok team that took on New Zealand in Wellington on 12th September 1981. Almost exactly 31 years later when Andries Bekker ran on to join Flip van der Merwe on the field in the 53rd minute of Saturday’s test against New Zealand in Dunedin, the circle was complete.
Hennie was a Western Province stalwart of the 80’s, played 2 tests away against New Zealand (both losses) scoring a try, and was named SA Rugby Player of the Year in 1983.
Flippie senior is still one of the biggest men ever to play prop for South Africa at 196cm and 133kg, and played 6 tests for the Boks (winning 4) up until the 1989 match
against a World XV at Newlands.
After his first seven tests in charge, Heyneke Meyer has a 42% win ratio. This is the worst return of any Springbok coach since Carel du Plessis in 1997 with 37%. By comparison, Peter de Villiers boasted a win ratio of 71% after his first seven games in charge, having beaten the All Blacks in New Zealand for the first time since 1998.
Meyer’s draw against England was the first time the Boks had failed to beat them since 2006, while the draw against Argentina was the first time in history that the Springboks had failed to beat the Pumas. Not only did De Villiers have a much better start, but he kept us entertained at press conferences.
Peter de Villiers’ first 7 games
Played 7 Won 5 Lost 2 – Win percentage of 71%
Wales (Bloemfontein): WON 43-17
Wales (Pretoria): WON 37-21
Italy (Cape Town): WON 26-00
All Blacks (Wellington): LOST 08-19
All Blacks (Dunedin): WON 30-28
Wallabies (Perth): LOST 09-16
Argentina (Johannesburg): WON 63-09
Heyneke Meyer’s first 7 games
Played 7 Won 3 Draws 2 Losses 2 – Win percentage 42%
England (Durban): WON 22-17
England (Johannesburg): WON 36-27
England (Port Elizabeth): DRAW 14-14
Argentina (Cape Town): WON 27-06
Argentina (Mendoza): DRAW 16-16
Wallabies (Perth): LOST 19-26
All Blacks (Dunedin): LOST 11-21
Peter de Villiers’ next 15 games
Played 15 Won 11 Lost 4 – Win percentage of 73%
New Zealand (Cape Town): LOST 00-19
Australia (Durban): LOST 15-27
Australia (Johannesburg): WON 53-08
Wales (Cardiff): WON 20-15
Scotland (Murrayfield): WON 14-10
England (Twickenham): WON 42-06
British & Irish Lions (Durban): WON 26-21
British & Irish Lions (Pretoria): WON 28-25
British & Irish Lions (Johannesburg): LOST 09-28
New Zealand (Bloemfontein): WON 28-19
New Zealand (Durban): WON 31-19
Australia (Cape Town): WON 29-17
Australia (Perth): WON 25-32
Australia (Brisbane): LOST 21-06
New Zealand (Hamilton): WON 29-32
Heyneke Meyer admitted after the 21 – 11 loss to New Zealand on Saturday that it had been a mistake to give Morné Steyn another chance after the break. Steyn’s wayward kicking cost the Boks a rare chance of victory over the All Blacks in New Zealand.
Heyneke Meyer has dug his heels in and persisted with selecting the out-of-form Morné Steyn. Francois Louw of Bath starts ahead of Marcell Coetzee who is relegated to the bench. Flip ‘Yellow card’ van der Merwe gets a rare start following the suspension of Eben ‘Ysterbeth’.
Jannie du Plessis is named in the starting team despite a hamstring injury and may be forced to pull out at the last minute. Meyer again favours the one-dimensional Zane ‘Sideshow Bob’ Kirchner at full back ahead of Patrick ‘Splinters’ Lambie.
Expect the usual ‘skop-en-jag/stampkar’ game plan, kicking away possession and in the end a huge defeat for the hapless Boks. New Zealand by 30.
Springbok team
15. Zane Kirchner (Blue Bulls)
14. Bryan Habana (Western Province)
13. Jean de Villiers (captain, Western Province)
12. Frans Steyn (Sharks)
11. Francois Hougaard (Blue Bulls)
10. Morné Steyn (Blue Bulls)
09. Ruan Pienaar (Ulster, N Ireland)
08. Duane Vermeulen (Stormers)
07. Willem Alberts (Sharks)
06. Francois Louw (Bath)
05. Flip van der Merwe (Blue Bulls)
04. Juandré Kruger (Blue Bulls)
03. Jannie du Plessis (Sharks)
02. Adriaan Strauss (vice-captain, FS Cheetahs)
01. Tendai Mtawarira (Sharks)
Replacements
16. Tiaan Liebenberg (Western Province)
17. Dean Greyling (Blue Bulls)
18. Andries Bekker (Stormers)
19. Marcell Coetzee (Sharks)
20. Johan Goosen (Free State)
21. Juan de Jongh (Stormers)
22. Pat Lambie (Sharks)
New Zealand – 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Cory Jane, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma’a Nonu, 11 Julian Savea, 10 Aaron Cruden, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Richie McCaw (c), 6 Liam Messam, 5 Sam Whitelock, 4 Luke Romano, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Andrew Hore, 1 Tony Woodcock
Replacements: 16 Keven Mealamu, 17 Charlie Faumuina, 18 Brodie Retallick, 19 Victor Vito, 20 Aaron Smith, 21 Beauden Barrett, 22 Tamati Ellison
| Game 1 of 5 Saturday 15 September 09h35 New Zealand vs South Africa (Dunedin) | ||
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Rob (Ou Grote): New Zealand by 30 James (Ou Grote): New Zealand by 13 Bet.coza: New Zealand (0.16 / 5.00) Ben (TheBounce): New Zealand by 13 Tank (FRG): New Zealand by 7 |
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Springbok team
15. Zane Kirchner (Blue Bulls)
14. Bryan Habana (Western Province)
13. Jean de Villiers (captain, Western Province)
12. Frans Steyn (Sharks)
11. Francois Hougaard (Blue Bulls)
10. Morné Steyn (Blue Bulls)
09. Ruan Pienaar (Ulster, N Ireland)
08. Duane Vermeulen (Stormers)
07. Willem Alberts (Sharks)
06. Marcell Coetzee (Sharks)
05. Eben Etzebeth (Western Province)
04. Juandré Kruger (Blue Bulls)
03. Jannie du Plessis (Sharks)
02. Adriaan Strauss (vice-captain, FS Cheetahs)
01. Tendai Mtawarira (Sharks)
Impact players
16. Tiaan Liebenberg (Western Province)
17. Pat Cilliers (Golden Lions)
18. Flip van der Merwe (Blue Bulls)
19. Francois Louw
20. Johan Goosen
21. Pat Lambie (Sharks)
22. Lwazi Mvovo (Sharks)
Australia: 15 Kurtley Beale, 14 Dominic Shipperley, 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12 Berrick Barnes, 11 Digby Ioane, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Will Genia (captain), 8 Radike Samo, 7 Michael Hooper, 6 Dave Dennis, 5 Nathan Sharpe, 4 Sitaleki Timani, 3 Ben Alexander, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Benn Robinson.
Replacements: 16 Tatafu Polota Nau, 17 James Slipper, 18 Scott Higginbotham, 19 Liam Gill, 20 Nick Phipps, 21 Mike Harris, 22 Anthony Fainga’a.
Match details
Date: Saturday 8 September
Venue: Paterson’s Stadium, Perth
Kick-off: 18.00 AWST (20.00 AEST; 12.00 SA time; 10.00 GMT)
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant referees: Wayne Barnes (England), Glen Jackson (New Zealand)
TMO: Matt Goddard (Australia)