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Three two-time World Cup winners return to Springboks’ starting side
By Finn Morton
Double Rugby World Cup winners Eben Etzebeth, Handre Pollard and Willie le Roux have been recalled to the Springboks’ starting side ahead of the team’s Freedom Cup decider against the All Blacks on Saturday evening.
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The Springboks haven’t held that Cup since 2009 but they’ll truly believe they can create history at Cape Town’s DHL Stadium. South Africa did the job last weekend against the same foe in Johannesburg, winning a thriller 31-27 at Emirates Airline Park.
Coach Rassie Erasmus has made seven changes to the starting side, which includes two positional, for the blockbuster Test. Erasmus has opted to go with experience at flyhalf with Pollard returning to the run-on side while Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu drops to the bench.
Halfback Grant Williams will combine with Pollard in the halves after earning his first Test start of 2024. Also in the backs, Canan Moodie has been given the nod on the right wing as a replacement for Kurt-Lee Arendse who is unavailable.
Moodie joins 96-Test veteran le Roux in a new-look outside backs trio. Another two-time Rugby World Cup winner, Cheslin Kolbe is the other outside back with the speedster shifting from the right wing to the left for this Test.
In the forwards, Etzebeth is another significant inclusion to the Springboks First XV with the towering lock set to combine with Ruan Nortje in the second row.
That change has opened the door for Pieter-Steph du Toit to return to the backrow. Du Toit joins captain Siya Kolisi and Jasper Wiese in a powerful loose forward trio that certainly packs a punch.
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“This match is going to be massive,” coach Rassie Erasmus said in a statement.
“New Zealand a world-class outfit and we know that they’ll be desperate to bounce back after leading in the second half last week.
“They’ll also be fully aware of the fact that a victory could give them a huge boost on the Castle Lager Rugby Championship standings, and they’ll be playing to retain the Freedom Cup, which they’ve held since 2010. It’s going to be an epic encounter.
“They’re a quality team with a lot of pace and several players who have a great X-factor. We also saw last week what they can do if they get a strong start, while they have proven time and time again that they are a team that can close out games under a lot of pressure in the last 20 minutes, so it’s going to take a huge team effort to register a victory against them.”
After last weekend’s Test at Emirates Airline Park, Springboks skipper Kolisi struggled to drink water from a bottle due to a suspected facial fracture. Coach Erasmus made some jokes at the captain’s expensive, which was met by laugher by journalists in attendance.
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But that injury had the potential to be far more serious leading into the Freedom Cup decider. There was a bit of doubt over Kolisi’s availability for this Test but those concerns have been put to rest with the Boks confirming their side.
“Siya is a world-class player and captain, and he adds immense value to the team with the way he leads by example and galvanises the team when the pressure is on,” Erasmus added.
“Similarly to the call we made with Eben last week, our team policy is that if a player trains on a Monday and gets through training during the week pain free, they can be selected for the weekend, and Siya did just that.
“Honesty from the players about whether they can play and deliver fully on what we expect form them is a key part of our team culture, so have full faith in Siya to give everything on the field.”
Springboks team to take on All Blacks in Cape Town
First XV
- Ox Nche
- Bongi Mbonambi
- Frans Malherbe
- Eben Etzebeth
- Ruan Nortje
- Siya Kolisi (captain)
- Pieter-Steph du Toit
- Jasper Wiese
- Grant Williams
- Handre Pollard
- Cheslin Kolbe
- Damian de Allende
- Jesse Kriel
- Canan Moodie
- Willie le Roux
Replacements
- Malcolm Marx
- Gerhard Steenekamp
- Vincent Koch
- Kwagga Smith
- Elrigh Louw
- Jaden Hendrikse
- Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu
- Lukhanyo Am
I hope Kolisi is okay. Yep, I really want our ABs to win but that dude is a classy human.
Feel sorry for the ABs hooker trying to find our 3rd line-out option amongst that back row of pygmies (not one of them even 6 foot!) not to mention our props and second rowers trying to get parity in the scrums pushed by a back row of light-weights (Sititi might be 110kgs dripping wet). If we can't get parity at set-piece the game will be gone long before the 'revamped' bench gets on the park.
Think he is much bigger than that.
Most interesting aspect of the test is SA having no bench lock.
It's a fair point although Savea took the most lineouts last week with Blackadder only being hit once....that we will struggle to challenge their lineout would be my biggest concern.
Great to see that Kolisi is not injured
Lekker like a cracker
So basically the AB's have gone with a lineup that will look to run the ball and the Boks have decided to tighten things up and play more territory with this lineup. Pollard and Le Roux will look to control the tempo and put the ball into NZ territory and force them to play from deep. Look for some nice bombs or cross kicks onto Reece or Telea with Moodie and Kolbe contesting. Expect PSDT to also be out there contesting a few high bombs. Interesting they went for a 5-3 split and Williams to start. Williams is very effective when the defence tires late in the game. He is more suited to a high tempo game with more passing and more attacking play but they have him next to Pollard who is more suited to a low tempo kicking game. Perhaps when they attack the Boks will look to attack closer to the ruck before spreading it wide which is why they have Williams in to snipe. NZ line speed was impressive last week and effectively negated the Bok plan to attack outside channels. Also last week NZ put alot of pressure on the 9 at lineout time and perhaps Willams pace will assist in negating that threat. Not sure this 5-3 looks like a bomb squad but some great players there who can change it up to a more attacking game if they require it. Going to be an interesting clash of styles come Saturday.
Boring but good. I expect a very tight contest here
Beginning to look like an ominous line up from the Boks.
Rassie knows this is the championship decider!!!
Certainly looks like Rassie wants to win this one. Crikey.
i'm sure they will have adjusted their backline defence after a turnover. That will take twelve points off the AB's - and hopefully no intercept tries. I think the AB's played much better with 14 men in the WCF than they did on Saturday.
Good team - Boks defence will be much better organized with Willie at the back, and Pollard loves playing with Grant. ABs does not have the grunt up front to live with the Boks, and will battle for clean ball. Boks by 15.
Did he see a weakness at the breakdown hes going to target with selecting 5 loose forwards?
Lukhanyo is also a double World Cup winner. Happy to see him back!