Johannesburg – Perhaps the biggest question surrounding the Springbok starting XV to face Wales, was who would be the man behind the pack, and coach Jacques Nienamber answered that emphatically by sticking to the perceived pecking order within the team.
As such, Herchel Jantjies will slip on the No 9 jumper in place of the injured Faf de Klerk, and take on the responsibility of driving the first eight forward, along with incumbent half-back partner Handre Pollard. The other starting option, Cobus Reinach, will start off of the bench
Perhaps the biggest surprise, however, is the selection of Jesse Kriel on the right wing, replacing Sbu Nkosi, who was not eligible as a result of his passport and visa problems, and at the expense of the exciting Aphelele Fassi. Kriel has not played in a number of months, and he will form part of a new back-three along with Damian Willemse at full-back and Makazole Mapimpi in the No 11 jersey.
Nienaber called the selection of Willemse a “side-project” during the team announcement and it is no doubt an effort to give the mercurial utility-back some much needed game-time and experience in Northern Hemisphere conditions. As a result, Willie le Roux drops out of the side completely.
“We selected this squad with an eye on maintaining consistency in selection from the Castle Lager Rugby Championship, but at the same time giving players who have been knocking on the door for a while now an opportunity to play,” said Nienaber.
“Damian and Herschel have featured off the bench a fair bit and this is a fantastic opportunity to give them a chance to start as we look to build our squad depth with an eye on the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Jesse has also been training hard; he is very experienced and he brings the physicality that will be necessary against Wales.
“We know what we have in Willie (le Roux) and Faf, and it is important to give Damian and Herschel game time to develop and measure themselves in starting roles.
Nienaber is expecting a tough clash on Saturday (kick-off 7.30pm), even though the hosts were dominated by the All Blacks this past weekend.
Said Nienaber in the SA Rugby statement: “Wales are a tough side to beat and our track record over here in the last few years is evidence of that,” said Nienaber.
“We also edged them in the Rugby World Cup semi-final, so we know that this is going to be a hard grind of a Test. “They may have lost against the All Blacks last week (54-16) but this result was in the absence of a number of key players, so this week will be a completely different proposition.
“They have a formidable pack of forwards and some equally experienced and high-calibre backline players, several of whom played for the British & Irish Lions, and to add to this they will play in cool and possibly wet conditions that they are well suited to, so we know what we are in for.
“That said, we had a good training camp in France last week and some of the overseas-based players were in action for their clubs, so the players are back in the swing of things focused and excited to get back on the field.”
Springbok Starting XV: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Jesse Kriel, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Herschel Jantjies, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Kwagga Smith, 6 Siya Kolisi (capt), 5 Lood de Jager, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Trevor Nyakane, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Ox Nché
Replacements: 16 Malcolm Marx, 17 Steven Kitshoff, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Franco Mostert, 20 Jasper Wiese, 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Elton Jantjies, 23 Frans Steyn
IOL Sport