DAVID SHAPSHAK, Johannesburg | Wednesday 4.10pm.
NEW cap Corne Krige will captain the Springboks in his first Test on Saturday against Italy in place of the injured Gary Teichmann.
But Krige, who sat on the bench three times druing last year’s Grand Slam tour, is still under investigation for leading a player revolt as skipper of the Stormers Super 12 side last month.
Teichmann — who holds the record for 39 Tests consecutive caps, 34 of them as captain – failed a fitness test after taking a heavy knock in the first Test last Saturday on his recently recovered knee.
The tackle stretched a knee ligament that was partially torn in the Super 12 and ruled him out of the Sharks’ last four weeks in the Super 12.
Krige will be leading the national side in his first full Test after senior Springbok Johan Erasmus, who led the Cats in this year’s Super 12, turned down the captaincy.
But Krige, who took the Stormers to South Africa’s first home semi-final in the southern hemisphere tournament, is under investigation by the South African Rugby Football Union for possible player misconduct.
Along with centre Andy Marinos he led a player revolt that culminated on the morning of the Otago Highlanders match at Newlands in Cape Town that the Stormers lost 33-18.
Sarfu has postponed disciplinary hearings against the two.
National coach Nick Mallett has meanwhile made seven changes to the side that beat Italy 74-3.
Mallett, who uses his squad system to his advantage, has stressed he will use the two-Test series against Italy to fine-tune his combination ahead of the Springbok’s Tri-Nations and World Cup defences later this year.
World Cup 1995 hero Japie Mulder, who usually plays at outside centre, comes in for Pieter Muller at inside centre while last year’s Bok right wing Stefan Terblanche takes over from Pieter Rossouw, who had a shocker last weekend, on the left wing. David von Hoesslin , who started the year as the Cats’ third choice scrumhalf in the Super 12, replaces Werner Swanepoel in the number nine jersey-.
In the forwards, Krige takes Andre Venter’s place at the side of the scrum as Andre Vos takes over for Teichmann at number eight.
Mallett has opted to give Albert van der Berg a full run in the second row in place of established lock Krynauw Otto and brought the more experienced Willie Meyer in at tighthead for Cobus Visagie.
South Africa:
Percy Montgomery, Breyton Paulse, Robbie Fleck, Japie Mulder, Stefan Terblanche, Gaffie du Toit, David von Hoesslin, Andre Vos, Johan Erasmus, Corne Krige (capt), Selborne Boome, Albert van den Berg, Willie Meyer, Naka Drotske, Robbie Kempson.
Reserves: Deon Kayser, Braam van Straaten, Werner Swanepoel, Andre Venter, Krynauw Otto, Ollie le Roux, Charl Marais.