Almost certain to face New Zealand in the quarterfinal, South Africa are now effectively warming up for that game and hope for a big victory over World Cup rookie Georgia on Friday.
The Springboks’ 25-6 loss to Group C rival England sentenced Rudi Straeuli’s team to another tough game against the Tri-Nations winner.
Only a major upset loss to Wales will stop the All Blacks finishing top of Group D and the South Africans look set to finish second behind the English.
That means the format of the championship brings the champions of 1987 and 1995 into conflict as early as the quarterfinal with the winner likely to face defending champion and two-time winner Australia in the semis.
If they get that far and then beat the Wallabies, it would mean a final against either France of England.
For Straeuli’s ”baby Boks”, that means the toughest route imaginable if they are to emulate that memorable 1995 triumph on home soil.
Friday’s game against Georgia should be just a small stepping stone along that route and Straeuli has named some of the players who didn’t figure in the 72-6 crushing of Uruguay or the loss to England.
Of the starting line-up that lost to the English, only lock forward Bakkies Botha and flanker Joe van Niekerk will run out against the Georgians, who have conceded 130 points in losing their first two games by big margins.
”Basically I’m selecting this 22 as an option to use the whole squad,” Straeuli said. ”Players like Stefan Terblanche and Breyton Paulse, who haven’t played in this tournament, are getting an opportunity to play themselves into the top side.”
Straeuli has also rested team captain Corne Krige, who has a sore sternum, and prop forward John Smit becomes the 51st player to lead the side when they run out at Aussie Stadium.
Terblanche and Paulse, both experienced players, will be on the wings and the team starts with a new halfback pairing of Derick Hougaard and Neil de Kock with Joost van der Westhuizen and Louis Koen on the bench.
Although the Georgians have some bruising forwards, it should be a stroll for the Springboks.
Georgia has scored the fewest number of points of the 20 teams with just six against England and nine against Samoa.
Coach Claude Saurel has made eight changes from the team that lost 46-9 to Samoa in Perth on Friday.
Some players are carrying minor injuries from that game and the main concern is for flank forward Gia Labadze who could be out for two weeks with an arm injury. — Sapa-AP
Line-ups:
South Africa: Ricardo Loubscher, Stefan Terblanche, Jaque Fourie, Werner Greef, Breyton Paulse, Derick Hougaard, Neil de Kock, Lawrence Sephaka, John Smit (captain), Faan Rautenbach, Bakkies Botha, Selborne Boome, Hendro Scholtz, Danie Rossouw, Joe van Niekerk.
Replacements: Dale Santon, Christo Bezuidenhout, Victor Matfield, Schalk Burger, Joost van der Westhuizen, Louis Koen, Jorrie Muller.
Georgia: Irakli Machkhaneli, Gocha Khonelidze, Otar Eloshivili, Vasil Katsadze (captain), Archil Kavtarashvili, Paliko Jimsheladze, Irakli Modebadze, Avtandil Kopaliani, David Dadunashvili, Alexandre Margvelashvili, Sergo Gujaraidze, Victor Didebulidze, David Bolgashvili, George Tsiklauri, George Chkhaidze.
Replacements: Akvsenti Giorgadze, Soso Nikolaenko, Ilia Zedginidze, Gregoire Yachvili, Irakli Abuseridze, Merab Kvirikashvili, Besik Khamashuridze.