Injuries have continued to hamper the Springbok team ahead of their one-off Test against France on Saturday in Cape Town.
Springbok coach Jake White named a team for the first time without both his enforcers in Schalk Burger and Bakkies Botha, who have been ruled out due to injury.
Botha has not recovered enough from an Achilles injury sustained during the Super 14 series, while Burger will be out for the rest of the season with a career-threatening neck injury.
”There are not enough words we can say about losing Schalk. His character within the team was something special and on Saturdays he covers three guys’ jobs. The sooner he gets back the better. It is probably also for the best that he rests for six months,” said Springbok captain John Smit.
White, though, was optimistic about the effect the injuries have had on the team and their forthcoming fixtures.
”It is not all doom and gloom, but I am obviously frustrated. It is, though, an opportunity for other players to make their claim in the team. There is no doubt that we will miss Schalk. Anyone who thinks otherwise is living in a dream world,” White said at a press briefing in Cape Town on Wednesday.
Burger’s injury has brought about an awareness in the Bok camp to lift their game, not only from the uninspiring performance from last weekend, but also in preparation for a tricky assignment against an exciting French outfit.
”We have to step up. This series against the French has become something of a ping-pong affair. We have realised that we are not just going to arrive and win; we have to be very prepared,” Smit said.
The Boks will be fortunate as they have been able to keep the same pack of forwards, with the exception of Wannenburg, for three consecutive Tests.
Wannenburg will slot into eighthman while Joe van Niekerk has been moved to the highly mobile position of flank.
Most of the shuffling in White’s team has been in the backline, where the causality list seems to double by the game.
Stormers’ kamikaze-tackling centre De Wet Barry makes a return to the team, coming in at inside centre, while Wynand Olivier moves to outside centre after Andre Snyman suffered a wrist injury against Scotland.
Brent Russell also makes a long-anticipated returned to the national team on the wing, adding more pace and variation in the Bok backline.
”I am certainly excited at the opportunity to come back and play for the Boks. Playing against France is obviously a bigger challenge, but I’m looking forward to it,” Russell said. — Sapa
Team:
Percy Montgomery; Brent Russell, Wynand Olivier, De Wet Barry, Bryan Habana; Jaco van der Westhuyzen, Fourie du Preez; Pedrie Wannenburg, Juan Smith, Joe van Niekerk; Victor Matfield, Danie Rossouw; Eddie Andrews, John Smit, Os du Randt.
Replacements:
Gary Botha, CJ van der Linde, Albert van den Berg, Jacques Cronje, Enrico Januarie, Wayne Julies, Gaffie du Toit.