South Africa coach Jake White has named lock Johann Muller and winger Akona Ndungane to his team for Saturday’s Tri-Nations match against Australia in Sydney.
Muller wins his third cap in place of Albert van der Bergh while fit-again Ndungane comes in for Breyton Paulse in two changes to the starting line-up that lost 35-17 to New Zealand two weeks ago.
Young hooker Chiliboy Ralepele was named on the replacements’ bench for the first time, while captain John Smit will play his 36th test match in a row.
White said the key to South Africa’s gameplan would be to close down Australia flyhalf Stephen Larkham.
”Every guy that understands rugby will know that Australia’s whole game is based on what Larkham does,” White told reporters on Wednesday.
”He played really, really well against us in the first Test and on the weekend the All Blacks got to cut him off and obviously he didn’t play as well as he did against us.”
White said he was optimistic about the future despite recent heavy defeats in Australia and New Zealand, including a 49-0 drubbing by the Wallabies in Brisbane last month.
”A lot of our top players are still at home and we haven’t had them this year but stranger things have happened in the world of sport and if I don’t believe it can be done, then it won’t be done,” White said.
”So you’ve got to keep positive. The players know it is a difficult ask. We played in Sydney last year and we were comprehensively beaten in the same stadium with a very good Springbok team — a Springbok team that ended up winning a lot more games than they lost.
”That is how sport works, and that’s part of the challenge, not only for me but for every player and every management member in this team.”
Springbok team: 15-Percy Montgomery, 14-Akona Ndungane, 13-Jaque Fourie, 12-Wynand Olivier, 11-Bryan Habana; 10-Butch James, 9-Fourie du Preez; 8-Jacques Cronje, 7-Juan Smith, 6-Solly Tyibilika, 5-Victor Matfield, 4-Johann Muller, 3-CJ van der Linde, 2-John Smit (captain), 1-Os du Randt.
Replacements: 16-Chiliboy Ralepele, 17-Eddie Andrews, 18-Albert van der Berg, 19-Joe van Niekerk, 20-Ricky Januarie, 21-Meyer Bosman, 22-Jaco van der Westhuyzen. – Reuters