Stormers loose forward Luke Watson will make his Springbok debut on Saturday after being named on Wednesday in a new-look South African starting XV for a one-off Test against Samoa.
Watson, whose father ”Cheeky” played in the non-racial leagues during the apartheid era and is considered a struggle hero, was not chosen by coach Jake White in his original 45-man training squad for the Tests against England and Samoa.
But he was later added in by the South African Rugby Union presidency.
Local newspapers have reported that White was told he had to play Watson in at least one Test before the Tri-nations series begins next weekend.
Last September, Watson told a sports magazine: ”I believe that Jake has lost the integrity, honour and pride that the Boks should be about.
”Obviously I would love to play for the Springboks, but I do not want to find myself in the position where I’m compromising my beliefs in equality, integrity and honour to achieve that goal.”
Watson told reporters on Wednesday that he stood by those comments. ”I still stand on that and at no stage will I compromise what I believe and what my family stood for. We are enjoying some of those values now in the democracy we live in.”
White skirted questions about Watson, only saying: ”I think the loose forwards are balanced.”
White named a second debutant in Sharks centre Waylon Murray in a backline that includes five non-white players for the first time and will be the most inexperienced backline the Springboks have fielded since 1994.
White has rested 13 players from the starting line-up that beat England 55-22 in Pretoria last weekend, with scrumhalf Enrico Januarie and hooker and captain John Smit the only players retaining their places. — Reuters
Team: Francois Steyn; Ashwin Willemse, Waylon Murray, Wayne Julies, JP Pietersen; Derick Hougaard, Enrico Januarie; Bobby Skinstad, Danie Rossouw, Luke Watson; Albert van den Berg, Johan Ackermann; BJ Botha, John Smit, Os du Randt. Replacements: Deon Carstens, Gary Botha, Johann Muller, Pedrie Wannenburg, Ruan Pienaar, Jaque Fourie, Percy Montgomery.