South Africa coach Jake White kept England guessing by delaying naming his team for their World Cup Pool A match at the Stade de France on Friday.
White announced a 22-man squad on Tuesday and said he would reveal his starting team only 48 hours before kick-off as tournament rules allow.
”I’m quite keen to see what England do before I rush the decision,” White told a news conference. ”There are a couple of things I have to weigh up.”
The squad contained only two changes to the 22 from Sunday’s 59-7 victory over Samoa, one of them injury enforced.
Centre Wynand Olivier was promoted to the squad in place of Jean de Villiers, who has returned to South Africa after damaging a left bicep muscle on Sunday. His place in the starting XV is likely to go to Francois Steyn.
In the unforced change scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar replaced Ricky Januarie. Pienaar has also appeared at wing and fullback in Springbok colours and is the logical replacement option for the equally versatile Steyn.
White discounted England’s lacklustre form over recent years and said his team would not suffer from complacency in a match for which they are hot favourites.
”The only people that have written off England are the media,” said White. ”England are still world champions and they had two teams in the Heineken Cup final, which is an impressive competition.
”If they go with the team that I think they will go for they will have five, six, seven, eight players who were involved with a Rugby World Cup final four years ago, so I don’t think it’s going to be a one-sided affair at all.”
The Springbok squad included flanker Schalk Burger, who faces a disciplinary commission on Tuesday evening after being cited for a high tackle on Samoa scrumhalf Junior Polu.
White said they would defend Burger, who he said was contesting for the ball.
”The IRB [International Rugby Board] have been very good and have granted our request to have the hearing as soon as possible,” said White. ”I’m sure Schalk will be okay.”
He rejected suggestions that the citing commissioners were being unusually strict on offences. The criteria for citings is that the offence would have merited a red card.
”The message was quite clear when we got together that this World Cup has a massive TV audience and we want to send the right message out to the world about rugby union,” said White.
”In the first weekend of the World Cup there is probably a bit more of a beady eye on the tournament to make sure that we don’t let things develop and get worse.
”The powers that be are just making sure that we get all the teams and all the coaches and the referees on the same page from week one.” — Reuters