South Africa prop CJ van der Linde will start against Argentina in the World Cup semifinal at the Stade France in Paris on Sunday after recovering from a knee injury.
The 27-year-old tighthead prop is the only change to the starting XV that beat Fiji in last Sunday’s quarterfinal — Jannie du Plessis drops to the bench as the Springboks attempt to reach their second World Cup final.
Van der Linde will form the front row alongside captain and hooker John Smit while the only survivor in the squad from the side that won the World Cup in 1995, Os du Randt, is the other prop.
Coach Jake White has tinkered with the replacements in promoting former golden boy Bobby Skinstad — a member of the side that reached the 1999 World Cup semifinal — and hooker Bismarck du Plessis at the expense of Wikus van Heerden and Gary Botha respectively.
”We have tweaked one of two things. Sunday will tell whether we’ve analysed them in the right way and if we have done enough homework,” said Smit.
South Africa have won all 11 of their previous Tests against Argentina but Smit added the Pumas, like the Springboks unbeaten at this tournament, could not be discounted having already defeated hosts France and Ireland.
”We’re under no illusion that it will be tough after what they have done in this World Cup.
”They have some fantastic individuals, but the way they play, they work as a team,” Smit added. ”They have fantastic forwards and backs that chase the ball and put their bodies on the line.” — AFP
Team: Percy Montgomery; JP Pietersen, Jaque Fourie, Francois Steyn, Bryan Habana; Butch James, Fourie du Preez; Dannie Roussouw, Juan Smit, Schalk Burger; Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha; CJ van der Linde, John Smit (captain), Os du Randt Replacements: Bismarck du Plessis, Jannie du Plessis, Johannes Muller, Bobby Skinstad, Ruan Pienaar, Andre Pretorius, Wynand Olivier.