Springbok No.8 Duane Vermeulen will be given as much time as possible to recover from injury, while Bismarck du Plessis will start Saturday’s final-round Castle Lager Rugby Championship Test against New Zealand at Ellis Park.
The match in Johannesburg will be Springbok and DHL Stormers captain Jean de Villiers’s 50th appearance in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship – the most by any South African.
DHL Western Province hardman Vermeulen is recovering from a rib cartilage injury and if he does not recover in time to face New Zealand, fellow Cape loose forward star Schalk Burger will start in the No.8 jersey with the Lions’ Warren Whiteley coming onto the bench.
If Vermeulen is cleared to play, the inclusion of Du Plessis at hooker will be the only change to the team that beat Australia by 28-10 in Cape Town last weekend.
“It’s been good to build some form of continuity and we’ll give Duane as much time as possible before making a final call,” said Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer.
“He’s been one of our best players in the last couple of weeks and is responding well to medical treatment, but if he can’t make it, we can fall back on the experience of Schalk to start at No.8 with Warren coming onto the bench.
“Schalk’s impact last weekend was massive, but so was the rest of the bench and we’ll be looking for more of the same on Saturday.
“At hooker, we’ve decided to rotate Bismarck with Adriaan Strauss, both of whom must rate amongst the best hookers in the world at the moment.”
Meyer said that the Springboks will need to be at their best, defend strongly and execute their attacking plays as well as possible on Saturday if they are going to be victorious against New Zealand.
Over the last three years since the last Rugby World Cup, the All Blacks have established themselves as one of the best Test teams of all time, losing only once and drawing once during this time.
“We’re well aware of the massive task that awaits us,” said Meyer.
“There are areas of the game we know we have to improve on against New Zealand. We’d like to go out there and enjoy the occasion and carry on where we left off against Australia. Hopefully we can get quick ball, like we did towards the end of the Test in Cape Town.”
* Meanwhile, wing Lwazi Mvovo has again been released to play in the Absa Currie Cup for the Cell C Sharks this weekend.
The Springbok team to face New Zealand in Johannesburg is:
15. Willie le Roux – 20 caps
14. Cornal Hendricks – 8 caps
13. Jan Serfontein – 15 caps
12. Jean de Villiers (captain) – 101 caps
11. Bryan Habana – 102 caps
10. Handré Pollard – 5 caps
9. Francois Hougaard – 31 caps
8. Duane Vermeulen – 24 caps / Schalk Burger – 72 caps
7. Teboho ‘Oupa’ Mohoje – 2 caps
6. Marcell Coetzee – 21 caps
5. Victor Matfield (vice-captain) – 116 caps
4. Eben Etzebeth – 28 caps
3. Jannie du Plessis – 59 caps
2. Bismarck du Plessis – 65 caps
1. Tendai Mtawarira – 60 caps
Replacements:
16. Adriaan Strauss – 39 caps
17. Trevor Nyankane – 8 caps
18. Marcel van der Merwe – 4 caps
19. Bakkies Botha – 82 caps
20. Schalk Burger – 72 caps / Warren Whiteley – 2 caps
21. Cobus Reinach – 1 cap
22. Pat Lambie – 35 caps
23. JP Pietersen – 55 caps
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
Assistant referees: Pascal Gauzère (France), JP Doyle (England)
Television Match Official: Graham Hughes (England)
