Springboks make 10 changes to starting side for Italy clash
Front rowers Tendai Mtawarira and Bongi Mbonambi, and lock Lood de Jager have been promoted to the Springboks’ starting pack for Friday’s must-win Rugby World Cup clash with Italy in Shizuoka.
The inclusion of the three tight forwards are the only changes to the starting XV that did duty in the opening Pool B meeting with New Zealand.
Mtawarira, Mbonambi and De Jager leapfrog Steven Kitshoff, Malcolm Marx and Franco Mostert, respectively, who are all expected to make an impact from the bench after the interval.
Two players drop out from the New Zealand match day squad completely, with Trevor Nyakane (who has returned home with a calf injury) and Jesse Kriel (hamstring) not considered because of injury.
Nyakane is replaced by Vincent Koch, while there is not a direct replacement for Kriel.
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Director of rugby Rassie Erasmus has opted for only two back replacements on the bench and six forwards. De Jager, who carried the water against New Zealand, is the other new name to the line-up along with Koch.
“Italy have a very good pack and put a lot of effort in their set phases,” Erasmus said.
“People may think it is a gamble to have only two back replacements but we want to have plenty of ammunition for what is likely to be a major forward battle.
“It’s a 23-player game these days and the players who come on will be expected to contribute almost as much in game time as those who start among the front rowers.
“But for this game we are asking the players we have chosen to start to set the tone.”
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The Springboks must win to have any hope of qualifying for the quarter-finals.
The teams have met 14 times before, with South Africa winning 13, although that solitary defeat – in Florence three years ago – was with a team featuring 10 of Friday’s Bok selection.
“Italy have had their eyes on this match for a couple of years and will have planned and schemed how to bring us down once again,” Erasmus said.
“This is a defining match for them and while we were focusing on the New Zealand game, they will have had their eyes on this one as the key to the quarter-finals for them.
“That means we have to be at our absolute best if we are to beat them – we are at the stage already where there are no second chances. That’s a message we have been emphasising to the players this week.”
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Erasmus’s decision to have only two backs on the bench was an option he believed the team had the resources to manage.
“We have versatile players in the backs who can cover a number of positions and we have planned for different scenarios,” he said.
“This game is going to be decided by the forwards and at the set phases and we wanted to maximise our options in those battles.”
The match kicks off at 6:45pm local time.
The Springbok team to play Italy in Shizuoka on Friday:
15. Willie le Roux (Toyota Verblitz)
14. Cheslin Kolbe (Toulouse)
13. Lukhanyo Am (Sharks)
12. Damian de Allende (Stormers)
11. Makazole Mapimpi (Sharks)
10. Handré Pollard (Bulls)
9. Faf de Klerk (Sale Sharks)
8. Duane Vermeulen (Bulls)
7. Pieter-Steph du Toit (Stormers)
6. Siya Kolisi (captain, Stormers)
5. Lood de Jager (Bulls)
4. Eben Etzebeth (Stormers)
3. Frans Malherbe (Stormers)
2. Bongi Mbonambi (Stormers)
1. Tendai Mtawarira (Sharks)
Replacements:
16. Malcolm Marx (Lions)
17. Steven Kitshoff (Stormers)
18. Vincent Koch (Saracens)
19. RG Snyman (Bulls)
20. Franco Mostert (Gloucester)
21. Francois Louw (Bath)
22. Herschel Jantjies (Stormers)
23. Frans Steyn (Montpellier)
– SA Rugby
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Comments on RugbyPass
Yeah nah he comes across as a funny bloke, but that stopped abruptly after the Nutcracker Prince debacle✋
1 Go to commentsAt this point I can’t watch him without thinking he’s a dirty slimebag. He should have been banned for the same amount of time that Quinn was out. It took Tupaea near on a fricking year to get fit enough to play again and his leg will never be the same. The other crap thing is that he was at ABs level and now he has to claw his way back there when he could have had several games under his belt.
4 Go to commentsThe Black Ferns 7’s have been without Captain Sarah Hirini now since Dec 23 in Dubai where she suffered a bad ACL injury - hopefully she is on the road to recovery for Madrid and Paris. Now also have Tyler King and Shiray kaka on the Injured List but the Team still found a way to win in Singapore and claim the overall Title.
1 Go to commentsUtter grub, hope he gets his leg broken. Shocking he is still playing after intentionally breaking quinn tupaeas knee
4 Go to commentsGreat to see NZ 7s teams finally coming into form and playing at the level that is expected of them.
2 Go to commentsChief Cheapshot on the market again.
4 Go to commentsCrusaders went all in to buy Hotham and Kemara staight from Hamilton Boys. Then they picked up Reihana and Hohepa; all have been dropped for superstar Havili, who is a very good fullback, that’s it. Ennor and Goodhue were schoolboy stars too but went backwards at the Crusaders. Maybe they have finally decided to give another poach Levi Aumua the ball?
13 Go to commentsJoe S has some talent to pick from. The Reds loosies look the best in Super? Aus might just give Razor a headache this year. Int. experience v Cantab greenhorn:) Should be fun.
13 Go to commentsEnd to end play, “THE FANS” this game was entertainment of the best. The conditions added to the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsSorry to say, but sadly the sadas were just ordinary and havilli at 10 as an abs selection just won’t cut it. He’s better suited in the centre’s and is a victim of past charge down kicks, he’s too slow under pressure. There’s better talent further north and I don’t mean dmac however I believe razor will sort him out. A feature of his presents on the park is the fact that the guys will follow him.
13 Go to commentsMarler was brilliant throughout both in the scrum and open play. His slap made virtually no contact with Ramos who milked it for a penalty when he could have been a decent sportsman and laughed it off, it was non-violent and shouldn't have been penalised. Smith failed repeatedly to kick when necessary and put up a couple of bombs into the TLS 22 that just handed back possession at key moments to the other side.
3 Go to commentsCros was outstanding and rightly awarded France TVs player of the match award. Mallia was brilliant as usual (the y is below the 6 on a UK keyboard and he deserves better than that). Level also seems to have been scored harshly as he walked the ball into touch under pressure from a Lynagh kick from well outside his own half which should never have led to a 50-22. Agree with BullShark that Dupont, while class at times, seemed to go missing for patches in the second half with props, hookers and wings frequently filling in at 9 as he couldn't get off the deck and up to the next ruck on time. A 7 by his standards at best, his kicking was also too long, too often. Kinghorn's overall contribution was worth well more than a five.
4 Go to commentsThe Harlequins team must be in minus figures. Did the reporter actually watch the game?
4 Go to commentsHow on earth did Walker escape a red card? Not dangerous? Dupont has his face in a mask earlier this season. Shocking decision. What is the point of TMOs? We had the Fassi ‘non-penalty try’ yesterday and now this.
2 Go to commentsCould have been a different result but yet again French tv able to affect the result by not showing the very clear high shot on harlequin centre if this would have been on a French player would have been on screen at least five times
3 Go to commentsAmazing. The losing team’s ratings are higher than the winning team’s. Mallia definitely didn’t deserve a y. What game were you watching? Should have got a w or an x. ADP hardly featured in that second half. At one point I wondered when he’d been subbed. Seems to me as if he gets an automatic 9 just for getting onto the team sheet.
4 Go to commentsI’m sorry. That second half was far from enthralling. It was painful to watch.
2 Go to commentsVery generous! If you’d missed the game, reading this you’d conclude that it was the Quins front row that cost them the game. Marler getting a blanket 6 for his demented contribution to the game. Puzzling.
3 Go to commentsCan’t see Toulouse beating Leinster at this rate.
7 Go to commentsADP was having a very average game until winning that penalty for Toulouse, sticking his big head in the way. “The head of God”?
7 Go to comments