Rugby

Springbok team named for first Ireland Test: Kwagga at eighthman, Pollard at 10

The world champions will tackle the second ranked Ireland in two Tests this month, with the first match at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has named his team, filled with World Cup stars, to tackle Ireland within the first of two Tests at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday.

Siya Kolisi, who performs his membership rugby for Racing 92 in Paris, will captain the team from the aspect of the scrum and is joined within the again row by Pieter-Steph du Toit and Kwagga Smith at No 8.

Smith beat out the problem of Stormers man Evan Roos for the eighthman place, with Jasper Wiese unavailable and Duane Vermeulen now retired.

Mbonambi at hooker

In the opposite key choices, Erasmus has opted to go along with Handre Pollard at flyhalf and Faf de Klerk at scrumhalf.

Bongi Mbonambi has additionally gained the battle for the No 2 jersey, with Malcolm Marx on the bench.

All 15 starters featured prominently for the Boks at final 12 months’s World Cup in France. In truth, 20 of the 23 gamers who’ll characteristic on Saturday, have been a part of the Bok group at the World Cup, with Salmaan Moerat, Gerhard Steenekamp and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu the “new players” within the team for Saturday’s match.

On the bench, Bulls prop Steenekamp will get an opportunity to earn a second Test cap, whereas Grant Williams and Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who made his debut in opposition to Wales two weekends in the past, are the one two backs replacements.

Williams and Feinberg-Mngomezulu cowl all of the positions within the backline.

(*10*)

Squad depth

Twelve of the beginning XV for Saturday’s match (six forwards and 6 backs) began within the 12-11 World Cup closing win over New Zealand, with the opposite three (Willie le Roux, Kwagga Smith and Ox Nche) coming off the bench within the closing.

The collection of beforehand unavailable gamers (for the match in opposition to Wales in London slightly below two weeks in the past) implies that the team exhibits eight adjustments to the one which gained 41-13 in London.

“This is the team we believe will give us the impetus we need against Ireland, who are the second highest ranked team in the world,” mentioned Erasmus.

“We are blessed to have loads of depth in our squad, and we’re in a lucky place to have a number of Rugby World Cup winners in our ranks who know what it takes to carry out at the best degree and play in opposition to the most effective groups on the earth.

“The fact that most of these guys have played together is a bonus for us, and most of them have faced Ireland before so they are well aware of the challenge that lies ahead, especially since we haven’t beaten them since 2016.”

Bok team

Willie le Roux, Cheslin Kolbe, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Handré Pollard, Faf de Klerk, Kwagga Smith, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Siya Kolisi (capt), Franco Mostert, Eben Etzebeth, Frans Malherbe, Bongi Mbonambi, Ox Nche. Bench: Malcolm Marx, Gerhard Steenekamp, Vincent Koch, Salmaan Moerat, RG Snyman, Marco van Staden, Grant Williams, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu


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