Lood to undergo late fitness test
Springboks coach Heyneke Meyer named an unchanged starting team to face the All Blacks at Twickenham.
|||Guildford – Springboks coach Heyneke Meyer named an unchanged starting team to face the All Blacks in their Rugby World Cup semi-final at Twickenham on Saturday.
In-form lock Lood de Jager has been able to overcome a tendon injury on his foot to retain his place in the starting team while veteran lock Victor Matfield makes a return to the match day 23 after sitting out the Springboks last three games because of a hamstring injury.
Even though named in the starting line-up, De Jager will undergo a late fitness test later in the week.
Matfield replaces Pieter-Steph du Toit on the bench and Meyer believes that the most capped Springbok of all time will be pivotal in giving the team leadership and direction in the latter stages of the game.
“When I asked Victor to come out of retirement he said to me that he is willing to help in any position where needed. He has been an unbelievable servant for South African rugby and I’m happy to have him especially on the bench where he will be needed towards the end of the game,” said Meyer at the team announcement press conference in Guildford.
Matfield’s inclusion on the bench will also add greater impetus for the Springbok in the dying moments of the game where they have struggled in the past and often gifted the All Blacks victory.
Meyer is just as confident in the abilities of his bench to close out the game as he is in the starting line-up to lay a good foundation for only their second victory against the old foe since taking over in 2012.
The Springbok bench is riddled with experience with the likes of hooker Adriaan Strauss, Matfield, Willem Alberts, Jannie du Plessis, Ruan Pienaar and Patrick Lambie and Meyer will be hoping that they are the key in solving the perceived lack of fitness the team has struggled with in closing out big games especially this year.
“This is the strongest bench I’ve ever had and their experience will count for a lot later in the game. I wasn’t happy with our fitness levels from the start of the season and the main thing was to get the fitness levels up. In the last games we’ve ended strong but on Saturday we will need that against the All Blacks,” Meyer said.
The game gets quicker and the ball stays in play longer, it will help us. Important thing is to keep the guys fresh. Our fitness levels are there but we will see on Saturday.
The All Blacks were explosive in their 62-13 decimation of the French in their quarterfinal last Saturday while the Springboks just edged out Wales in their quarterfinal encounter but Meyer is adamant that the difference on Saturday will come down to execution and an improved tactical kicking duel from his side.
“We play more or less the same, it has never been a dull affair. They move the ball around and score tries and we also want to move the ball around and score tries, we’ve moved on from where we were. The difference is in execution and their tactical kicking has been very good and that is where we will need to improve,” added Meyer.
Springbok team: Willie Le Roux, JP Pietersen, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Bryan Habana, Handre Pollard, Fourie du Preez (captain), Duane Vermeulen, Schalk Burger, Francois Louw, Lood de Jager, Eben Etzebeth, Frans Malherbe, Bismarck du Plessis, Tendai Mtawarira. Replacements: Adriaan Strauss, Trevor Nyakane, Jannie du Plessis, Victor Matfield, Willem Alberts, Ruan Pienaar, Patrick Lambie, Jan Serfontein.