By AFP
November 11th 2009 @ 2:43am
Springboks make four changes to side to play France
South Africa coach Peter de Villiers has made four changes to his starting lineup for the Test match against France in Toulouse on Friday night.
Zane Kirchner, who made his debut in the third and final Test against the British and Irish Lions in July, returns at fullback in place of Frans Steyn, who is currently playing in France, whilst on the wing, JP Pietersen, who was injured in the first away match of the Tri-Nations in Perth, returns in place of Odwa Ndungane.
Centre Adi Jacobs and No. 8 Ryan Kankowski, who were on the bench in the Springboks last match against New Zealand in Hamilton in September, have been promoted to the starting line-up in the place of Jean de Villiers and Pierre Spies.
Danie Rossouw and Ruan Pienaar are only other survivors from the bench in Hamilton, with five changes being made.
Lock Andries Bekker, who was also injured in the Perth Test, makes a return as does centre Wynand Olivier, who last warmed the bench for the All Black Test in Bloemfontein in July.
Adriaan Strauss, who has played five Tests to date, replaces Chiliboy Ralepelle at hooker and CJ can der Linde takes the place of Jannie du Plessis at tighthead.
Loosehead Wian du Preez, who was called up along with Strauss and Van der Linde this week, is also amongst the reserves.
Du Preez is the only uncapped player in the 22. Van der Linde, a veteran of 56 Tests, last played for the Boks in August 2008 whilst Strauss’ last appearance was in July 2008.
“The core of the match did duty during the Tri-Nations campaign and will provide us with stability going into this tough opening Test,” said coach de Villiers.
“There are a lot of experienced players in the starting XV as well as on the bench which will be important to our continuity as well as to ensuring that we maintain our structures and play the way we want to.
“I have full confidence in the new players who will be starting on Friday, they have shown their qualities before and we have to make sure we get the best out of them.
“The three newcomers are all good players in their own right. CJ is very experienced whilst both Adriaan and Wian have been part of the squad previously,”
South Africa: Zane Kirchner; JP Pietersen, Jaque Fourie, Adi Jacobs, Bryan Habana; Morne Steyn, Fourie du Preez; Ryan Kankowski, Schalk Burger, Heinrich Brussow; Victor Matfield, Bakkies Botha; John Smit (capt), Bismarck Plessis, Tendai Mtawarira. Reserves: Adriaan Strauss, Wian du Preez, CJ van der Linde, Andries Bekker, Danie Rossouw, Ruan Pienaar, Wynand Olivier
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© 2008 AFP
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Lee said | November 11th 2009 @ 5:01am | Report comment
Lots of front row cover, not much loosie cover – obviously expect it to be bruising in the scrums and rucks – a good old fashioned forward battle! Can’t wait.
Parisien said | November 11th 2009 @ 8:12am | Report comment
I’ve cut and pasted some comments from another thread here as they are relevant (hope Knives doesn’t mind):
Knives Out reveals the French team is:
France: 15 Damien Traille, 14 Vincent Clerc, 13 Yann David, 12 Maxime Mermoz, 11 Cédric Heymans, 10 Francois Trinh-Duc, 9 Julien Dupuy, 8 Louis Picamoles, 7 Imanol Harinordoquy, 6 Thierry Dusautoir (c), 5 Romain Millo-Chluski, 4 Lionel Nallet, 3 Nicolas Mas, 2 William Servat, 1 Fabien Barcella.
Replacements: 16 Dimitri Szarzewski, 17 Sylvain Marconnet, 18 Sébastien Chabal, 19 Julien Bonnaire, 20 Morgan Parra, 21 David Marty, 22 Maxime Médard.
I’m underwhelmed.
Reply
Parisien said:
I think it looks a good team but I’d prefer to see Medard at fullback, and Traille in the centres (perhaps in place of David). The pack looks good but I prefer Szarzewski to Servat. He’ll certainly bring impact and freshness coming from the bench, as will Chabal.
What team would you pick?
Reply
Knives Out said:
Mostly the same except with Medard at 15 and Traille at 12. I would have seriously considered Marty at 13 too. He’s played well this season whereas I haven’t been bowled over by David. I remember when he was meant to be the next big thing but he seems to have stalled somewhat. I see him as the French Lloyd Johansson: big and durable. I’m worried that the lineup is too conservative. France has a very good recent record against SA. When they have beaten SA they did it with a robust forward pack and guile in the backline. Picking Traille’s big boot and David at 13 strikes me as an effort to mirror SA. Bernard Laporte used to have a SH complex and I would hope that Lievremont would have the courage to put SA to one side for a moment and pick players to worry them, not players to neutralize them. Pro-active as opposed to reactive, if you see what I mean? Perhaps this side has the necessary tactical blend? We shall see.
At least the bench has a real zip to it. Every player should be able to impact positively upon the match. It’s a shame that Ouedraogo is injured but Picamoles has been in good form and I think the back row has a nice blend to it. I’m less enamoured with Millo-Chluski at 5, but Chabal should provide relief if necessary.
Parisien said:
Marty has looked good this season in Top14 but I feel he has never really delivered at test level, despite a great debut a few years back. Lots of handling errors at test level…This is another chance to prove the doubters wrong I guess.
Ouedrago is a big miss, he has improved so much in a year. Millo-Chluski is Lievremont’s type of forward I think, no nonsense, unglamourous, not particularly noticeable but works hard in tight and a good scrummer (almost the opposite of Chabal who has other qualities).
I think this team could go very well, should be a good game! The French may cause an upset.
Knives Out said | November 11th 2009 @ 8:57am | Report comment
I’m not sure if you saw this but I responded to your last point, Parisien:
The significant point about Marty – and this is something that Lievremont has touched upon – is that he has a club relationship with Mermoz, which may have been signficant against such an experienced team. Mermoz is a very inexperienced 12, and Trinh-Duc is an inexperienced 10. In light of that Lievremont is taking a big risk with Traille at 15.
‘I know why Millo-Chluski has been selected. There is a glut of good locks in the T14, just as there seems to be worldwide, but ultimately he is a plodder. I worry that France will struggle to get quick ball with him, just as England do with Deacon and Borthwick. I know that Nallet is maligned and considered a French Borthwick, but I think he is a very good player. I watched him very closely over the past two seasons and his work ethic and committment is second to none.
Although SA is the no 1 ranked team in the context of their recent results with France I would have France as the favourites. Everybody wants to be the underdog but France seems to trouble SA (or at least they have done in years gone by) and SA has lost Jean de Villiers and Frans Steyn. I hope it’s not just a dog fight with big lumps crashing up the middle.’
Parisien said | November 11th 2009 @ 9:41am | Report comment
Good points, and you must be right about Marty picked to eventually team with Mermoz (or vice versa), but he is on the bench for the time being; Yann David will really have to step up. Ntamack the backs coach says he has been picked to “bring in more power and get across the advantage line without thinking about it”. He is 183 cm for 106 kilos, but its still in the centres that France looks weakest. Where is Fritz? Basteraud is still being punished for the NZ affair.
However Trinh-Duc will ask questions of SA, mark my words, youth and relative inexperience aside, the boy has talent, and while Traille is not great at 15 I think he’ll be safe, but would have preferred like you to see Medard starting there. Traille must be considered a “bigger” boot …
I fully agree about Nallet, he has been very good, and not sure who else could go instead of Millo-Chluski. – Pape ? (he is the plodder in my opinion), Chabal? (exciting but lazy, and variable work ethic). I think M.C is under-appreciated much like Nallet used to be.
I still think Ouedrago will be missed most for his speed and tackling, and great linking work. Harinordoquy has the power but can be a bit slow and one-dimensional when he’s not on top of his game (his best form was way back in 2003 ).
Parisien said | November 11th 2009 @ 8:36am | Report comment
In light of the changes to the SA team, the fact that they don’t always travel well, and that the French team is reasonably settled, with some tough, crunching forwards (Harinordoquy, Dusautoir, Picamoles, Nallet, Mas, and Chabal from the bench) and pacy, creative backs, (Heymans, Clerc, Trinh-Duc, with Medard from the bench), I back France to win.
As often, the battle between the forwards will probably but not necessarily determine the outcome. SA to have an advantage in the lineouts, French to dominate the scrums, and as for the breakdown, which back row will gain ascendancy? Kicking duels will be interesting, with both Traille and Heymans solid at the back for France.
It should be a great game, and I’ll be watching it from Cafe Oz in Paris, with a couple of hundred giant SAFFAS (even their women are huge) and a few scrawny Frenchmen.
Allez les Bleus!
Lee said | November 11th 2009 @ 8:49am | Report comment
Hi Parisien,
Despite my obvious hope that the Boks will win, I am a undecided, as the french have had it over us for the past few years. It will be a great game though.
Anyway completely off topic, I am heading to Paris for the first time next month for 3 days, and other than the obvious tourist things such as the Eiffel Tower etc, any suggestions for any must visit or must do activities in Paris?
Chris said | November 11th 2009 @ 8:51am | Report comment
How long are people going keep saying that SA is poor away from home. SA is unbeaten in tests in the Northern hemisphere since 2006 and have 50% record away in TN in the last two years.
Knives Out said | November 11th 2009 @ 8:54am | Report comment
Because SA has been poor away from home over the past decade. The fact is inescapable. SA won two away 3N games this season. SA won one away 3N game last season. How many away games did SA win the season before that or before that or before that etc? Last season was the first season this decade that SA remained unbeaten on their European tour, so what you are talking about is the past 12 months essentially.
Lem said | November 11th 2009 @ 9:27am | Report comment
In 2007 they were unbeaten in the small matter of RWC — which, if my memory serves, was played in Europe.
Rusty said | November 11th 2009 @ 10:00am | Report comment
The stats dont lie – in the last 10 years, which I might add have coincided with some of the worst performances in Bok history it looks as follows
Played 135, Won 83 = 61.5%
@home = Played 61, Won 47 = 77%
@away = Played 56, Won 21 = 37.5%
So ok – that is pretty damn rubbish and only marginally improves if we take out our Tri-Nations cousins to a 53.8% away ratio. Even in the last 5 years what many would consider a renaissance period the overall record reads as follows
Played 76, Won 52 = 68.4%
@home = Played 36, Won 29 = 80.6%
@away = Played 32, Won 15 = 46.9%
In my opion in relation to this conversation it is a slightly skewed view as a majority of the Boks away games are in the SH. Which where we all know its almost impossible to win away for most teams unless they are the ABs. So in the last 5 years removing the tri nations games the average reads played 14 won 9 = 64.3% ratio. To me this shows that the Boks have been crap away from home but are definitely improving their record to the point over the last few years they have shed the poor traveller tag
Parisien said | November 11th 2009 @ 9:07am | Report comment
Lee, – Three days is way too short, but apart from the obvious sights and tourist features like Notre Dame, Le Louvre and Montmartre, I like the back streets around Bastille, (rue Sedaine, rue de la Roquette, rue Saint Sabin), Le Marais district (near metro Saint Paul, and also up around Belleville and Menilmontant quartiers (rue Oberkampf has lots of bars, cafés and restaurants and is the new “in” neighbourhood after the Marais). Walking or getting a boat ride along the Canal Saint Martin or the Seine is pretty nice too.
Paris in 2007 for the WRC was fantastic, and I enjoyed having a few beers with the SA fans who all behaved great and had a good time. Have a good match and trip!
Lee said | November 11th 2009 @ 11:27am | Report comment
Thanks very much, I realise that 3 days is way too short but my girlfriend has never been to Europe so trying to fit as much in as possible.
Thanks again, and hopefully friday is a great match.
van der Merwe said | November 11th 2009 @ 9:50am | Report comment
Obvious weaknesses here for SA are Jacobs and Kirchner. Steyn (who isn’t too fond of contact anyway) is not used to having a non-tackler like Adrian outside him. I suspect the coaches know this and have thus included Olivier as an insurance policy. Otherwise, I imagine the opposition’s larger inside backs will have an absolute field day here.
Kirchner proved earlier this year that he isn’t up to international standard yet (if ever), but playing alongside Ndungane and Nokwe is hardly the same as Habana and Pietersen.
Just looking at France’s back row, I would have also preferred to see someone harder than Kankowski – Deysel or Johnson – start. Come to think of it, with all the promising young loose-forwards coming through, this tour is probably old Kanko’s last chance.
Lee said | November 11th 2009 @ 11:30am | Report comment
You can complete understand why Kanko was picked ahead of Johnson, Kano has been the under study to Spies all season and has gotten barely any game time, it seems only fair* that when Spies is injured the under study gets his chance.
*not a big fan of doing whats fair as opposed to what is in the best benefit for the team, but then again Johnson is an unknown at international and one bad game against a mean French pack could effect him much longer than missing his debut by one week.
NickSA said | November 11th 2009 @ 9:02pm | Report comment
I think kanko will be ok, from what i have read the french centers have only had something like 5 caps between them?? This could be a weak point for them. The one player who i am a lil concerned about is kirchner, but this could be his chance to perform so we will see. If sa win this game, i think they will clean sweep this tour. I find the irish and welsh to be on quite similar levels in terms of team strength and i found the all blacks totally outclassed the welsh. I think people really underestimated this all black side, hell i did to!! but i think this all black side is still a very strong side…