South Africa change six for Argentina Test
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South Africa have made six changes to the team held by England last June for a Rugby Championship first-round match against Argentina in Cape Town Saturday.
In comes fullback Zane Kirchner, winger Lwazi Mvovo, centre Francois Steyn, lock Andries Bekker, flanker Willem Alberts and No.8 Keegan Daniels, as the Springboks seek to build on a perfect 13-Test record against the Pumas.
Fullback Gio Aplon, lock Juandre Kruger and flank Jacques Potgieter were dropped by coach Heyneke Meyer, injuries ruled out right wing JP Pietersen and No.8 Pierre Spies, and Japan-bound centre Wynand Olivier was not considered.
Steyn, who rejoined the Sharks in mid-year from French club Racing Metro, will win his 50th cap at Newlands stadium having made his debut against Ireland six seasons ago.
A 14-14 draw with England in wet and cold Port Elizabeth followed victories for the Springboks in Durban (22-17) and Johannesburg (36-27) to get the national team coaching career of Meyer off to a satisfactory start.
The team to face Argentina comprises stars from just three Super 15 franchises with 2012 runners-up Coastal Sharks supplying eight — including the front and back rows — Western Stormers four and Northern Bulls three.
Both locks come from the Stormers and the halfbacks from the Bulls, where Meyer slowly but surely established the coaching skills that led to the Pretoria outfit becoming a major domestic and southern hemisphere rugby force.
“We are still rather new as a team and it is good that the players know each other well,” Meyer told reporters after announcing his team at a Cape Town hotel.
“Andries was always in our plans and it was a setback to lose him through injury in June while Lwazi has been impressive this year and I know he can fill the huge boots of JP.
“The players have been working very hard on the training field and we now need to translate that to the Test. Argentina will be fired up as they are making their Rugby Championship debut and will be tough opponents.”
South Africa have a 13-0 record against the South Americans since their first meeting in 1993, scoring 544 points and conceding 272 and the biggest win came four years ago with a 63-9 triumph in Johannesburg.
© AFP 2013Team (15-1): Zane Kirchner; Lwazi Mvovo, Jean de Villiers (capt), Francois Steyn, Bryan Habana; Morne Steyn, Francois Hougaard; Keegan Daniel, Willem Alberts, Marcell Coetzee; Andries Bekker, Eben Etzebeth; Jannie du Plessis, Bismarck du Plessis, Tendai Mtawarira. Replacements: Adriaan Strauss, Pat Cilliers, Flip van der Merwe, Jacques Potgieter, Ruan Pienaar, Patrick Lambie, JJ Engelbrecht
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The Crowd Says (12) | Page 1 of Comments
Have Your Say
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- Argentina rugby, Rugby Union, Springboks
August 16th 2012 @ 5:54am
Justin2 said | August 16th 2012 @ 5:54am | Report comment
Expecting a brutal affair here, could be interesting to watch.
August 16th 2012 @ 7:33am
Shungmao said | August 16th 2012 @ 7:33am | Report comment
I like the make up of this team, you have a great combo of brute force, finesse and speed. Like the focus on existing combinations from teams, a smart move until the team has more ime together.
August 16th 2012 @ 9:55am
Suzy Poison said | August 16th 2012 @ 9:55am | Report comment
Apart from Morne, not a bad team. 12 of the 15 positions pick themselves, which is comforting. The back three look a bit suspect for the high ball. No doubt Argentina will be sending down bombs their way. Would rather have Lambie at 15, but he is on the bench, so I can see what Meyer has done.Not convinced about Keegan Danial either. Would rather have Siya Kolisi as a flank, and have Alberts move to number 8. But Duane Vermeulen will be back for the Argentina tour next week, if he goes well for WP.
I am expecting if Morne or Frans Hougaard struggle to stamp their authority Ruan Pienaar will be brought on earlier, and Hougaard will go to wing, in place of Mvovo. Problem happen around the 60minute mark anyways.
August 16th 2012 @ 1:43pm
Blinky Bill of Bellingen said | August 16th 2012 @ 1:43pm | Report comment
Am I wide of the mark thinking that realistically the Puma’s will struggle in their first year?
I can well see them being a real handful at home though and more than capable of some upsets. But away?
I like the Puma’s and reckon they will really add a new dimension to the Championship. I liked what I saw from their under 20′s team and of course if they should manage to get some of their starts back from Europe for a decent length of time….well the sky is the limit.
August 16th 2012 @ 2:15pm
Suzy Poison said | August 16th 2012 @ 2:15pm | Report comment
You are correct. They will struggle at first. Similar to when Italy joined the Six Nations. Results won’t happen overnight.
South Africa has always been the biggest supporter of Argentian rugby, and for that reason there is perhaps an “almost too healthy respect” of the Boks. Hopefully this changes, and they bash us at least once. Although my heart doesn’t want this, it will be good for Argentina. As part of developing Argentian rugby, the Pumas have a team currently playing in the third tier South African competion, under the Currie Cup and Super Rugby. They won this tournament last year, but it is third tier. Getting thier European players firing is the key.
August 17th 2012 @ 12:31am
Gpc said | August 17th 2012 @ 12:31am | Report comment
I didn’t know that. Can we send some aus teams to come play too.
August 17th 2012 @ 1:30am
biltongbek said | August 17th 2012 @ 1:30am | Report comment
We actually have Namibia in the Vodacom too.
Zimbabwe used to be part of our domestic season too, I don’t know why they left.
August 17th 2012 @ 1:37am
biltongbek said | August 17th 2012 @ 1:37am | Report comment
As for the team selection.
The front row is the best combination, so no issues there. Coenie Oosthuizen will be missed on the bench.
Lock pairing is the best in my opinion, surprised Juandre Kruger didn’t make the bench, but understand Meyer expects the Argies to be physical and Flip v d Merwe will make a bigger impact.
Backrow, well considering you have Burger, Smith, Brussow, Vermeulen and Spies on the injury list and Kankowski, Ashley Johnson and Francois Louw overseas, that is probably the bet we can do. I would have loved to see Burger at 8 though.
Hougaard is fine as long as he plays hs own game, under the circumstances Morne is the experienced choice.
frans Steyn and Jean will be too strong for the Argies.
Mvovo is in place of our form player and we will badly miss JPPietersen.
Habana and Kirchner for Rgentina is good enough.
August 17th 2012 @ 2:32am
kingplaymaker said | August 17th 2012 @ 2:32am | Report comment
The best bet Argentina have is that they could be much more motivated to prove something in some of the matches than their opponents.
It will be very hard for the other teams to get the subconscious idea out of their heads that the matches against Argentina are the easy ones in the tournament, however hard they try consciously.
August 17th 2012 @ 2:54am
Johnno said | August 17th 2012 @ 2:54am | Report comment
-KPM Argentina will be a tough road trip, almost as hard as winning in Sth Africa. Haveing only 5-6 days to acclimatise and prepare in sth america will be tough. Hostile crowds too, countries always struggle to win matches in any sport in sth america, heck teams in sty america struggle to win sports matches in other coutnries of sty america KPM. Brazil has an awful soccer record plain in urugauy, bait like the soccer’s lost 2 straight in uruguay. Wallabies have always struggled there 2.
-Argentina have lost contepponi retired one of the best I/C of the last 10 years in the world, but there dynamic no 8 lobe is back who missed the Q/F of world cup with injury, and hernandez there dynamic 5/8 is back and he missed the world cup. Argentina will be tough as tough as wales i think but home will be a tough road trip for all teams.
August 18th 2012 @ 5:22am
Undertaker said | August 18th 2012 @ 5:22am | Report comment
Springboks to win by a margin of 15-20.
August 18th 2012 @ 6:13am
matthew said | August 18th 2012 @ 6:13am | Report comment
Zane Kirtchner what a joke of Springbok. The gulf in class between him and any number of Kiwi fullbacks and guys like,Beale, Foden, Kearney is massive. How sad that he gets to represent the Bok’s when we’ve got the perfectly competent Lambie available. Also agree that Daniel is a lightweight who will get smothered at this level; would actually have preferred Alberts going to 8 and Potgieter coming in for another cap, at least he’s got a physical presence.
Hougaard needs to play his natural game! Boks need to stop box kicking especially against NZ and Australia! Mvovo will be a liability in defense against the latter teams. Brussouw needs to come in for Coetzee; as good as Coetzee is Brussouw is in another class.