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Pool B of the Rugby World Cup will be in action early on Sunday morning as South Africa takes on Scotland at St James Park, Newcastle upon Tyne. Join The Roar from 1:45am (AEST) for live scores and commentary.
Following their disastrous Rugby Championship and loss to Japan, the Springboks bounced back to trounce Samoa by 40 points just over a week ago. However, they lost inspirational captain Jean de Villiers for the rest of the tournament with a broken jaw.
For de Villiers, this latest injury has ruined another World Cup campaign, the fourth of his 109-Test career. The Springbok captain has never played out a full World Cup, and the 34-year-old went on to say, “I reckon the Rugby World Cup and Jean de Villiers, those two are not meant to go together”. He has since retired from international Test rugby.
Jesse Kriel will take de Villiers spot at outside centre, partnering Damien de Allende, while scrumhalf Fourie du Preez will become the Springboks’ 56th Test captain. Apart from this, Springboks coach Heyneke Meyer has named the strongest squad possible.
On the other hand, Scotland has enjoyed a great start to their campaign, after 46-10 and 39-16 wins over both Japan and the USA respectively. This game will provide a real test for the Scots, and will decide who finishes atop of the group.
Scotland needs only one more win to guarantee qualification, after gaining 10 points from their opening two matches. This explains the reason behind the numerous changes they have made to the team that beat the USA, which includes the absence of playmaker Finn Russell at fly half.
Blair Cowan, Scotland’s New Zealand-born flanker, has been immediately brought into the starting squad for the clash, while Duncan Weir will replace Russell. Gordon Reid and Richie Vernon make their first starts of the tournament, as Fraser Brown, Jonny Gray and Tommy Seymour will all return.
The last meeting between both teams resulted in a 55-6 victory for South Africa in 2014, but they have never met in a World Cup, so it’s unknown how the teams will perform against each other in this particular environment.
The outcome of the match will be determined by which South Africa team decides to turn up. It could be the one that played Japan, or the one that was dominant, particularly in the forwards, against Samoa.
Prediction
With Scotland naming a weaker line-up for the clash, one would think that it should be a walk in the park for the Springboks. However, after a string of poor performances over the last few months, the Scots may end up surprising them.
South Africa by 15.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.