News

PDV sticks to his misfiring guns

Thursday 28th August 2008

Back in the mix: Odwa Ndungane

Under-fire Springbok coach Peter de Villiers has stuck to his guns in naming a team showing minimal changes for Saturday's Tri-Nations clash against Australia at Ellis Park in Johannesburg.

As expected, the Boks have a new wing in the from of Odwa Ndungane, who replaces the injured JP Pietersen in the number fourteen jersey.

In another enforced change, Brian Mujati will start at tighthead prop in place of the suspended CJ van der Linde.

Fortunately for De Villiers, hooker Bismarck du Plessis has been cleared to play while Beast Mtawirara has also recovered from the contusion that prevented him from training with the team earlier in the week.

There are a few changes on the bench, where Jannie du Plessis, Ruan Pienaar and Danie Rossouw come into the matchday 22 in the absence of Frans Steyn, who is suffering from a concussion and Joe van Niekerk, whose omissions has raised a few eyebrows.

With Rossouw, a player in the Bakkies Botha mould, now fit, it was anticipated he might be returned to the starting team.

But Van Niekerk's omission is startling. Many would have thought the Lions number eight would be returned to the starting XV in place of the struggling Pierre Spies.

After impressing in two overseas games where he was a surprise inclusion, Van Nekerk has been on the outside ever since.

But De Villiers believes unforced changes at this point would be foolish and that success in his gameplan is still first prize.

"It was temptation [to make changes], but I studied the game and I felt we weren't too bad," said the Bok coach.

"If we lose three in a row, how can you change that. Winning and losing are the same thing to me, it's just that winning is much nicer."

The selected back-line only sees the half-backs and full-back as recognised kickers, and this could be a huge disadvantage on the Highveld.

De Villiers, however, is adamant the Boks will click in this their final Tri-Nations fixture.

"Maybe our fire wasn't hot enough last week, maybe we didn't have the right pots and pans," he said.

"Hopefully we can eat the food this weekend."

South Africa: 15 Conrad Jantjes, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Adrian Jacobs, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Jongi Nokwe, 10 Butch James, 9 Fourie du Preez, 8 Pierre Spies, 7 Juan Smith, 6 Schalk Burger, 5 Victor Matfield (c), 4 Andries Bekker, 3 Brian Mujati, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Beast Mtawarira.
Replacements: 16 Adriaan Strauss, 17 Jannie du Plessis, 18 Danie Rossouw, 19 Luke Watson, 20 Ricky Januarie, 21 Ruan Pienaar, 22 Percy Montgomery.

Date: Saturday, August 30
Venue: Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 15:00 (13:00 GMT)
Referee: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)
Touch judges: Lyndon Bray (New Zealand), Rob Debney (England)
TMO: Romain Poite (France)