Eddie Jones recently described South Africa as “bullies” and the Springboks have duly rendered this the latest example of the Wisdom of Eddie. Not that it takes a genius to predict how South Africa are likely to approach a Test match against England at Twickenham but even by their standards the pack they have announced for Saturday is massive.
South Africa have injury problems in the back row, which they have solved by going all out on the physicality front. Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6ft 7in and 18st, and Willem Alberts, 6ft 4in and 19st, are the new flankers, with the former shifting from lock to make way for the mighty Lood de Jager, 6ft 9in and 19st.
“This game cannot be played without any form of physicality or gainline dominance,” said Allister Coetzee, the Springbok coach, rather ominously. “I have selected the best possible team to supply that. In conditions like Saturday [the forecast is for rain, heavy in the morning] go-forward is important. You have to earn that, and this pack of forwards suits the game we want to play.”
Excluding the No8s, South Africa hold a five-stone advantage over England in the pack, although that deficit is all but wiped out by the difference in weight between Billy Vunipola, the heaviest man on the field, and Warren Whiteley, South Africa’s relative lightweight at No8, a mere 15½ stone. He is also their concession to pace, an asset England do not obviously boast among their forwards.
Behind the carnage of the likely collisions up front South Africa will field more pace in the form of the lively Rudy Paige at scrum-half and Pat Lambie at fly-half, who will act as vice-captain. Francois Venter, captain of the Currie Cup-winning Cheetahs, comes in for his debut at outside centre, having impressed, in attack at least, in South Africa’s entertaining draw against the Barbarians last weekend. Willie le Roux is cleared to play for his first start since the summer series against Ireland, but Bryan Habana is deemed not quite ready, following some knee trouble he picked up with Toulon, although the man himself seemed to think he was all right.
This is South Africa’s first Test since the 57-15 home defeat to New Zealand that needs no introduction, the latest in a series of indignities suffered over the last couple of years. As such, there ought to be an edge to their approach, which they are more than physically qualified to deliver. England’s first hit-out of the season is unlikely to be gentle.
South Africa team to face England
W le Roux (Eagles); R Combrinck (Lions), F Venter (Cheetahs), D de Allende (Western Province), JP Pietersen (Leicester); P Lambie (Sharks), R Paige (Bulls); T Mtawarira (Sharks), A Strauss (Bulls, capt), V Koch (Saracens), E Etzebeth (Western Province), L de Jager (Bulls), W Alberts (Stade Français), P du Toit (Western Province), W Whiteley (Hurricanes). Replacements B Mbonambi (Western Province), S Kitshoff (Bordeaux), L Adriaanse (Sharks), F Mostert (Rams), N Carr (Western Province), F de Klerk (Lions), J Goosen (Racing 92), L Mapoe (Spears)
