Kriel to miss Namibian game

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has selected the team most would have been anticipating for Saturday’s clash with Namibia at Toyota Stadium but there is one difference - Jesse Kriel is sitting this one out.

Kriel would have been expected to start against the Namibians as he only played off the bench in the World Cup Pool B opener against the All Blacks last weekend, but he has been left out of the team because of a hamstring injury sustained in that match and Lukhanyo Am will play instead. Am was replaced by Kriel just beyond the halfway mark of the New Zealand game.

Am and his Sharks teammate, wing Makazole Mapimpi, are the only players who started against the All Blacks who will start again as Erasmus looks to give the players who haven’t started or played at the World Cup yet a chance to do so. In all then there are 13 changes to the starting team.

While it might be regarded a mix-and-match or experimental team it is still a strong one and includes several players and combinations that featured strongly in the opening Rugby Championship win against Australia in Johannesburg in July. It was that game that started the Boks on a five match winning roll that netted them their first hold of the Championship trophy since it morphed from being the Tri-Nations.

Herschel Jantjies, who was the man of the match on his debut, has featured again as a replacement, most notably when he scored the try that drew the game against the All Blacks in Wellington nearly eight weeks ago. But this will be his first taste of the No 9 jersey since the Australian game and will be eager to impress, as will his namesake Elton Jantjies, who will be wearing the No 10 that he wore against the Wallabies and then in the World Cup warm-up game against Argentina in Pretoria.

The Pool B game, that is being billed as “the African derby”, will see the first starting appearance of the season for Frans Steyn. The 2007 World Cup winner has been a constant feature on the bench this season but this will be his first start. He will partner Am at inside centre.

As expected, Schalk Brits will captain the side from the unfamiliar position of No 8, with Kwagga Smith and Francois Louw as his back row partners. There certainly shouldn’t be any problems with the Bok ball scavenging in this game with those three playing together.

Of course the injury that has forced Trevor Nyakane to fly home means that the Boks won’t be able to use what was previously considered to be their alternative front-row for this game, but Vincent Koch will be eager to show that he can fit in comfortably as Nyakane’s replacement in that unit.

It is going to be interesting to see how Erasmus deploys his reserves in this game. With the exception of Thomas du Toit, who has flown to Japan as a replacement for Nyakane and gets to make his World Cup debut immediately by being part of the bench, and scrumhalf Cobus Reinach, the rest of the reserves were all first choice players last week.

In particular it will be interesting to see if Erasmus tries Cheslin Kolbe, the undoubted best Bok player in the 23-13 loss to the World Cup champions last week, at fullback. There are concerns about the form of Willie le Roux, who was badly exposed in the aerial battle last week, and it was noticeable that Koble was shifted to last line of defence towards the end to field the high balls.

Namibia won’t test the Bok back three like the All Blacks did but if Kolbe comes on at fullback it will tell us a bit about Erasmus’ thought processes.

The Bok World Cup skipper Siya Kolisi is on the bench and that is a good move as the flanker needs game time. He still looked a bit rusty against the All Blacks and needs to play as much as possible to regain his game-fitness. Kolisi sat out much of the international season due to injury.

SPRINGBOK TEAM:

Warrick Gelant, Sbu Nkosi, Lukhanyo Am, Frans Steyn, Makazole Mapimpi, Elton Jantjies, Herschel Jantjies, Schalk Brits (captain), Francois Louw, Kwagga Smith, Lood de Jager, RG Snyman, Vincent Koch, Bongi Mbonambi, Tendai Mtawarira. Reserves: Steven Kitshoff, Thomas du Toit, Eben Etzebeth, Siya Kolisi, Franco Mostert, Cobus Reinach, Damian de Allende, Cheslin Kolbe.