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Full strength Boks named for first Lions test

rugby20 July 2021 11:22| © SuperSport
By:Brenden Nel
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Ox Nche © Getty Images

Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber named a near full-strength side to take on the British and Irish Lions in the much-anticipated first test in Cape Town on Saturday.


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After weeks and weeks of talk and worries about player fitness, Covid positives and lack of game time, the Boks unveiled a side that included 14 World Cup winners, and 21 of the 23 that triumphed in Japan.

The only real surprise was the decision to go with Kwagga Smith at eight ahead of Jasper Wiese, with Smith getting the nod after he was part of the Boks back-up plans in Japan and in the absence of Duane Vermeulen.

Springbok captain Siya Kolisi was given a vote of confidence despite missing training for a few weeks with Covid and will lead the side into battle.

Also surprising was to start with the same front row that played in the test agaist Georgia, where Ox Nche and Trevor Nyakane will be joined by Bongi Mbonambi as the starters with the Stormers duo of Steven Kitshoff and Frans Malherbe on the bench.

VOTE OF CONFIDENCE

Mbonambi hasn’t played since the Georgia game and has struggled with Covid but returned to training on Sunday along with Malherbe and the coaches have signalled a vote of confidence in the front row to begin the forward attack.

In many ways it mirrors the Bok approach in the World Cup but would be seen as surprising as Nyakane looked to struggle in the SA A game and it was expected Malherbe would come into the starting line-up.

The decision to keep the combinations that took them this far echoes the strategy by the Boks, with their World Cup winning backline totally in-tact, despite a lack of game time.

The hope would be that those playing are in sync with each other and the lack of playing together since the World Cup won’t hamper them as they can slot easily into gear on attack.

NOT AN ISSUE

This means Willie le Roux’s hamstring problem is a thing of the past, while Makazole Mapimpi’s lack of game time and return from Covid has not been seen as an issue by the Bok management.

The World Cup winning duo of Lukhanyo Am and Damian de Allende is not surprising, nor is the halfback duo of Handre Pollard and Faf de Klerk.

While Smith’s elevation to the loose trio is one thing, the former Lions and Springbok Sevens player has been playing at eight in Japan and is seen as a very different player to the missing Duane Vermeulen.

While Vermeulen is power and physicality, Smith’s roaming role and exceptional ability to find himself in positions all over the field is seen as a positive. His ability to spin out of tackles and cross the advantage line is something the Boks enjoy in his play and believe it will test the Lions differently to someone like Wiese.

FINDING HIS FEET

But to be honest, Wiese is also still finding his feet in the Bok setup and hasn’t been the same barnstorming player he is in the Premiership.

Eben Etzebeth and Franco Mostert will pack down at lock, but on the bench the return of Lood de Jager will also be a boost for the Boks, who have opted against their six-two “bomb squad” split for the more traditional four-three bench split.

Interestingly here Nienaber has opted for Rynhardt Elstadt as the back-up lock/loose forward while the physicality of Jean-Luc du Preez could have been the team’s other option.

Surprisingly Herschel Jantjies gets the nod ahead of Cobus Reinach, who was impressive in the warm-up games, while Elton Jantjies, as expected is the back-up 10 and Damian Willemse will cover 12/15 on the bench ahead of Frans Steyn, who hasn’t been selected.

Springboks to face British and Irish Lions: Willie le Roux, Cheslin Kolbe, Lukhanyo Am, Damian de Allende, Makazole Mapimpi, Handre Pollard, Faf de Klerk; Kwagga Smith, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Siya Kolisi (captain), Franco Mostert, Eben Etzebeth, Trevor Nyakane, Bongi Mbonambi, Ox Nche.

Replacements: Malcolm Marx, Steven Kitshoff, Frans Malherbe, Lood de Jager, Rynhardt Elstadt, Herschel Jantjies, Elton Jantjies, Damian Willemse

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