Erasmus sticks to tried and tested combinations for All Blacks battle

Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus stuck to his tried and tested combinations for their third Castle Lager Rugby Championship encounter against the All Blacks at Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday, making only four changes to the starting team that beat the Wallabies in Cape Town, with Jesse Kriel retaining the captaincy.

The changes see the return of South Africa’s most experienced player, Eben Etzebeth, to the starting XV in the engine room alongside Ruan Nortje, in what will mark his 136^th Test, with the other two changes in the loose trio, where Siya Kolisi returns from a niggle in what will mark his second Test at No 8, while Pieter-Steph du Toit returns at flanker.

The only change in the backline is at fullback, where Willie le Roux will start his 101^st Test after being forced to withdraw from the last clash against the Wallabies due to a niggle.

Erasmus made three personnel changes to the replacements bench, which features five forwards and three backs, with Jan-Hendrik Wessels taking over from Marnus van der Merwe at hooker, Kwagga Smith moving back to the bench in the void left by Etzebeth, and utility back Ethan Hooker featuring in his second Test in place of Andre Esterhuizen.

The settled squad includes a total of 17 players who featured against the Wallabies in Cape Town.

“We selected the best possible team we could for the match, knowing that this is going to be an epic encounter against the All Blacks at Eden Park, and many of these players have done the job for us before against them,” said Erasmus.

“This is obviously going to be a completely different challenge to what we’ve faced against them in the last two years, with the match being hosted in New Zealand, and also at a venue where they hold a fantastic record.

“That said, we’ve been working hard on the detail we wanted to iron out following the matches against the Wallabies since arriving in Auckland, so it’s now up to us to implement our plans and deliver a performance that we can be proud of.”

With the Test holding vast significance as the Springboks attempt to register their fifth victory in a row against the All Blacks and break their hoodoo at Eden Park – where they last won in 1937 – while the Freedom Cup is also on the line, Erasmus admitted that this match was momentous for both teams.

“The history and rivalry between the sides speaks for itself, and with all the permutations attached to this match, it makes it particularly noteworthy, so we are expecting it to be a proper grind,” said Erasmus.

“There are records on the line for both teams, and there’s no doubt that this game will be important in trying to win the competition, especially given how close the standings are at this stage. It’s definitely going to be a special match, and both teams will give everything they out there.”

Adding to the significance of the encounter, All Blacks loose forwardArdie Savea will be playing in his 100^th Test, and Erasmus had no doubt that would fuel their motivation, while he also took the opportunity to congratulate the player on the massive achievement.

“Playing 100 Tests is one of the most special milestones a player can achieve, and we’d like to congratulate Ardie for reaching this feat,” said the Bok coach.

“He’s been a true servant to New Zealand rugby, and he deserves all the recognition that comes with that. It also doesn’t get more special than playing at their fortress in such a massive game.”

Commenting on the decision to hand the captaincy to Kriel rather than regular skipper Kolisi, Erasmus said: “Siya was touch and go for the match earlier in the week after picking up a niggle a few weeks ago, and we didn’t want to risk him unnecessarily, but with Jean-Luc du Preez having picked up a niggle at training this week, Siya was the obvious choice to slot in at No 8.

“At that stage, Jesse had already been told he would be the captain, and it was only fair for us to keep things that way. He’s a great leader and one of the core players in our team. His communication with the referee and his teammates is good, and he leads by example in the way he plays, so he deserves this opportunity.

“It will also be a big occasion for him to captain the team against the All Blacks for the first time, so we are proud of Jesse, and we know he’ll carry this responsibility with great pride.”

Zoning in on the match, Erasmus expected it to be an emotionally charged encounter and a huge battle all around.

“Matches between the Springboks and All Blacks are always intense, and we know neither team will hold back,” said Erasmus.

“They’ve announced a quality team with a strong forward pack and exciting backs, so we are under no illusion about the challenge ahead.

“There have been a few big scores between the sides in the past, but also many tight battles, so the most important aspects for us will be to execute our game plan as well as we can, fight fire with fire, and be effective in every aspect of our game.

“Every point will count in this match, so we need to be sharp mentally and physically, and ensure that we leave nothing out on the field.”

The match kicks off at 09h05 (SA time) and will be broadcast live on SuperSport.

Springbok team to face New Zealand at Eden Park:

15 Willie le Roux(Vodacom Bulls) – 100 caps, 75 pts (15t)

14 Cheslin Kolbe(Tokyo Sungoliath) – 42 caps, 111 points (18t, 3c, 5p)

13 Jesse Kriel(captain, Canon Eagles) – 82 caps, 95 points (19t)

12 Damian de Allende(Wild Knights) – 90 caps, 55 points (11t)

11 Canan Moodie (Vodacom Bulls) – 16 caps, 40 pts (8t)

10 Handre Pollard(Vodacom Bulls) - 83 caps,812 points (8t, 122c, 171p, 5dg)

9 Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks) –21 caps, 25 pts (5t)

8 Siya Kolisi(Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 94 caps, 65 points (13t)

7 Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz)– 89 caps, 60 pts (12t)

6 Marco van Staden (Vodacom Bulls) –29 caps, 15 pts (3t)

5 Ruan Nortje (Vodacom Bulls) –9 caps, 0 pts

4 Eben Etzebeth(Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 135 caps, 35 points (7t)

3 Thomas du Toit (Bath) –26 caps, 5 pts (1t)

2 Malcolm Marx(Kubota Spears) – 80 caps, 115 pts (23t)

1 Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks) –43 caps, 0 pts

Replacements:

16 Jan-Hendrik Wessels (Vodacom Bulls) –5 caps, 10 pts (2t)

17 Boan Venter (Edinburgh) –3 caps, 5 pts (1t)

18 Wilco Louw (Vodacom Bulls) –20 caps, 0 pts

19 Lood de Jager(Wild Knights) – 69 caps, 25 points (5t)

20 Kwagga Smith(Shizuoka Blue Revs) – 55 caps, 50 points (10t)

21 Cobus Reinach (DHL Stormers) –42 caps, 70 pts (14t)

22 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers) -11 caps, 54 points (15c, 8p)

23 Ethan Hooker(Hollywoodbets Sharks) – 1 cap, 0 points

Stats and facts:

Springbok record against New Zealand:

Played: 108, Won: 42, Lost: 62, Drawn: 4. Points for: 1 790; Points against: 2 235; Tries scored: 173; Tries conceded: 244. Win %: 38.8%.

Miscellaneous:

• The Springboks will go in search of their fifth victory in a row against the All Blacks when the teams meet at Eden Park, after winning their last four matches against their arch-rivals and clinching the Freedom Cup against them last season for the first time since 2009.
• The Springboks’ longest winning streak against the All Blacks was six matches in a row between 1937 and 1949.
• The last time the Springboks defeated the All Blacks at Eden Park was in 1937 – a long-standing record they will be determined to end this weekend – while at the same time ending the hosts’ winning run at the ground since 1994.
• Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth will extend his record as the most capped Bok of all time to 136 Tests.
• Springbok flanker Siya Kolisi will play his 95^th Test match, leaving him only five matches short of becoming the ninth Springbok centurion in the history of the game.
• Willie le Roux will earn his 101^st Test match after striking the 100^th mark against Italy in Gqeberha in the Castle Lager Incoming Series earlier this year.
• The centre pairing of Jesse Kriel and Damian de Allende will extend their record of playing the most Tests together in the midfield to 39.
• Jesse Kriel will lead the Springboks for the third time in a Test after taking charge of the team against Italy in the Castle Lager Incoming Series in July and Australia in their last Castle Lager Rugby Championship match in Cape Town.
• The total Test caps in the Springbok starting line-up is 939 – the fourth highest combined total in SA rugby history.
• There are434 caps in the backline, with 505 caps among the forwards. On the bench, there are a further206 caps.
• The average caps per player in the backline is62, the forwards 63, while the players on the bench average 26.