Rassie Erasmus has shown his World Cup hand by naming what appears to be his team for the Springboks’ closing World Cup warm-up from Japan.
The team shows one change in the starting XV that brought 16-16 with all the All Blacks in Wellington an outcome that paved the way for the initial Rugby Championship title in a couple of years of South Africa, in July.
The Springboks carry on their old rivals in Yokohama in their tournament opener on September 21, along with the side Erasmus called for Friday’s warm-up looks likely to be the one to select the area in two weeks’ time since the Boks go in search of a third World Cup title.
The change to that Wellington team sees skipper Siya Kolisi favored to Kwagga Smith in openside flank. Kolisi was hurt for South Africa’s Rugby Championship campaign but left his return in their penultimate World Cup warm-up against Argentina in Pretoria.
Kolisi is joined at the back row by Duane Vermeulen. Du Toit’s first start in the Green and Gold came from Japan from the 2015 World Cup, when the Springboks endured the greatest shock in the championship’s history at a 34-32 loss in Brighton.
While Erasmus might be giving his first-choice team a run-out before they take on the the All Blacks, Erasmus said the negative also represents how dire the Boks are to prevent another defeat to the Brave Blossoms.
“I hope this selection will send a strong message that we have the utmost respect for Japan,” said Erasmus.
“Perhaps we made the error of complacency against them previously but we have been beating the message all week that we shouldn’t ever do that against Japan.
“They are a wise team of athletes that are great, playing in the home, having won a title in the last month and now desperate to prove something. This Test is as big a challenge as any we have had this season.
“They made a film about the last time they played with us – it’s our job to make sure there’s no sequel.”
South Africa: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Faf de Klerk, 1 Steven Kitshoff, two Malcolm Marx, 3 Frans Malherbe, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 5 Franco Mostert, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 8 Duane Vermeulen.
Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Tendai Mtawarira 19 RG Snyman, 20 Francois Louw, 21 Herschel Jantjies 23 Jesse Kriel.
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