Cape Town - Following a tumultuous last seven days for the South African Rugby Union, with chief executive Jurie Roux being sued for R32-million and in which referees’ boss André Watson was sacked, the focus will now switch to matters on the field.
The Springboks start their journey to the World Cup when they face a World XV outfit at Newlands.
It’s the first match of their international rugby season, which coach Heyneke Meyer hopes will only come to an end on Saturday, October 31 – the day of the sport’s showpiece final.
Following a disappointing Super Rugby campaign by the South African teams, Meyer is hoping his charges will find some sort of form and cohesion over the next five matches, which also include a shortened Rugby Championship and a one-off Test against Argentina in Buenos Aires.
The Boks started their preparations in Johannesburg last week, with the players having fitness and conditioning tests.
Meyer’s biggest concern is at outside centre, where he doesn’t have a recognised No13 who is fit.
Jaque Fourie and Lionel Mapoe are both recovering from injuries, while Jan Serfontein and captain Jean de Villiers won’t be in the starting line-up either.
De Villiers, though, is hoping to get a few minutes off the bench, and get a first taste of proper rugby since suffering a horrendous knee injury against Wales last November.
While Damian de Allende’s Test caps have come at outside centre, he is likely to play in the No12 jersey following his impressive Super Rugby form.
That leaves World Cup-winning wing JP Pietersen, although he didn’t have the desired impact for the Sharks in the No13 jersey.
Pietersen is likely to start at outside centre against the World XV, but Meyer could surprise by having a look at Bulls fullback Jesse Kriel, either starting or coming off the bench.
Kriel was one of the Bulls’ standout players in Super Rugby, with the former SA Under-20 star making lots of metres with his hard running from fullback. Kriel played centre at junior level.
Meyer last week praised Kriel for his performances this season, and even hinted in a TV interview that he is looking at this youngster as a potential outside centre, because he has “explosive speed off the mark”.
Meyer is looking for a big, yet skilful, strike-runner who can run hard at the outside gaps, and finish off opportunities created by the men on the inside.
A match against a World XV is the ideal opportunity to see how a player like Kriel goes in that position, because Meyer probably knows what he has in Pietersen.
Former Sevens Bok Cornal Hendricks also played outside centre for Boland before making the switch to the Cheetahs, where he has been operating on the wing over the last few years.
Elsewhere, Lions captain Warren Whiteley looks like he could be the first first-choice No8 in the Rugby Championship, as Duane Vermeulen is still making his way back to full fitness after suffering neck spams more than a month ago.
Vermeulen was sent to Durban on Thursday to obtain another specialist opinion on his injury, but the final results will only be available at a later stage.
The Boks will also have a rookie scrumhalf on the bench on Saturday, with either Rudy Paige or Faf de Klerk deputising for Ruan Pienaar, who is likely to start in the absence of Fourie du Preez.
Victor Matfield will probably lead the team out at Newlands. He will resume his partnership with Eben Etzebeth, who makes his way back to international rugby following injury and a top Super Rugby campaign with the Stormers. - The Star