Johannesbrug - Home town heroes Faf de Klerk and Elton Jantjies will get an opportunity to guide the Springboks to a series levelling win in the second Test against Ireland at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Saturday.
Jantjies, with three appearances from off the bench to his name, will start for the first time in the No 10 jersey this weekend, taking the place of the injured Pat Lambie.
Coming into the squad in place of last weekend’s first choice flyhalf though, who is out with concussion, is the experienced Morne Steyn.
The 60 Test veteran, who plies his trade in France nowadays, is expected to jump ahead of Garth April and take a place on the bench for the second Test.
“It’s important that players get an opportunity to rectify things from last weekend,” said Bok boss Allister Coetzee on Monday, an indication he’s not likely to make many changes to his match 23.
“I’ve got a good understanding what the starting XV will look like. I’m not going to deviate from selecting the best XV. “I’m really sitting between a rock and a hard place.
“Collectively we didn’t play well (on Saturday) and one tends to want to give the players an opportunity to rectify things.
“Making changes can also look like one is panicking. What I’m going to do is pick the best side that can execute the plan,” Coetzee explained.
Steyn coming straight into the squad ahead of April may raise a few eyebrows, but the Bok boss explained he needed an experienced campaigner in the crucial pivot role.
“I’ve said all along that Garth April is here to get used to the Bok culture ... be that with the Bok team or the SA ‘A’ side. With Pat out it’s important that our second flyhalf has experience, something Garth doesn’t yet have.“I don’t want to throw Garth to the wolves ... it can break him. It’s my responsibility to protect him and look out for his best interests.
”Coetzee added that he would never pick an overseas-based player who’d be third choice in his position (which Steyn would have been had Lambie and Jantjies both been fit), but now with Lambie ruled out for the Johannesburg Test he needs an experienced campaigner at 10.Lambie is the only player who won’t come into the selection mix this week - in fact the flyhalf is already back in Durban recovering after clashing with CJ Stander on Saturday.
And, while Duane Vermeulen (knee) and Lood de Jager (calf) didn’t train with their teammates on Monday, Coetzee said there was nothing that would prevent them from being considered for Saturday’s match.
Meanwhile, Coetzee confirmed the full squad will remain in camp for the entire week. Last week, the Boks released four squad members - April, Sikhumbuzo Notshe, Scarra Ntubeni and Nic Groom - to the SA “A” team for their clash against the England Saxons in Bloemfontein.
Coetzee explained the decision: “All our players will stay with us for this week as SA “A” coach Johan Ackermann has requested to give playing opportunities to more members of his squad. Our players will be on standby should they be needed on short notice.”
The “A” team will be looking to square the two-match series against the Saxons in George on Friday. They lost the first encounter 32-24 last week.
The Star